Council looks at Top 10 list for stair repair
12/8/2000 Montclarion Article

Back to Stairs website

Published Friday, December 8, 2000

Council looks at Top 10 list for stair repair
By Matthew MacLean
CORRESPONDENT

Armed with a staff-prepared list of the "Top 10" most dilapidated stairways and walkways in Oakland, City Council members made a verbal commitment Tuesday night to begin repairs, and passed a resolution to gather community feedback on how and where to start.

Residents consider the network of stairs and pathways in the Oakland hills essential for getting around -- providing safe, quick passage for commuters and school children so they can avoid dangerous, winding roads without sidewalks. After years of city neglect, the majority are now in poor condition. Fearing liability, the city has boarded up the entrances to some stairways, posting warning signs to keep out.

Under council direction, the Public Works Agency ranked the top 10 worst stairs and pathways from its total list of 67 which need repair, based on factors such as the severity of damage and the proximity of schools. Agency director Claudette Ford said funds remain to be found for most of the repair work, but a portion of Measure B transportation funds will be immediately allocated to deal with public enemy No. 1: the Merriewood stairway, between Merriewood and Thornhill Drive.

In early November, city workers cleared vines and plant growth on stairs running from Thornhill Drive to Marden Lane, and from Marden Lane to Merriewood Drive, but those stairs still remain closed.

The Merriewood stairs are featured prominently in a short documentary video made by hills resident Kirk van Druten, complete with menacing music and scenes of rotting wood and exposed rusty nails.

"Recently a neighborhood dog walking on the stairs knocked one of the boards loose and was chased down the hill by a 30-pound timber," van Druten recounts in the documentary, which was shown to council members Tuesday. "Fortunately, that time, it wasn't one of the neighborhood children."

"Okay, I'm crying, and I'm voting for you," said Council President Ignacio De La Fuente at the video's conclusion, eliciting laughter.

The infamous stairs of the Oakland hills are proving to be a rallying point for hills residents. Led by residents of the Merriewood and Oakmore neighborhoods and connected by an e-mail list and Web site designed by van Druten, the stairs movement has gained momentum since early summer. Over a dozen residents showed up at Tuesday's meeting to tell horror stories about their neighborhoods' decrepit stairways.

"I want to thank the council for making the list," resident Michelle Cameron told council members. "There are no sidewalks in our neighborhood. (The stairs) are the only safe place to walk."

Thornhill resident Stacey Mackey said it was his first time at a city council meeting. He said he'd rate the stairways as his second greatest neighborhood concern next to burglaries.

The significance of the movement has not been lost on District 4 Councilman Dick Sprees. He was the first to set a date for a meeting with community members to discuss options for stair repair, to be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at Thornhill Elementary school.

District 1 Councilwoman Jane Brunner also welcomed the chance to meet with community members, saying that the top 10 list should be only an informal guide to which stairs get the most prompt attention. Consideration should also be given to which stairs are highest in demand.

"I want the freedom to consider all the stairs," she said. "Not all top 10 stairs are the most used."

Among issues requiring community feedback is the type of material to be used for reconstruction. The majority of stairways are made of concrete, which is more durable and requires less upkeep than wooden stairs. But residents point out that wooden stairs are more attractive and safer in the shifting ground of earthquakes because of their ability to bend without breaking.

Wooden stairs are also considerably cheaper. The concrete walkway between East 21st and East 22nd streets is expected to cost over $500,000 to repair, vs. $232,000 for the wooden Merriewood stairs. City estimates for stair repair in general were the subject of debate Tuesday night, with residents and council members alike incredulous at the high cost.

"Stairs are not nuclear science," said Thornhill resident Jerry Rose. "Mr. City Manager, let's renegotiate our contracts and get some lower bids for this."

Sprees also vowed to work with community members to find cheaper ways to make needed repairs. He and other council members voiced their intention to allocate funds in the 2001-2003 budget cycle for maintenance of the repaired stairs, and praised the long practice of residents' adoption of stairways for regular cleaning and upkeep.

Spees said in a later phone interview that a woodworker who has volunteered to build the Merriewood stairs will be introduced at the Jan. 11 meeting. An architect and builder have also offered their services. "We're going to figure out a much less expensive and much more attractive answer to this stairs issue," said Spees, adding that if community members contribute "sweat labor" to build new stairs they will feel a sense of ownership towards them.