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Q&A
Addressing repairs and ownership issues for streets near Harmony Park
1:37:35
·
3 min
Council Member Ossé raises concerns about the condition of streets surrounding Harmony Park, particularly Jewel McCoy and Hattie Jones Way, and seeks clarification on ownership and potential funding for repairs through AAMUP.
- Ossé highlights the serious disrepair of the streets, including sagging and sinking due to a gas emergency.
- The discussion reveals complications due to ownership conditions both above and below ground.
- There is confusion about who holds the title to these streets, with conflicting information between the Council Member's office and city agencies.
- The exchange underscores the need for a clear resolution on ownership and responsibility for these long-neglected street repairs.
Chi A. Ossé
1:37:35
Thank you.
1:37:36
I want to ask you guys about potential investments to the surrounding streets by Harmony Park.
1:37:43
Are you aware of Harmony Park at all?
1:37:46
DCP reached out to our office and proposed repairs to Harmony Park as a potential investment through AIM UP.
1:37:52
But the issue is not with the park itself, it's with the streets and the communities that live on those streets.
1:38:01
Just to give you some context, there are two streets by the park.
1:38:04
It's Jewel McCoy and Hattie Jones Way that are in serious disrepair.
1:38:09
The streets have experienced major sagging and sinking due to a gas emergency.
1:38:14
The residents unfortunately cannot pay for the sidewalk repairs on their own, and our office is advocating for city investment to the project.
1:38:22
Is there any way for this project to be funded through AIM UP?
1:38:26
This is a major concern for our district as there are repairs that are long due.
Alex Sommer
1:38:33
So I'll kick it off, Jonah, if you can add to the recent discussions.
1:38:36
We're aware of these issues and thank you for elevating them to us.
1:38:41
This one's a little bit complicated due to ownership conditions both above and subgrade.
1:38:48
Recognize the constraints associated with having homeowners making those repairs to the sidewalk conditions.
1:38:58
I think we need to review potential mapping actions which can take a bit of time.
1:39:04
And Jonah I don't know if you can add to any of the ongoing discussions to that.
Jonah Rogoff
1:39:08
Yeah I would say based on our initial look the key issue is understanding who has title to those particular streets which can help us understand what options we have and whether the city can take responsibility for that.
1:39:27
But I think first we want to take that step with the title.
Chi A. Ossé
1:39:31
So I've been dealing with this issue for a couple years now prior to AIM Up two.
1:39:38
And after speaking to our land use team, it is a recommendation that HPD does actually have the title to both Jewel McCoy and Hattie Jones Way.
1:39:47
From my understanding, Harmony Park was an affordable homeownership development that was actually sponsored by the city.
1:39:54
And the city neglected to maintain the streets and infrastructure of these two streets.
1:40:01
Can we double check the ownership issue since I'm receiving two different pieces of information and have been for some time now?
1:40:10
These streets haven't seen repairs in over thirty years because the city hasn't figured out the mapping of this specific area, but they sponsored for this development to take place within this specific area.
Sarit Platkin
1:40:26
Yeah, thank you for that.
1:40:28
And yeah, I can confirm that HPD does not have title, but we are working with our colleagues at City Planning to figure out the title search piece of it.