Hi there Sloop!
The first snow fall of the season came today, and with my joy for snow comes my animosity for the vacant and parking lot owners who do not maintain their sidewalks. The walkways around Clark, Polk, and Financial Place are very slippery! The condos and businesses take care of their sidewalks, but the lot owners do not, making it impossible to safely walk up the street. The vacant lot next to the Amlie building on Clark is the worst offender! What can we do to get these people to take care of their properties during the winter? I've tried contacting the Alderman, but that process is just too slow and ineffective. Help!
Thank you!!
This might be a tough one to enforcement, but we agree that the Alderman is the best option. Does anyone else have any suggestions? If you want to help push the issue, it might be good to have some other residents email the Alderman at ward02@cityofchicago.org.
(Hat Tip: BS!)
Totally agree... almost wiped out in front of the lot at Harrison & Financial this morning... not shoveled AT ALL!
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is a huge problem in the South Loop, but no one should be surprised. These are the same parking lot owners whose properties are often overrun with trash, weeds, rats, and falling-down fences. They clearly don't care about the neighborhood, only making their $$$$$. It's time for residents of the South Loop and Alderman Fioretti to say "ENOUGH!"
ReplyDeleteWe want, deserve, and must demand clear, ice-free sidewalks!
If there's a city ordinance on it, Alderman Fioretti and his peeps should be able to get someone in the city to issue a violation. They're pretty good contacting/reminding the city to do its job if it's not doing it. Fioretti is pretty cool... Just contact the Alderman at http://chicago2ndward.com/contact-us. If there's no ordinance on shoveling the sidewalk, everyone send a message to the link above and I bet we can force these businesses to shovel their sidewalks.
ReplyDeleteCall 311 to report the offenders. There is an ordinance, and they are subject to a fine. You have to have the exact location and owner or business if possible. Also contact the alderman.
ReplyDeleteThis infuriates me every winter. I had some luck last year with the alderman's office in getting the Roosevelt Collection to shovel the walks on Clark adjacent to their property.
The city is also a HUGE offender. Walks in parks and other city owned areas are almost never cleared.
On Sunday, there was even ice and an uncleared sidewalk on South State Street on a section of the Dearborn Park property just south of 9th Street. Which is HEINOUS.
Another big problem area are the sidewalks on Harrison west of Wells that lead to the Post Office.
I guess the city is responsible then for the stretch of sidewalk near the new Printer's Row Park (on Dearborn b/w Harrison and Polk)? Walked that way last night and it's one long ice slick.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to take this opportunity to post something positive. I live on the 1300 block of south Wabash and we had this problem for the last couple of years at the property between Subway and Flo & Santo's (which used to be Howie's). I was always disappointed that neither the Subway or Howie's maintenance people would go a single inch past their property line. If each had shoveled an extra 12 feet, the sidewalk at the vacant lot would have been cleared.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to report though that this year that stretch of sidewalk is shoveled. I wonder if it's a coincidence or if the Flo & Santo's folks understand that, even if it means cleaning up after someone else's mess, an ice-free sidewalk is in their best interest too.
Daley is showing his usual BS -- saying the ordinance won't be enforced. This is beyond outrageous. Call the alderman or email him voice your outrage. (312) 263-9273 -- 2ndWardAlderman@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI fell on some ice this morning on the east sidewalk of Clark street just south of Harrison. I just called the 2nd ward office to see if they can do something to melt the ice. They said it is not their problem and I should call Streets and San. 312.747.5054. So I did. And the nice gentleman said it is the property owners responsibility, or those who use the sidewalk or nice neighbors to help out (since the stretch of sidewalk in question is a vacant lot just south of 5th 3rd Bank). I told him there are many a parking lot and vacant property south of Harrison on the west side that are dangerous too. He said he'd call the ward office. The circle is now complete~
ReplyDeleteThere's also a small strip on 16th street immediately east of the train tracks (CTA). The parking lot is being used by but it's not well maintained. This part also makes a steep angle which makes matters worse.
ReplyDeleteA property owner who doesn't shovel their sidewalk is just begging for a lawsuit IMO.
ReplyDeleteThere's a small private parking lot next to Hackney's in the Loop bordered by icy, unattended sidewalks on Polk/Dearborn/Plymouth . . . by all means slip and fall there and make sure someone captures in on video/cellphone.
You could shame some property owners by recognizing and praising others.
ReplyDeleteCheck out what the Active Transportation Alliance is doing.
http://www.activetrans.org/shovel
I don't think anyone should be suing for slipping on the ice - the same if you slide in your car, you shouldn't be suing the city. If you fall, I think it's your fault, not the property owner's. Ice could be anywhere, and it's nice when sidewalks are cleared, but I think it's your own responsibility to be careful. Buy some of those things you put on your shoes or slow down and be more cautious where you're walking, and if you fall, well that's what you get for living in a Northern climate. Would you sue because the rain falling down from the sky blinded you, and you tripped on the sidewalk?
ReplyDeleteI fell the other day at the corner of the parking lot next to the AMLI building. I've thought about just asking my building's managers to have whoever does the sidewalks here maybe just shovel a shovel's width path to at least make a portion of the sidewalk ice-free. Hey - I'd even pay for it.
ReplyDeleteSHOVEL YOUR SIDEWALK . . . IT"S THE F'ING LAW!
ReplyDeleteAny way to get the contact numbers for the lot owners in question and start hounding them? ie: empty lot right before Target as you head South, lot at the end of Dearborn on Congress, most of the pay parking lots in Printer's Row? How do the lots which run these pay lots continue to get away with this year after year? It's their responsibility and part of the cost of doing business.
ReplyDelete