Updated May 11, 2018

This is a daily diary of one Cape Girardeau home owner as he lives through his block undergoing "concrete repairs" courtesy of the City of Cape Girardeau Transportation Tax Fund. New entries will be added to the bottom of this blog until the work on his block is completed.

Monday, April 2, 2018

Came home from lunch and parked on the street like I usually do. Noticed an orange X painted on the 20 year old hackberry in front of my house. Knew this is a common way the city marks trees slated for removal. Made 3 phone calls to the city before finally leaving a message with an Andrew who was off.

Started doing research. Discovered the 200 and 300 blocks of South Louisiana were on the City of Cape Girardeau’s Transportation Tax Fund list of streets for “concrete repairs.” Found out from Julia with the city that the City’s Tree Board was conducting it’s bi-monthly meeting this coming Friday. Planning to attend.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

After not getting a callback, I called Andrew with the city again. He told me that my tree was lifting the sidewalk more than a quarter inch and because they were doing “extensive street repairs” they were “required” to replace the sidewalk per the American Disabilities Act. I was told the sidewalk replacement would likely result in the death of the tree. I told him, not if the contractors were careful. I also told him that the worst place on the street which actually needed repaired, was a botched patch job done by the city 20 years before when they fixed a water line issue.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Did a brief audit of the public sidewalk in front of city hall. Based on my research discovered 6 areas that were not in ADA compliance. How funny. That sidewalk is less than 10 years old.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Attended the City of Cape Girardeau Tree Board meeting at the Osage Center. I was the unicorn in the room. Apparently, only committee members and invited guests from the city usually ever show. Rarely do property owners concerned about their trees make an appearance. Made my case and tried not to talk too much. I had my handouts and Andrew from the city had his, although he was not in attendance. Perhaps he did not want to come face to face with a semi-irate property owner. Smart move. If a bear is at the door, go out the window.

After the meeting, Jennifer with the Tree Board who is an actual forester by training and employment (she works for the Missouri Department of Conservation), came by my house and looked at the tree in the right of way and the other tree also marked for removal in my block. She was unaware of the neighbor’s tree until I pointed it out. She spent more than half an hour evaluating the two trees, which was probably 25 minutes longer than the city spent evaluating the street and sidewalks on my block. I was impressed by the Tree Board. They sincerely seemed to care. Maybe the city needs a Street Board.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Since I’d heard nothing from the Tree Board or the city, I emailed Julia at the city to find out the status of my tree. She said that not all evaluations from committee members had been returned at that time, but “most favored not removing the tree.” I also asked about my neighbor’s tree. She was not aware of that tree being slated for removal, so I gave her their address and the location of the tree in question.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Published a blog venting about my attempt to save my tree.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Contacted Julia with the city again since the contractors were working a block away on a section of Good Hope and I’d heard nothing official from anyone regarding my tree. I knew the tree board only met bi-monthly so I figured work on the two blocks of Louisiana would be well under way before their next meeting in June. I got no response.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Since I knew my street was going to be torn up and disrupted for likely 4 weeks (my guesstimate), I ordered 3 pallets of concrete pavers I needed for a project. I knew these would have to be unloaded on the street and manually hauled up my driveway since it is too narrow for a forklift.

The utilities were marked on my street sometime in the afternoon, an omen that destruction is near at hand.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Pavers arrived. I took off the afternoon to move the 3 tons of pre-formed concrete to the backyard. The utility marking company wasn’t apparently done from the day before. They were having trouble locating Ameren’s gas lines.

Dan with Lappe Concrete, the contractor handling the street and sidewalk replacement for the city, stopped by and introduced himself. He said he would be supervising the work on my block and that they were planning on starting the following Monday. He also said they were supposed to be doing the entire two blocks from Bloomfield to William Street including the sidewalks. He told me the tree in front of my house was supposed to stay, but the tree on the other side was going to be removed.

I was glad they weren’t going to start till the following week. I have hostas and monkey grass planted under my tree that I want to transplant. I know their work will beat them to pieces no matter how careful.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

More paint marks appeared on the concrete. They’re white with arrows. Guess this indicates demolition marks.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

A neighbor texted me early in the morning. She said she talked to the city on Wednesday and contrary to what the contractor told me on Tuesday, they were only going to PARTIALLY replace the sidewalks and the street on our block. Their driveway entrance was not going to be fixed.

Actually they don’t have a driveway. It is a city alleyway that the city never takes care of, but also has never vacated. There is a pothole at the entrance. This makes no sense as to why they're not going to fix it. Of course it also makes no sense that the city has not bothered to contact people who live in these blocks being worked on. The city project manager might be doing a bang-up job communicating with the contractors, but they get an F for sharing information with property owners and occupants being impacted by this work.

Later, the same neighbor texted me a photo of the contractor already starting demolition on the block.

So much for beginning next Monday.

The photo at the right shows what a goodly amount of my street looks like Thursday night. My block went from about 5 potholes that could have been repaired to about 250. It looks a little like Swiss cheese. I hope none of the raccoons that live in the storm sewer at the corner of Good Hope accidentally steps in one of these micro-potholes and breaks a leg. They might sue the city.