Over the 3-year City sidewalk improvement project, countless residents complained about the mishandling of communication, the aggressive over-marking of sidewalk blocks for replacement, the uneven allocation of fines and costs, and poor project management by Giffels Webster. The accusation that I expected any sort of special treatment when it came to my sidewalk/driveway is ridiculous. The frustration I expressed over my personal experience throughout the process, which was an embarrassing reflection on City management to say the least, was another glimpse into the fact that resident concerns are not taken seriously — unilateral decisions are made, planning is short-sighted, and we are all expected to accept that without question.

There are no City ordinances covering driveways. There was no discussion with me before my driveway was marked and when I presented evidence that there were no ordinances requiring this project, I was chastised for not fulfilling my duty of enforcing ordinances. There was no need to tear up my asphalt driveway to insert concrete sidewalk blocks that had never been there in the 34 years I have lived in Lathrup – and to have done so before our street was to have water main replacement work done which anyone could have predicted was going to have an impact on the street, our driveways and subsequently our sidewalks. I believe this fabricated and fast-tracked “code enforcement” stunt was retaliation for my questioning of the road expenditures and Giffels Webster’s project management fees. Regrettably, I lost my battle and now the sidewalk blocks are sinking, creating a place for a significant amount of water to pool and now I, just like far too many of my fellow residents, have no recourse to fix it .