HAMILTON, Ohio — Some Hamilton residents say sidewalk repairs started on their street with no warning, leaving them frustrated and confused.
Kyle Morrical said construction crews showed up to Ludlow Street on Monday and began tearing up the concrete.
Morrical owns Morrical Realty at the corner of Ludlow and 4th Streets. He said he didn't know the work was happening until it was already underway.
“I would have made arrangements to move equipment out of my garage so I can get it out, but right now it’s trapped," Morrical said. "I can’t get it out."
Morrical isn't alone. We spoke to a couple of his neighbors who also said they received no notice.
WATCH: We asked the city for answers about the lack of communication with residents
Morrical said he and his neighbors have had part of the access to their properties blocked off.
He said he tried to call the city to find out how long it would last, but never heard back.
“No one told me anything," Morrical said. "I’ve had no input on this whatsoever.”
Morrical said he and his neighbors will have to pay for these repairs, further adding to his frustration.
Per Hamilton code, property owners are responsible for sidewalk condition. The engineering department annually inspects infrastructure quality, and the department then issues notices that certain sections need to be repaired.
Property owners can then either repair the damage themselves or the city will perform the work and later issue invoices.
Residents can pay for their repairs by paying an invoice within 30 days or as a five-year assessment on property taxes.
“I didn’t even want it," Morrical said.
While we were out speaking to Morrical on Friday, we ran into Allen Messer, the city's director of engineering.
He explained why the city was doing repairs on some sidewalks and roads.
“It’s a city-wide project, we try to identify tripping hazards and then remove those as part of the roadway work," Messer said.
Messer said residents impacted were sent letters at least a month in advance. He said notices also should have been put on their doors.
He said he's not sure why Morrical and his neighbors didn't get one.
We asked Messer if any changes to communication will be made moving forward.
“We’ll evaluate our process and strive to make certain that the process is being followed," Messer said.
Messer told us the work on Ludlow Street is expected to last a couple of weeks.
"We need communication, you need to talk to your citizens, you need to listen to your citizens," Morrical said.
