I have been appalled by the quality of the paving that the city is doing. Paving around parked cars, not finishing the entire street (example S near Oakwood), and doing a terrible job cleaning up the leftover asphalt has made our roads even worse. You can already see the old concrete through the new asphalt which means these roads are not being improved for the long term.
I’m going to call Jan Person again tomorrow. She’s the nice lady I spoke to about the ‘dubious sidewalk repair in 3300 block of East Broad St.’ thread. She’s quite nice, and promised to send everything I either said to her or emailed her to the Deputy Director of Operations, Marvin Williams (handily written down right here at my computer desk!). She usually answers the phone at pub. works at 646-6430.
Don’t know how far I will get as this seems to be getting worse instead of better. I agree with Cat, it is appalling.
I was checking my old e-mails and the e-mail I sent back on June 10th about the asphalt on 23rd was responded to a month ago but still nothing. I sent another e-mail this morning and this time copied in Dwight Jones (not that he’ll do anything) but thought it might be prudent to include him. I’ll post the response, if any is received, on here. Below is what I sent them. I probably could have been nicer about it but this is bullshit!
Good Morning,
It’s now been over a month since I got the below response (over 3 months since my original e-mail) and still nothing has happened at all. This is truly getting ridiculous.
Clearly Richmond Public Works has some issues addressing problems!
It seems, instead of taking care of issues that are months old, they are creating other disasters in the Church Hill area of the city (God knows where else!). Please take a look at the 2 posts on CHPN:
that have come out within the past week. What, may I ask, is going on down at City Hall? Don’t residents (who pay your salaries with their taxes) deserve to know?
It’s one mess after another after another! Do none of you actually know what your crews are doing? Please take a look at these pictures and tell me if this is what was planned! While you’re at it, please take a moment and read the comments of the residents. It may help you get your fingers back on the pulse of the community.
The City should not pay for this kind of workmanship. The thin coat of asphalt will not survive the winter. This looks like a bad joke on our community.
I was driving back on 31st and a few blocks around this area, this past weekend… it’s DISGUSTING. It looks way worse than before. Would this happen in the Fan? Hell no. What can we do to stop this?!
I also sent an email to nbc12.com last night to do a story on the roads as money and time are not being well spent on these “improvements.” I’ll let you all know if I hear anything back from them.
This is just a guess, but maybe the work was going to be done in two phases: one phase for the middle of the street and the second phase for the sections closer to the curb. They completed the middle of the street on my block while cars were still parked there, while also requesting (via posted notification) that cars be removed by 8 AM the following day, which I assume was so that they could complete the second phase. However, it rained that day, so maybe they couldn’t do it even though all cars had moved, and now they have to reschedule and provide the required advance notice (probably a week’s notice) via the posted signs to residents living on these streets. Again, just a guess
I just reecived a response from Mr. Samuels (Ms. Newbille’s assistant). I just cut and pasted it. While I appreciate the response (this was to the paving on 23rd Street) I asked for additional info on the sidewalk repair and the stripe paving… Additionally, I really think these folks should proof read their e-mails before sending…
“Good Morning Mr. Scott and on behalf of Councilwoman Newbille, let me take this time to thank you for your information and concerns about North 23rd Street.
As a follow up to your first email, Ms. Newbille meet with DPW on Thursday of last week and they discussed the concerns of the hill on 23rd and the replacement of the cobblestones. Just to let you know, we were informed that there are some major issues with the hillside is why the potholes were forming and the cobblestones had to be replaced as a temporary replacement. DPW will be conducting a couple of more studies to determine the best possibilities of repairing the street and the replacement of the cobblestones. We are waiting on this follow up and more information regarding 23rd Street. Once again, thanks for the email and please feel free to contact us via email or by phone. (804) 646-3012
Mr. Samuel’s next response on the paving…although this sounds rather dubious as well:
“The paving issues are being addressed also, several streets in Church Hill are being repaved and this is only the pre-paving before the final layer is put on. They maybe behind because of rain the last couple of days. I did notice that they were not out yesterday and some of the pavement areas are being retouched and revisited because people forgot to move the vehicles. Do you have the address for the sidewalk issues?”
While we are keeping a running list of poorly conceived projects, why not add the clogged drain on the NE corner of 25th and Main Street? Many of us have reported as a problem with still no action.
I agree, the paving job looks as if it was poorly completed. It is called a “slurry coating”.
just sent an email to Newbille requesting her leadership to influence correction action on the recent “improvements” to our neighborhood. I encourage more to do the same.
I was just interviewed by nbc12 for tonight’s 6:00 news. Hopefully, I represented our neighborhood well. The reporter Ben did say that Public Works said that the roads were not finished which we obviously knew. I was quick to point out that the flyer they placed on my door said that there were only 2 phases – filling the potholes was phase 1 and then the asphalt covering was phase 2. There was not a mention of a final layer. I don’t think that any of the roads have a final layer, so how were we supposed to know that was coming. That final layer better be thick to cover up all the faults that we are already seeing in the roads.
All you new pavement haters have got it all wrong. When your car starts to rumble, don’t go to your angry place. Let the uneven surface take you back to the Church Hill of years past; think cobblestones and carriages. Or consider that instead of paying a chiropractor big bucks, we get a free adjustment every time we drive. Take that Mr. Recession! And who ever said that a flat road was preferable? Perhaps our road service men have been reincarnated with the spirit of Jackson Pollock. I see an Asian dragon slinging flames of fire every time I drive down S St. What do you see?
Got this response from Ms. Shenton (Interim Director Public-Works). She also included a “flyer” which I have asked John to post as well:
“Again, the City appreciates your concerns and interest in keeping this historical area preserved. Let me address your concerns in the sequence it is reported.
1. Broad Street Sidewalk Repair –The asphalt is used as temporary patch for our citizen’s safety. DPW is schedule to perform this sidewalk maintenance in November.
2. Church Hill Area Slurry Seal – 26th Street in the photo shows a first step in the process of resurfacing (slurry seal) Church Hill Area (see attached flyer). DPW has handed out over 1,000 flyers in your area. First step includes patching and leveling of existing street surface and generally takes 3-4 weeks to cover the entire area. Second step will be to apply emulsified asphalt throughout the street to provide a smooth surface and enhanced looks to the street. It takes approximately 2 weeks after the first step is completed. We expect all Church Hill Area Slurry Seal will work will be completed in November or before (depending upon the weather).
3. 23rd Street Cobblestone – Existing surface of 23rd Street had numerous potholes that needed to be corrected. In order to provide a safe and smooth surface to traveling public, DPW re-paved the asphalt surface (compromising aesthetics over safety). The cost to install cobblestone in the asphalt area will be $200,000 or more. DPW will be requesting the funding to cover the cost thru FY12-16 CIP budget process.
Please feel free to give me a call if you have any further questions. Thank you.
Letitia L. Shelton
Interim Director – Public Works
City of Richmond
Office 804-646-6430
Fax 804-646-6629″
#17 Libby Hill Resident: you and I have both reported that 25th and Main Sts. storm drain multiple times. I’ve put it on the click fix website several times. Something *has* actually been done to it, but I’m not sure if it will solve the drainage problem, as we have not had a hard rain since I noticed that the drain seemed to look different. I’m hoping that the rain today and tonight will be enough to test it and see if it’s fixed. Please take a look at it if you have time because I am working late hours and may not have a chance today, thanks.
SEW many thanks for your input and I agree, some of these emails need someone to do grammar check on them!
From the Channel 12 story: “They haven’t finished it,” said Lloyd Crawley. “When they finish it, the street will be smooth just like E Street so everybody needs to be patient.”
Where is E Street? I’m not aware of one in Richmond, much less Church Hill.
And, I have never seen any neighborhood get repaved this way anywhere in Richmond!
I can understand the part about it taking time (though they should have done one street at a time, instead of parts of several streets. Just makes a lot more sense, especially aesthetically.) I’m disappointed that they did not focus more on the quality. As was mentioned, it’s very thin in some places, and we know what that means when the winter arrives. The fact that it’s not smooth was also mentioned. When I see a new paving job, my favorite part is that brief period when it’s extremely smooth (like the new paving on 64.) I drove down P street the next day and I noticed the roughness more than the old road.
I was actually speaking with someone last night about the situation up here. They happen to work for a contractor that does a lot of work for the city. Apparently, the city’s fiscal year is about to end (October I believe) so they are trying to use their entire budget before the FY ends. If they don’t use up their budget, then the amount unused comes off the budget for next year. What a great way to incent waste! What a great city we live in!
Odd me thinks that Ms. Shelton didn’t mention that in her e-mail…
25th and Main was still clogged earlier this week. Today, water was running standing in the road approximately 4″ deep. A hazard to traffic. Guess we need to have a big ‘ol crash there to get the city to fix it.
Lest we forget, a contributory problem to the Gaston flood was the fact that a large number of the drop inlets in Shockoe Bottom and points uphill were clogged or partially paved over so as to not function.
Both DI’s on the east side of this intersection are either partially or completely clogged.
Again I say….”Storm Ready” That’s what the signs around Richmond say anyway.
I am pleased to see that the city is repairing the roads and look forward to 31st Street being as nice as Leigh Street (which is surely the nicest street to ride on on the hill). I hope the City staff takes note of the frustration being vented on this post and how it could have been easily addressed through better communication with hill residents. How about using the local blogs to post information about upcoming infrastructure projects. How easy would that have been? I have no idea where the city’s 1000 fliers explaining this project went b/c not one fo the 1000 landed in my mail box. How about posting fliers at the coffee shop or grocery store or in the church hill association newsletter. Just communicate with us! And thank you for the street improvements :-)
I just called the City (646-6430) to complain about the quality of the repaving in Church Hill, and the individual that I spoke with was very pleasant to speak with and actually listened to my complaint. She even agreed that the quality of the work is extremely poor and she suggested that I call Wade Taylor at 646-8351 to voice my concerns. She even gave me the name of the Director of the department (Marvin Williams) so that I could even go a level higher to complain. It may do some good if we all call and voice our concerns.
That’s better than the service we got on Oakwood Ave. City posted a sign saying “no parking 9/24-9/27″ and then never showed up to pave.
The quality of the paving has been poor. I’ve got a truck on my block that didn’t move and they just paved around it. Looks awful.
Stop the madness!
This is absolutely bizarre. As a friend of mine said, it looks like a couple of teenagers hijacked an asphalt truck and went joy riding.
Thanks, John, for posting it!
I have been appalled by the quality of the paving that the city is doing. Paving around parked cars, not finishing the entire street (example S near Oakwood), and doing a terrible job cleaning up the leftover asphalt has made our roads even worse. You can already see the old concrete through the new asphalt which means these roads are not being improved for the long term.
So is the city trying to burn through stimulus money?
I’m going to call Jan Person again tomorrow. She’s the nice lady I spoke to about the ‘dubious sidewalk repair in 3300 block of East Broad St.’ thread. She’s quite nice, and promised to send everything I either said to her or emailed her to the Deputy Director of Operations, Marvin Williams (handily written down right here at my computer desk!). She usually answers the phone at pub. works at 646-6430.
Don’t know how far I will get as this seems to be getting worse instead of better. I agree with Cat, it is appalling.
same thing on 27th st, looks horrible they might as well have just left it
This is absurd!
I was checking my old e-mails and the e-mail I sent back on June 10th about the asphalt on 23rd was responded to a month ago but still nothing. I sent another e-mail this morning and this time copied in Dwight Jones (not that he’ll do anything) but thought it might be prudent to include him. I’ll post the response, if any is received, on here. Below is what I sent them. I probably could have been nicer about it but this is bullshit!
Good Morning,
It’s now been over a month since I got the below response (over 3 months since my original e-mail) and still nothing has happened at all. This is truly getting ridiculous.
Clearly Richmond Public Works has some issues addressing problems!
It seems, instead of taking care of issues that are months old, they are creating other disasters in the Church Hill area of the city (God knows where else!). Please take a look at the 2 posts on CHPN:
http://chpn.net/news/2010/09/22/dubious-sidewalk-repair-on-broad-street_15590/#comment-227160
and
http://chpn.net/news/2010/09/28/stripe_15701/#comment-227145
and
http://chpn.net/news/2010/06/09/cobblestones-and-asphalt_13903/ (this was another mess created in June which my original e-mail was about).
that have come out within the past week. What, may I ask, is going on down at City Hall? Don’t residents (who pay your salaries with their taxes) deserve to know?
It’s one mess after another after another! Do none of you actually know what your crews are doing? Please take a look at these pictures and tell me if this is what was planned! While you’re at it, please take a moment and read the comments of the residents. It may help you get your fingers back on the pulse of the community.
The City should not pay for this kind of workmanship. The thin coat of asphalt will not survive the winter. This looks like a bad joke on our community.
I was driving back on 31st and a few blocks around this area, this past weekend… it’s DISGUSTING. It looks way worse than before. Would this happen in the Fan? Hell no. What can we do to stop this?!
Come on now, the streets in Windsor Farms are paved the same way, aren’t they?
Cynthia Newbille ought to get on this!
I also sent an email to nbc12.com last night to do a story on the roads as money and time are not being well spent on these “improvements.” I’ll let you all know if I hear anything back from them.
This is just a guess, but maybe the work was going to be done in two phases: one phase for the middle of the street and the second phase for the sections closer to the curb. They completed the middle of the street on my block while cars were still parked there, while also requesting (via posted notification) that cars be removed by 8 AM the following day, which I assume was so that they could complete the second phase. However, it rained that day, so maybe they couldn’t do it even though all cars had moved, and now they have to reschedule and provide the required advance notice (probably a week’s notice) via the posted signs to residents living on these streets. Again, just a guess
All,
I just reecived a response from Mr. Samuels (Ms. Newbille’s assistant). I just cut and pasted it. While I appreciate the response (this was to the paving on 23rd Street) I asked for additional info on the sidewalk repair and the stripe paving… Additionally, I really think these folks should proof read their e-mails before sending…
“Good Morning Mr. Scott and on behalf of Councilwoman Newbille, let me take this time to thank you for your information and concerns about North 23rd Street.
As a follow up to your first email, Ms. Newbille meet with DPW on Thursday of last week and they discussed the concerns of the hill on 23rd and the replacement of the cobblestones. Just to let you know, we were informed that there are some major issues with the hillside is why the potholes were forming and the cobblestones had to be replaced as a temporary replacement. DPW will be conducting a couple of more studies to determine the best possibilities of repairing the street and the replacement of the cobblestones. We are waiting on this follow up and more information regarding 23rd Street. Once again, thanks for the email and please feel free to contact us via email or by phone. (804) 646-3012
Thank you-Sam Patterson-Council Liaison”
Mr. Samuel’s next response on the paving…although this sounds rather dubious as well:
“The paving issues are being addressed also, several streets in Church Hill are being repaved and this is only the pre-paving before the final layer is put on. They maybe behind because of rain the last couple of days. I did notice that they were not out yesterday and some of the pavement areas are being retouched and revisited because people forgot to move the vehicles. Do you have the address for the sidewalk issues?”
While we are keeping a running list of poorly conceived projects, why not add the clogged drain on the NE corner of 25th and Main Street? Many of us have reported as a problem with still no action.
I agree, the paving job looks as if it was poorly completed. It is called a “slurry coating”.
Forgot to add: “Storm Ready”. Indeed we are.
just sent an email to Newbille requesting her leadership to influence correction action on the recent “improvements” to our neighborhood. I encourage more to do the same.
I was just interviewed by nbc12 for tonight’s 6:00 news. Hopefully, I represented our neighborhood well. The reporter Ben did say that Public Works said that the roads were not finished which we obviously knew. I was quick to point out that the flyer they placed on my door said that there were only 2 phases – filling the potholes was phase 1 and then the asphalt covering was phase 2. There was not a mention of a final layer. I don’t think that any of the roads have a final layer, so how were we supposed to know that was coming. That final layer better be thick to cover up all the faults that we are already seeing in the roads.
All you new pavement haters have got it all wrong. When your car starts to rumble, don’t go to your angry place. Let the uneven surface take you back to the Church Hill of years past; think cobblestones and carriages. Or consider that instead of paying a chiropractor big bucks, we get a free adjustment every time we drive. Take that Mr. Recession! And who ever said that a flat road was preferable? Perhaps our road service men have been reincarnated with the spirit of Jackson Pollock. I see an Asian dragon slinging flames of fire every time I drive down S St. What do you see?
All,
Got this response from Ms. Shenton (Interim Director Public-Works). She also included a “flyer” which I have asked John to post as well:
“Again, the City appreciates your concerns and interest in keeping this historical area preserved. Let me address your concerns in the sequence it is reported.
1. Broad Street Sidewalk Repair –The asphalt is used as temporary patch for our citizen’s safety. DPW is schedule to perform this sidewalk maintenance in November.
2. Church Hill Area Slurry Seal – 26th Street in the photo shows a first step in the process of resurfacing (slurry seal) Church Hill Area (see attached flyer). DPW has handed out over 1,000 flyers in your area. First step includes patching and leveling of existing street surface and generally takes 3-4 weeks to cover the entire area. Second step will be to apply emulsified asphalt throughout the street to provide a smooth surface and enhanced looks to the street. It takes approximately 2 weeks after the first step is completed. We expect all Church Hill Area Slurry Seal will work will be completed in November or before (depending upon the weather).
3. 23rd Street Cobblestone – Existing surface of 23rd Street had numerous potholes that needed to be corrected. In order to provide a safe and smooth surface to traveling public, DPW re-paved the asphalt surface (compromising aesthetics over safety). The cost to install cobblestone in the asphalt area will be $200,000 or more. DPW will be requesting the funding to cover the cost thru FY12-16 CIP budget process.
Please feel free to give me a call if you have any further questions. Thank you.
Letitia L. Shelton
Interim Director – Public Works
City of Richmond
Office 804-646-6430
Fax 804-646-6629″
There was “no parking” on one side of 26th street all day Saturday. The weather was fine for paving, but no work was done whatsoever.
#17 Libby Hill Resident: you and I have both reported that 25th and Main Sts. storm drain multiple times. I’ve put it on the click fix website several times. Something *has* actually been done to it, but I’m not sure if it will solve the drainage problem, as we have not had a hard rain since I noticed that the drain seemed to look different. I’m hoping that the rain today and tonight will be enough to test it and see if it’s fixed. Please take a look at it if you have time because I am working late hours and may not have a chance today, thanks.
SEW many thanks for your input and I agree, some of these emails need someone to do grammar check on them!
Church Hill residents upset about unfinished repaving (nbc12 9/29)
From the Channel 12 story: “They haven’t finished it,” said Lloyd Crawley. “When they finish it, the street will be smooth just like E Street so everybody needs to be patient.”
Where is E Street? I’m not aware of one in Richmond, much less Church Hill.
And, I have never seen any neighborhood get repaved this way anywhere in Richmond!
Hey, come on everybody. This is all part of the Mayor’s push to get Richmond listed as a Tier I city.
#26, they misquoted him, he said Leigh st.
I can understand the part about it taking time (though they should have done one street at a time, instead of parts of several streets. Just makes a lot more sense, especially aesthetically.) I’m disappointed that they did not focus more on the quality. As was mentioned, it’s very thin in some places, and we know what that means when the winter arrives. The fact that it’s not smooth was also mentioned. When I see a new paving job, my favorite part is that brief period when it’s extremely smooth (like the new paving on 64.) I drove down P street the next day and I noticed the roughness more than the old road.
I was actually speaking with someone last night about the situation up here. They happen to work for a contractor that does a lot of work for the city. Apparently, the city’s fiscal year is about to end (October I believe) so they are trying to use their entire budget before the FY ends. If they don’t use up their budget, then the amount unused comes off the budget for next year. What a great way to incent waste! What a great city we live in!
Odd me thinks that Ms. Shelton didn’t mention that in her e-mail…
crd,
25th and Main was still clogged earlier this week. Today, water was running standing in the road approximately 4″ deep. A hazard to traffic. Guess we need to have a big ‘ol crash there to get the city to fix it.
Lest we forget, a contributory problem to the Gaston flood was the fact that a large number of the drop inlets in Shockoe Bottom and points uphill were clogged or partially paved over so as to not function.
Both DI’s on the east side of this intersection are either partially or completely clogged.
Again I say….”Storm Ready” That’s what the signs around Richmond say anyway.
I am pleased to see that the city is repairing the roads and look forward to 31st Street being as nice as Leigh Street (which is surely the nicest street to ride on on the hill). I hope the City staff takes note of the frustration being vented on this post and how it could have been easily addressed through better communication with hill residents. How about using the local blogs to post information about upcoming infrastructure projects. How easy would that have been? I have no idea where the city’s 1000 fliers explaining this project went b/c not one fo the 1000 landed in my mail box. How about posting fliers at the coffee shop or grocery store or in the church hill association newsletter. Just communicate with us! And thank you for the street improvements :-)
I just called the City (646-6430) to complain about the quality of the repaving in Church Hill, and the individual that I spoke with was very pleasant to speak with and actually listened to my complaint. She even agreed that the quality of the work is extremely poor and she suggested that I call Wade Taylor at 646-8351 to voice my concerns. She even gave me the name of the Director of the department (Marvin Williams) so that I could even go a level higher to complain. It may do some good if we all call and voice our concerns.