Downtown Orlando residents say city is not maintaining brick road

ORLANDO, Fla. – Residents in a south Orlando downtown neighborhood said the city is not properly maintaining the road in their neighborhood.

John Abbott has lived in the Lake Davis area for 14 years and said the lack of maintenance in the area has gotten progressively worse.

"It could be a really beautiful park as it once was, but over the years, it's just gotten a lot of neglect," Abbott said.

Lake Davis is surrounded by beautiful homes, but Abbott said the crumbling curbs and buckling bricks have not only become unsightly, but also unsafe.

"The curbs are deteriorating so badly, there's actually chucks of the curb falling into the street," Abbott said.  "And they've been like that for such a long time."

Abbott said he has contacted his district’s city Commissioner Patty Sheehan, but has not received a response.

"We were told about a year and half ago to submit photographs, street names and descriptions of what’s going on," he said.  "I've done that and never heard anything back."

News 6 contacted city officials and did hear back in time for this story.

Lisa Henry is the city's Streets and Storm Water Division manager.   

"We have to prioritize our resources, which is our staff and our funds," Henry said.

When it comes to repairs, the city's top priority is school zones, then areas where people can potentially trip and fall, according to Henry.

"There were a lot of people that were falling as a result of the tree roots lifting sidewalks," she said. 

Because the tree roots are mainly lifting the bricks in the road around Lake Davis, the area is a lower priority according to Henry.

"They're primarily where people park, so we prioritize that way as well," she said.

But she said Lake Davis is definitely on their radar for repairs, and they know residents are watching and waiting.        

City officials expects expect to start making repairs around Lake Davis within a year according to Henry.

There are several ongoing District 4 projects, including a $2.5 million drainage improvement project between Lake David and Lake Greenwood.

The city will always respond to and fix any road hazards, potholes or major depressions on any city-owned streets as soon as possible, said city press officer Cassandra Lafser.

Response time on fixing potholes is approximately 8.1 work hours after the call is received, Lafser said.

Anyone can report an issue at any time to the Orlando Traffic Management Center by calling 407-246-2020 or emailing orlando-traffic-concerns@cityoforlando.net.

The number is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning reporter Louis Bolden joined the News 6 team in September of 2001 and hasn't gotten a moment's rest since. Louis has been a General Assignment Reporter for News 6 and Weekend Morning Anchor. He joined the Special Projects/Investigative Unit in 2014.

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