You probably know Randyl Walter and Leslie Basinger’s house if you’ve been on Chimborazo over the last few years, it’s unique to say the least – big, white, maybe sort of shaped like a boat. The story today isn’t their house, but the condition of the alley behind it, which is a soggy, stinky mess.
Two days after the last real rain, the alley is still flooded in an area stretching behind four yards on each side of the alley. There is a swampy smell, part rotting leaves and maybe part sewer. This will be mosquito hell in 2 or 3 months.
It was like this all summer two years ago, says Randyl, but better last summer after the city came through with new gravel. The flooding has returned this spring and residents can’t seen to get a fix.
The ruts and potholes filled with water give evidence that this is not a new problem. Indeed, neighbors have put down boards as walkways to access their trashcans. Part of Randyl and Leslie’s backyard and their parking spot behind their house is lost to the muck.
Standing in the alley, it is apparent that this is the low spot from the north, west, and south. Perhaps adding to the problem is that the water meters are set in the alley and have had leak problems in the past.
“We’ve been calling the city for months,” says Randyl, but without any resolution. Recent contact with City Hall got someone to promise to fix the alley, he says – sometime in October.
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25 comments
I’ll bet you it would be addressed pretty quickly if the bike race was coming through there.
We have repetitive alley problems in Oregon Hill also (ever since our cobblestones were taken out). Where is the City’s Green Alley program? Where is the stormwater fee money going?
Seems like a perpetual problem. The alley behind my house has to be resurfaced every year or to keep it from ending up like that.
I’m not sure if the SeeClickFix voting systems really works, but perhaps we could try “upvoting” this issue if there is a SeeClickFix report out there. Anyone have a link to such a report?
The City will site and fine you if you fail to mow the grass but look what they do.
Leslie Basinger liked this on Facebook.
Cynthia Tobin liked this on Facebook.
@chimbo – I put one in, but it’s awaiting moderation. I’ll post it here if it gets posted.
@4 and 6, I’ll be glad to vote it up.
I have about 500 gallons of City property on my property, I plan on returning it 5 gallons at a time,
Carolyn Loftin liked this on Facebook.
This was a problem in my alley and on the next alley. It was wet even with no rain. It turned out to be a leaking water meter. A lot of the meters are in the alley. The trash truck broke my neighbor’s, the alley re- paving crew broke another and now that a house is being gutted and trucks and dumpsters in and out another broke. The city came out within 24 hours of each complaint for a broken meter.
The City may fix the meters but not the damage to the alley and the Dept of Public Utilities that fixes the meters doesn’t notify the Depart of Public Works that fixes the alleyway. It is government dysfunction and the people who answer the phone don’t know anything. No one calls you back. No one ever follows up.
On SeeClickFix https://en-us.seeclickfix.com/issues/1606162
I voted it up!
VOTE to get this alley fixed https://en-us.seeclickfix.com/issues/1606162
Up to twelve votes, keep voting it up!
Discussed at length at tonight’s MPACT meeting.
Looks like a new alley today
https://www.flickr.com/photos/murden/17230187136/sizes/l
Glad to see a happy ending to this story!
Nice!
Very nice!!!
Very impressive. Great job, everyone!
I am impressed, great job everyone! Now, I hope it stays this way, too, but if not looks like we can help get things done.
Good job, people! So nice to hear that things -can- get done around Richmond…