Homeowner maintains sidewalk, city leaves it worse
An Edelweiss resident is demanding accountability from the metro after repeated municipal repairs outside his home left behind extensive damage that has gone unrepaired for months.
A resident of Edelweiss has spoken out in frustration and disappointment after making several attempts to have the CoE fix the damage its contractors left outside his house.
Richard Anderson, who lives on Elands Street, told the Springs Advertiser that the issues started eight months ago when a water leak from one of his neighbours’ homes led to the municipality sending a third-party contractor to deal with the problem.
He said they damaged the tar road, the pavement and even his lawn to repair the leak and left a hole over a metre deep behind. He said he feared that any car driving over it would end up in an accident. Worried about safety, Anderson and a few of his neighbours filled the hole with soil.
“We did what we had to do to keep people walking by safe. We called it in and requested that somebody return to fix the sidewalk, the tar and the rest of the damage, but nobody came,” Anderson said.
Anderson added that he went to the municipal offices four times and spoke with a staff member. They confirmed the problem and assured him of action.
“She told me she would ensure that it gets resolved, but nothing was ever done,” he claimed.
About three weeks ago, Anderson called in a second leak on the sidewalk close to his house. Although municipal employees repaired the new leak, their cleanup was again concerning.
He said they dirtied his yard with cigarette ends, left soil and grass piles and left the hole they dug in an appalling condition.
“I’ve rung several times and left messages for them to return and properly repair my property,” he said.
He also shared his frustration that a city employee told him the sidewalk was city property, despite him taking care of it.
“I take care of this bit each week with my gardener, yet now it has been left worse than it was. I am disappointed. This isn’t the service residents deserve.”
Anderson said he’s still willing to co-operate with the city and hopes officials will treat the issue seriously. He concluded by saying that if anyone wished to view the damage personally, he was available.
“If someone from the city wants to come see the damage, I’m around. I just want to be treated with the same respect I show when I report these things because I am a law-abiding citizen.”
The paper has posed questions to the metro and will inform readers once a reply is received.
