Cleveland residents in a west side neighborhood are fed up with the dangerous condition of their sidewalks.
It’s on Erin Ave. in the Metro-Clark neighborhood of the city, which sits right in between trendy Tremont and bustling Ohio City.
For residents like Benitza Montgomery, it feels as though they live in what she calls a “lost zone.”
“This street is like nothing. Our area? They don’t care,” Montgomery said.
She said she and her husband have been making calls about the terrible condition of the sidewalks across the street from their home for at least three years. They have repeatedly asked for a fix, Montgomery said, but received no real response.
The sidewalk is so mutated, you cannot walk across it. The massive roots of a tree on the tree lawn are to blame.
“We shouldn’t have to live with this, especially since we pay taxes,” Montgomery added. “It’s very dangerous.”
She said the jutting, deformed sidewalk is a hazard for everyone who walks through the neighborhood, including elderly people and the children she cares for at her home daycare.
“We’re tired of this. Stop ignoring our phone calls, we’ve been calling for the last three years. Fix the problem. Fix the cement, get rid of the tree, fix it. It’s that simple!” she said.
When asked about the issue, the city said sidewalks are the sole responsibility of the property owner.
The sidewalk in question is in front of a vacant lot. The City of Cleveland is working to determine if those lots are owned by the city and working to determine who is responsible for fixing the sidewalk.
The city has a 50-50 program in which they will pay for half the funds to repair unsafe sidewalks if the resident pays the other half. Residents can call 216-664-2232 to request an estimate. The city also began its “tree-damaged sidewalk program” this past May.
