Queens couple has been waiting for uneven sidewalk fix for 7 years
NEW YORK - Richmond Hill residents Carol and Jack Wolf have the home of their dreams, and the sidewalk of their nightmares.
Since CBS New York first visited the retired couple on 127th Street in November, the concrete has continued to slope and crack in front of the house they've shared for five decades.
The Wolfs say they were added to the city's waitlist in 2017 and told to expect repairs a year later.
"I don't think we should wait seven years," Carol Wolf said.
Jack Wolf wears a prosthetic leg, and his mobility scooter is unable to negotiate the sidewalk's uneven ridges. Both he and his wife are cancer survivors.
Worse than an eyesore, they say, the sidewalk is a trip hazard.
"It's scary as we get older," she said.
"I just want the sidewalk fixed"
Sidewalk maintenance is a homeowner's responsibility unless damage is caused by the roots of a city tree. In cases like these, it is the purview of the Parks Department.
"I love the tree," Jack Wolf said. "I don't want them to take the tree down."
"I just want the sidewalk fixed," Carol Wolf said.
NYC Parks told CBS New York that repairs are prioritized based on the severity of the damage, adding that the quickest solution may be to hire an independent contractor and file for reimbursement. The couple suspects they would have to wait years to be reimbursed.
"That's not fair," Carol Wolf said.
City Council Member Lynn Schulman says the Council's new budget will devote additional funds to maintenance of trees. She encourages constituents to contact 311 while waiting for a city agency.
"There are staffing issues," she said. "That's where we can be helpful."
First 2017, now 2025
Most recently, the Wolfs were told they could see repairs in 2025. With concerns about liability and neighbors crossing into traffic to get around the bumps, they don't think it can wait that long.
"And I don't want to move," Jack Wolf said. "This is my home."
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