Tracy Homeowners In Forgotten Neighborhood Lacking Sidewalks, Sewers
TRACY (CBS13) — Homeowners in a forgotten neighborhood say they're tired of being left by the wayside without sidewalks or sewer service.
Getting those improvements may come at the expense of Tracy homeowners.
"We're just five short blocks out of downtown Tracy, and this is sort of Tracy's forgotten neighborhood," said Lisa Di Pasquale.
Some say a part of the city has been stuck in the past, despite major developments in the area surrounding it.
"I've been here five years, and I haven't seen any improvement here," said Erick Casanova. "It's just getting worse."
Some homeowners have to use wells and septic tanks since they don't have water or sewer service from the city.
Streets that don't have sidewalks or curbs worry moms like Vanessa Chapina, whose kids walk to school on a busy road.
"There is no space for us to walk," she said.
The public works director says putting in the sidewalks and amenities neighbors want isn't simple or cheap. The land the neighborhood sits on was annexed by the city and is formerly part of rural San Joaquin County.
Even though that neighborhood is now within city limits, the city says the neighborhood technically still operates under those rural county standards.
Casanova says he doesn't mind chipping in for improvements in the neighborhood. He remembers everything has a price tag.
"I have no problem, to make the city a better place to live," he said.
Unless the City Council changes its policy, it looks like the neighbors would have to pay a portion of the cost. The public works director estimates that could run at least a couple of hundred thousand dollars.