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August 7, 2002
Campbell, California Since 1999 |
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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
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Knotty Problem: Tim Caldwell shows the
sidewalk in front of his home on Regas Drive,
which is buckling from the roots of a camphor
tree.
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City program handles sidewalk repairs
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William Jeske
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Campbell resident Tim Caldwell's children can
now play safely on the sidewalk of his
11-year-old house on Regas Drive, but that
wasn't always so.
Caldwell moved in 10 years ago; the camphor
trees were smaller then, but over time the
surface roots began to buckle on the
sidewalk, creating tripping hazards.
"I called Campbell City Hall probably three
times and have gone through a network of
people responsible for maintaining the median
area," Caldwell said. "On all three
occasions, they said, 'We can't do anything
about these trees.' "
Caldwell's main concern was his
daughters—ages six, three and eight months
old. When they rode their bicycles and
scooters, the girls sometimes tripped and
skinned a knee because the sidewalk was
cracked and lifting up.
"The complaint or concern I have is, why do
they continue to put these types of trees in
the communities?" Caldwell said. "It's going
to do nothing but continue to create a hazard
and create an additional cost to the city in
future repairs."
Caldwell's concern about the trees causing
sidewalk damage is not unique, according to
Campbell Department of Public Works City
Engineer Michelle Quinney. To combat the
problem the city has a sidewalk replacement
program.
Residents concerned about damaged sidewalks
may contact the city, Quinney said. Within a
few weeks, the city will dispatch a city
worker to inspect the sidewalk.
Scheduling the construction can take several
weeks to a year, Quinney notes, and depending
on the severity of the problem, the city can
patch the area with asphalt.
Quinney said the city usually schedules
citywide sidewalk refurbishing annually, and
the 2002 sidewalk replacement program was
just completed. Sidewalks needing major
reconstruction will be fixed in the summer of
2003.
Campbell Public Works Superintendent John
Iaquinto said the program is continually
receiving repair requests. The department
completed approximately 1,400 repairs last
year.
When tree roots buckle the sidewalk to about
an inch, the city will grind down the jutting
sidewalk panel to make it flush, but the city
is reluctant to touch the roots that caused
the problem in the first place.
Caldwell wants the city to do something about
the roots rather than wait for the roots to
grow under the sidewalk and cause it to
buckle.
A city worker who was on assignment at
another house nearby ground the sidewalk in
at Caldwell's house as a courtesy.
"It's a Band-Aid, you know. A temporary fix.
It now looks worse," Caldwell said. "Grinding
in the sidewalk doesn't do anything for the
aesthetics of the sidewalk." Iaquinto noted
that although camphor and Raywood ash trees
have invasive roots, they are subject to
being removed not because of the root problem
but because the trees are much more
susceptible to catching disease.
Iaquinto is currently compiling a list of
alternative trees that are acceptable for
residential areas. He is working with the
Campbell Parks and Recreation Department and
plans to submit a list to the Campbell City
Council for approval.
Iaquinto said that about 11 species are being
considered, including crape myrtle, the
ornamental peach and the London plane tree.
To request a sidewalk inspection or for
more information about the Sidewalk
Replacement Program, call Diana Johnson with
the department of public works' maintenance
division at 408.866.2749.
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