HOMEOWNERS are furious over a city-ordered service call that left holes in their sidewalks — and now they’re demanding repairs.
While many people welcome the idea of free upgrades to their properties, it’s best not to accept some gifts.
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Homeowners in Copley Township — a small community about two hours northeast of Columbus — learned this lesson the hard way.
Several Copley Township residents complained after a communications company came to their homes on the city’s orders to install fiber optic cables for faster Internet.
The change was intended to be an upgrade to community services, city officials told local NBC affiliate WKYC.
But installers drilled large holes in several residents’ driveways to check existing gas and water lines before installation, in line with legal regulations.
Read more about parking issues
Contractors then attempted to repair the damage by unevenly filling the holes with rough black asphalt – in stark contrast to the smooth, light-colored cement of the sidewalks.
For many owners, the unpleasant “update” came as a shock.
“It’s an eyesore,” resident Raymond Krakovsky told WKYC.
“They’re going to leave and we’re going to be left with all this sitting here trying to figure out how we can make it look better,” he lamented.
The problem is so bad that the owner said he’s not sure he can wait for the city to fix it.
“This is going to bother me so much that I’ll probably next next year, I’m going to rip everything out and build a new entrance.”
DAMAGES AS UPDATE
The service provider that drilled the holes, Lit Fiber, was contracted by the municipality of Copley to provide faster internet to residents.
Two more Internet service providers, Frontier Communications and Fairlawn Gig, are scheduled to begin similar work in the community in the coming months. future.
City officials said the damage is temporary — for the most part.
“So any of these minor sidewalk patches currently are just temporary repairs,” Copley Township Services Director Greg Tracy told WKYC.
“When companies use trenchless technologies such as drilling, they are required by the Ohio Revised Code to drill holes or expose any gas or water services under the driveway.”
WHEN TO REDO THE ENTRANCE FLOOR
Here are the classic signs that a driveway needs an update…
Paved sidewalks should last about 20 years.
However, leaking engine oil, extreme temperatures, heavy rain or large cars can damage the strength of the pavement.
Keep an eye out for these classic signs:
- Small cracks that won’t connect
- Holes
- Sunken spots
- Illuminated color
- Edges breaking
Some driveway repairs may just need a quick resurface. Unresolved issues may require complete repaving.
Most repairs will cost drivers between $1 and $3 a square foot.
Source: Budget Dumpsters.
Therefore, these contractors are required to confirm the depth of these installations to ensure they do not reach any gas or water lines,” he explained.
“Once the project is complete, the contractor will come back and restore all of these areas and sidewalks with a full concrete slab.”
The director acknowledged that the process could be problematic for some residents, but emphasized the advantages of the situation.
“Unfortunately, it’s the byproduct of construction and progression,” Tracy said.
“There will be some areas that are less aesthetically pleasing than before, but the functionality will be the same.”
“Basically, there is a trade-off, right? Installing these services is a utility upgrade in the area. It will be an improvement for the community as a whole.”
EXCUSES AT THE DOOR
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A spokeswoman for Lit Fiber, Lindsay Whitehurst, told local reporters that residents were informed or left a sticker on their doors about the installations before work began.
“While expanding our network to your neighborhood and home, we realized we may have caused damage to your yard,” the door tags allegedly said.
“Please note that we plan to make any necessary repairs to get your yard back to its original condition.”
Whitehurst ultimately apologized on behalf of Lit Fiber for the unexpected damages.
“First I would apologize profusely,” she said.
“It is not our intention to disrupt anyone’s life or damage their property. We want to make sure we leave this property the way we found it when we started, or as close to it as possible.”
Whitehurst said the company will begin repairing the sidewalks next week.
They expect it will take three weeks to restore all affected homes, Lit Fiber said.
Copley Township representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The U.S. Sun.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
