Need To Know: Birmingham to Begin Replacing Sidewalks on City's South Side

It's summer which means it's time again for Birmingham's annual sidewalk repair program.

This year, the sidewalks south of Maple Road in-between Pierce and Adams on Birmingham's south side are due to be repaired and replaced. Sidewalks north of 14 Mile but west of Woodward will also be repaired this summer.

Downtown Birmingham, including the loop east of Pierce, south of Maple but west of Peabody, are not included in the 2012 construction zone.

The project is part of a rotating schedule for city sidewalk repair, in which sidewalks in certain quadrants of Birmingham are replaced and repaired each summer. The city will be bidding out the work at the beginning of July, City Engineer Paul O'Meara said, with work beginning shortly thereafter.

Property owners are responsible for some repairs done to sidewalks in front of their homes or businesses. To help make the project a little simpler, here's what you need to know:

How do you know if you're responsible for paying?

Sidewalks that need to be replaced will be designated with either blue or orange paint. The blue paint indicates it is the owner's responsibility to pay; the orange paint indicates the city is responsible. In some cases, it may be necessary to replace an additional section of sidewalk beyond those designated with paint.

What are property owners responsible for?

Property owners are responsible for damaged sidewalks along their property line, including sidewalks damaged at driveways and by owners' trees.

In commercial areas, property owners are responsible for all brick sidewalk repairs, as well as pavement closer to the street in the case of extra-wide sidewalks (those that are more than six feet wide).

What is the city responsible for?

Birmingham is generally responsible for the replacement of deteriorated sidewalks and for sidewalks damaged by city trees, city staff or its contractors. Property owners will not be responsible for sidewalks damaged by utility work.

When a sidewalk is replaced due to damage by a tree growing partly on public right-of-way, and partly on private property, the cost of the replacement will be split between the city and the property owner.

What should property owners do if they want to replace the sidewalk themselves?

Property owners may replace their sidewalks at his or her expense. In that event, the must be notified by the owner within 10 days of the start of work, and construction should be completed within 60 days. All sidewalk work must be conducted only after a proper permit is issued by the city's .

What if property owners want the city to do the work?

In the event a propert owner doesn't want to replace their sidewalk or they don't complete the work within 60 days, the city will finish the work using its contractor and bill the property owner for the cost of the work.

According to O'Meara, the city expects to receive bids around $4.60 per square foot for a four-inch sidewalk, and $5.20 per square foot for a six-inch sidewalk (used across driveways). The prices obtained by the city, O'Meara said, tend be competitive to what an individual property owner will get.

All questions should be directed to the Birmingham Engineering Department at 248-530-1850.