Cazenovia St. Bridge … a Park Problem???
By: Cindyk. This is a follow up to a previous bridge post. Today I entered my complaint number in on the Mayor's Call and Resolution Center.
The status of my concern for the Cazenovia Street Bridge is now closed.
This is what it says:
| Referred To: | The Department of Public Works - Parks |
| Status: | CLOSED |
| Closing Date: | 2007-08-31T00:00:00.0000000-04:00 |
| Resolution Description: | THE MAYOR’S OFFICE HAS SENT YOUR CONCERNS HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE OLMSTED CONSERVANCY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOCATION YOU ARE CALLING ABOUT. YOU MAY REACH THEM AT 838 1249. |
I don't understand how The Olmsted Park Conservancy is responsible for a City of Buffalo bridge. Even if it's a bridge that borders a park, the Cazenovia Street Bridge is the City's minding. Take a look at the picture below. Can someone please explain to me how and why Olmsted is responsible for taking care of this problem?
I was sent a letter today by Councilmen Kearns (dated 09/10/07) who said he will forward my additional complaint to the Department of Public Works. However, if my complaint made to the Mayor's line is already closed, what more could come from my councilman on the same complaint that the City has it cited as an Olmsted Park problem?
If anyone can answer that then you're smarter than me. All I see is the City of Buffalo passing along a problem with one of their bridges to a park department who has nothing to do with the bridge in the first place.
Thanks Cindyk for posting up this response from the City. I don’t think the bridge is in “sacred Olmstead parkland”, but it does run along the edge of the park. Using the city response as an example, all streets around the Olmstead parks would be the responsibility of the Olmstead Conservency. I don’t think so.
The City should NOT have given the parks to the county in the first place. I’ve stated this in public for years before this awful deal between Buffalo and the failing Erie County Government.
All these years into the “deal” Olmstead still hasn’t come up with a clear position as to what they are doing and not doing. As a taxpayer, I think the Parks belong to the citzens of Buffalo.
Back to the bridge…We need jobs…get people in Buffalo working to fix this and the hundreds of other projects that need attending to in the City of Buffalo, NY.
johnk
Comment by johnk — September 16, 2007 @ 6:49 am
John, there wasn’t anything in my statement on the “Mayor’s call and Resolution Center” that could be mistaken as a park problem.
(the program they use defaults to all caps)
I wrote: Complaint Description: I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CAZ ST. BRIDGE. IN MAY I MENTIONED THE CONDITION OF ITS SURFACE WHEN A REPAVE PLAN WAS ANNOUNCED, WHICH STOPS SHORT OF THE BRIDGE.
The complaint was first sent to the Dept. Public Works, then fowarded to “Parks”. At the time of writing what I did, I was unaware of the bridge’s condition underneith and I am convinced this is not a “park problem” as the City has indicated it as. I didn’t write about a missing drain cover in a public/park swimming pool, or a fence that needs fixing. It was clear that my complaint was about the bridge. A few years ago, the “park bridge” was worked on…. that was what the city was responsible for maintaining, and the Cazenovia Street Bridge should be addressed in the same manner as to the city being responsible.
My good friend sent me an email saying the right hand of the City doesn’t know what the left is doing. Evident from the complaint reply above from the Mayor’s office, he’s 110% correct.
Comment by Cindyk — September 16, 2007 @ 8:36 am
What a mess, this is typical of politicians and departments pushing off responsibility to another. Have you contacted NYDOT or the county highway dept?
Someone needs to make a move and do something. Is the legislator Kennedy in that district? To me this is not a Parks department issue.
Comment by Rus Thompson — September 17, 2007 @ 5:05 am
this bridge looks like an accident waiting to happen….
Comment by realbuffalo — September 17, 2007 @ 7:05 am
Today I spent the morning on the phone talking to different people in the city. The secretary of our coucilman’s office said (rather quickly) “the bridge is part county & part park responsibility”. So I called up Legislator Kennedy’s office where I had to leave a message. Afterwards I called Olmsted to ask about what the City has said, the secretary there was in shock because Olmsted is not affiliated with the City of Buffalo at all. After that call, I contacted the Dept. of Public Works where I was given a number to the head of bridges in the COB. He said the City is responsible for maintaining all parts of this bridge. Confirming this is not a county nor an Olmsted problem, he also said he’s going to come out to the Caz St. bridge to check it out for himself. Councilman Kearns returned my phone call and I had the chance to tell him about the City’s reply on the Mayor’s call and resolution center, as well as all the other people I had contact with today. So far it looks very promising, but only time will tell if this matter will be taken seriously.
Comment by Cindyk — September 17, 2007 @ 6:32 pm