Dear Editor,
I am increasingly amazed and disappointed in our city council. I
was amazed when they decided that homeowners should split the cost
in sidewalk repairs that were necessitated because of the city
trees planted in their front yards, of which they had no
choice.
Dear Editor,
I am increasingly amazed and disappointed in our city council. I was amazed when they decided that homeowners should split the cost in sidewalk repairs that were necessitated because of the city trees planted in their front yards, of which they had no choice.
Instead of the city taking care of the trees and cutting roots as they grew so they would not destroy sidewalks, trees have been basically neglected (ours has been pruned twice in the 12 years we have lived in our home, the roots never cut) until they have created bigger problems. If I was allowed to choose the trees for our street I would have done research to find trees that would not create root problems. I cannot understand why this is not done all over Gilroy. It just seems so obvious.
Because we live on a corner lot we have three city trees on the side of our house. Not only do we clean up piles of leaves in the fall, but we clean up pods that drop all over and green “flower-like” things that attract bees and smell so bad that we close the windows in the late spring when they are blooming. Now our sidewalks are cracking – and at $3,000 to $30,000 per tree the repairs could cost anywhere from $9,000 to $90,000. Our half of the repair would be $4,500 to $45,000. That’s quite a lot of money for trees we didn’t even plant.
I am disappointed that our city council would even entertain the idea that the homeowner should be held liable for injuries that happen as a result of cracked sidewalks. It seems to me that if they fixed all the sidewalks, the money they pay in lawsuits would cover the repairs and then, no more lawsuits!
Cracked sidewalks are becoming a major problem all over town. Instead of the city coming up with constructive ways to take care of this city problem, they are looking for ways to pass the buck. And a bond for sidewalk repairs is one of the most ludicrous things I have ever heard of.
We pay sales tax, property tax, state tax, etc., that should cover these kinds of services. There are just some things that are basic maintenance for taking care of a city. Sidewalks is one of them.
How can our city say there is no money for basic repairs while they are busy breaking ground for a sports park? If the city can’t take care of the trees they planted then how about letting the homeowner?
I would cut down our trees, repair the sidewalks with a couple of bags of cement and some forms, and plant trees that I like and wouldn’t be a mess.
Tammy Dickson, Gilroy
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a
well-written letter.
