Montclarion Article 11/14/2000
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Montclarion Article 11/14/2000 |
Published Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Stair repair
BY MATTHEW S. BAJKO
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STAFF WRITER
Just 10 days after a City Council committee directed public works officials
to address citizens' complaints about the city's dilapidated stairways, workers
were in Montclair repairing and clearing a section of stairs.
Last week, a Public Works Agency crew began much-needed cleaning and minor repairs on two sections of stairway, one that runs from Thornhill Drive to Marden Lane and one from Marden Lane to Merriewood Drive. The Maintenance Services Department started work on those two sections Thursday and expects to complete the work this week, weather permitting.
Berry Weiland, assistant director of public works, personally checked all five flights of stairway in the Merriewood area last Tuesday. In an e-mail to Montclair residents working on repairing the stairs, Weiland gave an update on the city's decision to close portions of the walkway used by Thornhill Elementary School students and commuters.
"The three sections of stairway from the bottom at Merriewood to the top at Abbot Drive are in extremely poor condition and need to remain closed for the public's safety, until full repairs are made," Weiland wrote.
On Halloween, the council's Public Works Committee asked Weiland and his staff to compile a list of the 10 worst stairways in the city. The city owns 75 stairways throughout the city, many of which are dilapidated and unsafe for pedestrian use.
In December, Weiland is expected to report back to the committee which stairways pose the greatest safety risks. At that point, council members with listed stairs located in their district will work with community members to ensure they want those stairs repaired, and discuss how to bring the stairs in line with safety codes.
It is estimated the cost to fix all 75 of the city's stairways would total $6 million. The cost to repair one set of wooden stairs is estimated to be $237,000, while the cost for a set of concrete stairs is estimated to be $875,000.
A group of activists made a short film documenting the unsafe conditions of the stairways and created a Web site, www.lansharks.net/stairs, to keep the community updated.
"First of all, we need to keep the pressure on. We don't want our stairways to get lost in the end-of-year shuffle. Now that there is a little bit of momentum, let's make it clear that we expect action now, not years down the line," wrote Montclair resident Kirk van Druten on the Web site after the meeting last month.
The Public Works Committee is expected to discuss the issue again on Dec. 5.