AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB)- Amherst residents are questioning why the town is requiring them to repair or replace their sidewalks. Earlier this month, the town marked dozens of sidewalks that need to be fixed.
“When we walk the dog the entire block, a mile long, virtually every house has some R’s for repairing sidewalks,” said Larry Kerman, who lives on Londonderry Ln.
Kerman received a letter in the mail from the town last week that said according to Building Construction Administration Code, homeowners are responsible for making sure sidewalks are maintained. It said an inspection revealed the sidewalks along his property are a safety hazard to pedestrians.
“I personally fixed two or three squares of concrete a year or two ago because they were bad,” he said. “The current ones are not cracked at all, it’s that there’s maybe a height difference of half inch or so between one and the next.”
News 4 called the town building department, which said that someone made a complaint about the sidewalks on that road so the town’s inspector had to look at every piece. The inspector found the majority of the houses on Londonderry Ln. have at least one issue, according to the town building department.
“Some just settle, some of the trees are planted so close to the sidewalk the roots grow and the roots will pick it up,” said Jerry Mallaber, who owns Concrete Solutions.
Mallaber and his crew leveled out nearly a dozen sidewalks on Londonderry Ln.
“We have a process of using foam to inject underneath the concrete to bring it up to remove the trip hazard,” said Mallaber.
A couple neighbors have already completely replaced their sidewalks.
Repairs or replacement costs homeowners hundreds of dollars. In its letter to residents, the town said tree root removal is also the homeowner’s responsibility, even if it’s a town tree.
“They’re making us do totally unnecessary work,” said Kerman.
The letter from the town said if people don’t fix their sidewalks by July 20, possible penalties include a $250 fine or 15 days in jail.
We reached out to the town attorney for more information about the complaint that prompted the inspection and have not heard back yet.
