BERKLEY, Mich. – Some parents in Berkley have banded together to get their sidewalks back.
Several Berkley sidewalks have been closed for construction, forcing many people out in the streets.
One parent said she was almost hit by a car because of the sidewalk closings.
Parents said the closures are a big deal because children are unnecessarily walking in the street. They said construction crews aren't following a city ordinance.
"The code says you can't block the sidewalk," Rachel Piacentini said. "And right now we have port-a-potties on the sidewalk, we have dumpsters on the sidewalk."
Piacentini is with Berkley Citizens United, a group that's been complaining about the issue all summer.
"The biggest thing (is that) we're a walking school district," Piacentini said. "We have no buses. So when you come upon a (closure), you have to walk into the street. So that's dangerous for the children."
Patty Curtis is a code enforcement officer in Birmingham and a Berkley resident. She said sidewalks are supposed to be maintained outside of a construction project.
"I'm seeing a level of inaction here that, as a resident of Berkley for 32 years, I find unacceptable, as well as in contrast to what I do in my city of employ," Curtis said.
"Safety is absolutely our No. 1 concern," a city official said.
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The city official said everyone simply needs to cross at crosswalks. Officials also echoed what some workers said Tuesday: Temporary sidewalks aren't feasible. As for the ordinance demanding it, they said it's not that cut-and-dried.
"It's an ordinance that needs to be improved and clarified that there is a commercial standard and a residential standard," City Manager Matt Baumgarten said.
"These are simple codes," Piacentini said. "Please follow the rules."