Sidewalk Success – By Any Standard!

VHCA safety chair Peggy Berg gets the association’s gold star this week for her outstanding work rounding up residents to participate in the final sidewalk repair bundle before the city’s pending price increase.

On Friday June 14, Peggy presented a check for $102,197 to the City of Atlanta on behalf of 125 residents who chose to have their sidewalks repaired now, as opposed to waiting until after the city’s new budget goes into effect July 1. Our understanding from the city is that sidewalk repair costs could increase by as much as three times what they are today at some point after the new budget goes into effect.

Peggy worked tirelessly over the past few weeks talking with interested residents about their sidewalks, driveway aprons and curbs; measuring the work required; and quoting prices. Collecting checks was where the rubber met the road, so to speak, and Peggy did an incredible job following up with folks to make sure their checks were collected in time to meet the June 15 deadline.

Unfortunately, the city won’t be quite as quick to make the repairs as Peggy was in her efforts to meet her submission deadline; Peggy says it could be 6-12 months before we see the work completed. In as prime an example of good things coming to those who wait as we can imagine, the positive impact on the neighborhood’s walkability when the work is complete will be significant and long-lasting.

If you’re seeking for some fairly short term sidewalk gratification, though, look no further than St. Charles Avenue where long-awaited repairs to the bundle Peggy collected last year are scheduled to be made within the next 30 days.