Turlock Realtors Criticize City's Plan To Repair Tree-Damaged Sidewalks
TURLOCK (CBS13) - Turlock's mayor proposed a better way to fix the city's sidewalk problems, but local realtors say there are some cracks in the city's plans.
CBS13 is getting to the root of the conflict and getting answers.
Ruth Gwinner loves to walk on Sierra Street because of the shade. But she walks in the street instead of the sidewalk.
"Partly because the sidewalks are like this (uses her hands to show uneven pavement) when you walk, and I'm a afraid of tripping and falling," said Gwinner.
Hylen Smurr just moved back to his childhood home and remembers the big trees.
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"It probably wasn't eating up the sidewalk like now, quite vigorously," said Smurr.
If someone like Gwinner trips on Smurr's sidewalk and gets injured, both Smurr and the city are liable. Now that the city is growing, and so are the trees, the mayor is proposing changes to sidewalk ordinances to get homeowners to repair sidewalks quickly.
"What we're attempting to do is mitigate the liability," said Turlock city councilman Bill DeHart.
The city even has a placeholder in the budget to help low-income families pay for sidewalk repairs. Another part of the proposal is more controversial. It requires home sellers to get sidewalk inspections and repairs before they sell their houses. Several Turlock realtors say that's a problem.
"What if you just got a job relocation? You have to sell that house right now," said Lloyd Blackman, a realtor.
Blackman say waiting on the city clearance can add onto the stress of selling a home. And by the way, "There's only one licensed contractor in the city of Turlock that is licensed and bonded to do sidewalk repair work," he said.
That contractor is Ed Haney. We couldn't track him down today. He's that busy.
"Someday we will have to sell the house, and that's complicated enough as it is, I think, without waiting around for the sole contractor in Turlock to look into it," said Smurr.
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Councilman DeHart says he's working to find a solution to the contractor shortage.
"Contractors must be appropriately bonded for liability, and to get it on their schedule to actually make the repairs," said DeHart
He's heading a new commission to look into sidewalk cracks and help ensure no one falls into a financial hole in their front yard.