SIDEWALK SPECIAL
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

     Many of Bromley's homeowners received a letter in early July from 
the Transportation
Department of the City informing them that they have until a date late in 
August to let the City
know how they intend to solve sidewalk problems, and until a date late in 
September to have the
work performed.  BHA Board members Sandy Arlinghaus and Mike McConnell 
had both been
told something far different from this in independent telephone 
conversations with
Transportation.  Indeed, the content of that conversation was reported, 
as unofficial information,
in the July BHA Newsletter.  Many homeowners wonder, quite reasonably, 
how all of this can be
resolved.  Here is what we know, as of Friday, July 24, 1992.  Note--a 
typical sidewalk square is
about 25 square feet; five feet by five feet.  A silver "X" indicates a 
need for repair, through
ramping or something similar; a silver "O" (or dot) indicates a need for 
removal and replacement
or for lifting.  An individual approaching a concrete replacement company 
alone might pay about
$5.00 per square foot for replacement and less for lifting.

1.  Extension requested.  The Mayor's Office has been extremely helpful 
in listening to our
concerns and in routing us to individuals within the Transportation 
Department who also appear
responsive.  BHA has sent, as suggested by Transportation, a request for 
an extension until July
1, 1993.  The individual in Transportation also apologized for any 
confusion this administrative
tangle might have caused.

2.  If the extension is granted, trip hazards still remain.  So, the City 
will need to fix, with a
temporary patch, serious hazards.  They say this is at their expense, but 
they need permission
from the individual property owners to come on the property.  The 
temporary patch is not a
substitute for permanent repair and property owners must still comply as 
per the letter from the
City.  The patch is simply to protect individuals from trip hazards until 
the sidewalk is fixed.  If
you wish to be covered by the extension BHA is working to negotiate for 
the neighborhood, you
must fill in the attached form.  Send it in the U.S. mail, or return it 
directly to the box on the front
porch of 2790 Briarcliff.  Deadline:  by August 1, 1992.
The deadline is for BHA efficiency and homeowner convenience; individuals 
with various time,
travel, or other pressures may wish to deal directly with the sidewalk 
department, instead.  They
have been quite helpful, recently.

3.    If the extension is granted, then we have the time to plan a 
significant group effort.  The
BHA Board has discussed the following strategy and Sandy discussed it 
with the contact in
Transportation.
We seek extra input from individuals in Bromley, too.  The attached 
questionnaire is for that
purpose.
     a.  Initial questionnaire to seek preliminary input from Bromley 
residents and to offer
preliminary information to residents gathered by the BHA Board--this is it.
     b.  Follow-up questionnaires and flyers as appropriate.
     c.  Formal bid gathering.  Mailing of form letters to a list of 
contractors concerning possible
discounts for groups on:
           i.  Sewer replacement.  If you feel that your sewer lead from 
your house to the street
might need replacement, consider doing it prior to sidewalk improvements; 
sewer replacement
frequently destroys sidewalk squares--destroy your old ones that need 
replacing--not your brand
new ones!
          ii.  Sidewalk lifting
         iii.  Sidewalk replacement.
     d.  Tree roots issue--we have a call in to the City to get written 
information on
           i.  what sort of lead time is required for a group of property 
owners to request tree root
cutting
          ii.  possible tree damage from root cutting.
     e.  Public meeting to discuss the issue--tentatively, September 17, 
Thurston School library,
7:30 p.m.  This is the next regular meeting of BHA; watch the September 
Newsletter for
information as to location--this is almost certainly the date.  We will 
invite a representative from
the City to be present, as well.
     f.  Designation of block captains to coordinate the effort on a 
household by household basis.
We have a copy of the Burns Park (south) study; they employed this sort 
of strategy--seemed
like a nice approach.  We will need volunteers for this--if you are 
interested in volunteering,
please come to the September meeting, or contact a BHA Board member prior 
to that meeting.
Block captains will need to see to it that everyone in their territory 
has been contacted.
     g.  Implementation of procedure--we will know more as we get closer.
     h.  Inspection of completed work--by the City, shortly after 
repairs/replacement.

4.  What if the extension is not granted?  Preliminary information 
gathered by the BHA Board.
This is information only; no endorsement is implied and we make no 
statement, either explicit or
implicit, as to quality of workmanship or reliability of contractor.  As 
always, let the buyer beware.
We pass our information along in the interests of those who might not 
wish to participate in a
group effort, or in case we are forced to respond in a hasty, less than 
optimal, manner.
     a.  Sewers.  Williams Sewer Service (Roto-rooter) at 662-5277 has 
been used by a number of
Bromley residents.  They do cleaning only.  The following  names for 
sewer replacements have
come to our attention with no endorsement implied for these two or for 
the above name.
               i.  DeWolfe Excavators, Chelsea, 426-2727--they are 
willing to consider negotiating a
group rate.
              ii.  Floyd Construction, Ypsilanti, 487-5330
If you have your sewer cleaned, one piece of advice we have heard, is to 
ask the person who
does the cleaning whether a "full blade" was used or whether they had to 
down-size to a half-
blade or some other smaller tool.  The idea is that a smaller tool  may 
be needed in response to
some sort of obstruction--either from an Orangeburg problem or from other 
problems.  It's
apparently hard to tell much from looking at the outside--we gather that 
the sewer lead is about
15 to 18 feet underground.
     b.  Sidewalk lifting.  This is a process in which cylindrical cores 
are drilled out of the sidewalk
and sand/gravel or other material is injected through these holes to 
raise the walk.  The holes are
then filled.   Metro Concrete Lifting describes the process as follows in 
its flyer:  "1.  1 and 5/8
inch holes are drilled in the sunken/settled slab of concrete.  2.  A 
sand and cement material is
pressure pumped through the holes to fill voids and lift concrete.  3.  
Holes are filled with redi-
mix to complete the process."  The cost is apparently  anywhere from 1/2  
to 1/3 that for some of
the more expensive sidewalk replacement (with those fractions applying to 
individual, not group,
rates).  Good firms apparenly give at least a 2 year warranty on their 
work.  If you do this on an
individual basis, be sure to get credentials from any contractor you deal 
with and check them.
Also, make sure that the contractor is properly insured and will obtain 
the required building
permits from the City.    The following two names have been mentioned to 
us (no endorsement
implied)
               i.  Trip-toe; apparently the University of Michigan uses them.
              ii.  Metro Concrete Lifting; apparently McKinley Properties 
uses them.  BHA has a
number of addresses provided by them, to us, as references.  We also have 
a brochure
describing their process, and a copy of their insurance certification.  A 
number of  Bromley
residents have used them.
     If you want to see what lifted sidewalk looks like, a good idea 
prior to making a decision, take
a walk on Briarcliff, just south of Aurora on the east side of the street 
(non-Huron Parkway side).
Newly lifted sidewalk has a kind of polka-dotted appearance--the new 
concrete is a different
color from the weathered concrete.  No doubt the new concrete will also 
weather, but there may
remain distinction between the two.  Because lifting is cheaper than 
replacement, the actual
savings coming from a group-negotiated rate may not be all that great.  
Group rates seem to
involve scheduling multiple locations on a single day.  So, consider the 
trade-offs in cost and
timing.  We have heard of possibly a 10% discount; if a single square 
costs $50 to lift, but $100
to replace, the savings for lifting would be $5 per square rather than 
$10 for replacement.  Lifting
is apparently the cheapest solution (from a company).
     c.  Sidewalk replacement.  According to documents lent us, South 
Burns Park used Liberty
Contractors for their group effort.  BHA has made preliminary efforts at 
contacting about a half
dozen contractors.  More later.  Again, one comment was that a group  
might get a 10%
discount.  Replacement seems to be the most expensive route.
     d.  Do-it-yourself approach.  Some Bromley residents report success 
lifting their own
sidewalks using a combination of hydraulic lifts and crow bars and then 
filling in underneath with
gravel.  If you choose to do any of your own work, make sure that you 
obtain the necessary
Building Permit as detailed in your letter from the City.  Also, make 
sure, if you use/hire any
helper, that you have appropriate insurance.  This route may be 
relatively cheap; of course there
are no warranties on the workmanship, perhaps no credentials to check, 
and there may be
greater concern with whether or not the work will pass the subsequent 
inspection by the City.  No
endorsement of this sort of process is implied by mentioning it here.

5.  Prior to returning any form to the City, make sure it is correct.  
The name of the subdivision
should be "Bromley" not "Orchard Hills/Maplewood."  Cross out the wrong 
name and insert the
correct name, if needed.  They estimate that a sidewalk square is 25 
feet.  So, divide the square
footage they calculated by 25 to get the number of squares that are a 
problem.  You might want
to write this information on the form you send back, noting how many were 
marked with x's and
how many were marked with o's.  Check the inventory of "your" sidewalks 
listed in the letter from
the City against the actual markings on the sidewalk squares.

6.  What if you have questions concerning the way your sidewalk is 
marked?  The Sidewalk
office is quite willing to come out and examine the markings and talk to 
individual property
owners--there were apparently three different people out here doing the 
marking, and the person
in charge of them seems to be understanding of honest problems.  
Particular concern might be
to check the squares marked with an "o"--designated for 
replacement/lifting.  See if they match
the written standards for "replacement" on your letter.  If you wish to 
contest the marking, phone
the Sidewalk Office at 994-2818 to schedule an appointment--"Brad" is the 
contact person there.
The sooner you call, the sooner they'll come out; right now Bromley has 
number one priority on
their list of neighborhoods.  If you delay, they will still come out but 
it will be likely to take a few
days longer.  If any of this causes difficulty, do not hesitate phone 
Sandy (761-1231) and leave a
message on the answering machine--she can relay the information to the 
City, but cannot set up
appointments; to do that, individual homeowners will still need to set up 
meetings.

7.  Is "lifting" satisfactory for squares designated for replacement?  
Apparently this process is
fine, as long as a reputable contractor offering at least a 2 year 
warranty is dealt with and
credentials are checked (information from the Sidewalk Department).  A 
conversation with the
Sidewalk office clarified this situation as follows:  squares marked with 
an "x" are those that can
be ramped--that is fixed with a cement patch as explained in the letter 
you received.  Those
marked with an "o" cannot be ramped--they need to be replaced/lifted.

8.  NEXT STEP--FILL OUT THE ATTACHED FORMS AND RETURN TO THE BOX ON THE
PORCH AT 2790 BRIARCLIFF.  DEADLINE:  AUGUST 1, 1992 (OR TO BE RECEIVED 
IN U.S.
MAIL, ADDRESSED TO SANDY ARLINGHAUS AT THAT ADDRESS, BY AUGUST 1).

RETURN THIS FORM TO
SANDY ARLINGHAUS
2790 BRIARCLIFF
ANN ARBOR, MI 48105

PLEASE RETURN BY AUGUST 1, 1992



BROMLEY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION, UNTIL JULY 1, 1993
ON SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT/REPAIR


PLEASE PRINT

Name of Property
Owner:______________________________________________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________________________________

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Phone:______________________________________________________________________



Authorized
Signature:____________________________________________________________________

Date:_________________________________________________________________________


     As property owner at the above address, I authorize designated 
representatives of the
Sidewalk Department of the Transportation Division of the City of Ann 
Arbor to make temporary
repairs, at City expense only, to the sidewalks adjacent to this 
property.  I do so in order that I
might, if I choose, be a part of the collective effort of the Bromley 
Homeowners Association to
obtain discounted bids on sewer replacement, sidewalk lifting, and 
sidewalk replacement using
private contractors.

BROMLEY HOMEOWNER QUESTIONNAIRE
 Please answer only those questions you wish to answer.  The more 
information we have, the
easier it is for us to attempt to help the entire neighborhood.

1.  NAME____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS___________________________________________________________________

PHONE_____________________________________________________________________


2.  Did you receive a letter from the City requiring you to make sidewalk 
repairs?

yes______         no_______

This information is available on the reverse of the letter from the City; 
it does not hurt for BHA to
double-check the list for accuracy to make sure that information we wish 
to get only to the
affected households actually does so.

3.  Are you interested in participating in a neighborhood effort to solve 
your sidewalk problem.

yes_______      no________

4.  Are you interested in participating in a neighborhood group for 
sidewalk lifting (cheaper
solution)

yes________    no_________

5.  Are you interested in participating in a neighborhood group for 
sidewalk replacement (more
expensive option)

yes________    no_________


IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST AT ALL IN A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP, PLEASE ANSWER
QUESTIONS 4 AND 5.  THIS IS SIMPLY AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST, AND NOT A
REQUEST FOR ANY SORT OF SERVICE.  THERE IS NO COMMITMENT ON YOUR PART.
WE NEED THIS SORT OF "POSSIBLES" INFORMATION IN ORDER TO HELP GET BIDS
FROM CONTRACTORS.

It may be that if the $ per square foot cost is "close" (between lifting 
and replacement) that you
would prefer replacement.  If so, please tell us your definition of 
"close"--check the price level
that would force you away from new concrete in favor of lifting.  For 
example:  "if the difference
is more than $0.80 per square foot, I'm going to get my walk 
lifted"--then check the $0.75 to
$1.49 level below.  Typical square is 25 sq. ft.; typical price for new 
might be $5 per sq. ft.

$0.00 to $0.74 difference per square foot.
$0.75 to $1.49 difference per square foot.
$1.50 to $2.25 difference per square foot.
$2.25 to $3.00 difference per square foot.
Other.  Please specify.



PLEASE HELP US, IF YOU CAN.  WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT.

1.  Are you willing to volunteer as a neighborhood block captain?

Yes_______     No________

2.  Have you done business with any sewer cleaning/replacement 
establishments?  If so, when,
and what was your opinion of their work/reliability?  We will not print 
any names of Bromley
residents in the Newsletter, but we will pass along business names if 
people suggest doing so
(with no endorsement implied).











3.  Have you done business with any concrete lifting companies?  If so, when,
and what was your opinion of their work/reliability?  We will not print 
any names of Bromley
residents in the Newsletter, but we will pass along business names if 
people suggest doing so
(with no endorsement implied).












4.   Have you done business with any concrete replacement companies?  If 
so, when,
and what was your opinion of their work/reliability?  We will not print 
any names of Bromley
residents in the Newsletter, but we will pass along business names if 
people suggest doing so
(with no endorsement implied).











5.  Any other suggestions, comments, and so forth--please use other side.


SIDEWALK BULLETIN
CITY GRANTS EXTENSION TO BROMLEY RESIDENTS

1.  Copy of letter from John Avendt to Sandy Arlinghaus, dated July 31, 
1992, received August
4, 1992.
     "I would like to commend you and your organization on your timely 
response to the sidewalk
repair notifications which were sent out to affected residents in your 
association.  I would also
like to apologize for the earlier misunderstanding with Sidewalk Office 
staff as to the time period
that would be allowed property owners to repair/replace their defective 
sidewalk.
     From you letter it appears that your organization is taking a very 
methodical approach to
sidewalk repairs.  This is likely to result in a quality finished 
product.  For this reason I agree to
the requested time extension of July 1, 1993.  City crews will schedule 
the asphalt cold patching
of defective sidewalk to be completed by September 1, 1992.
     Again, thank you for your comments and the responsible way in which 
your organization has
responded to this problem.  If you have any further suggestions or 
questions please do not
hesitate to contact ....  Sincerely"

2.    Next step.
         a.  If you returned your request for extension attached to the 
"Sidewalk Special" then your
home is recorded as one to which the extension already applies--see 
number 4. below.  You still
need to return a copy of the form the City sent you; tell them that you 
will comply with the
sidewalk replacement/repair program in accordance with the Bromley 
Homeowners Extension.
Send this form back before August 20.
          b.  If you want to have the extension apply and did not fill 
out the form attached to the
"Sidewalk Special" write to Sandy Arlinghaus, 2790 Briarcliff, Ann Arbor 
MI 48105 and tell her
that you wish to be included.  Do so no later than August 10, 1992.  Then 
you will need to
proceed as in step 2a, immediately above.  In accepting this extension, 
you agree to allow the
City to patch, temporarily, trip hazards on the sidewalk adjacent to your 
property.  Note that this
patching is indeed temporary and that you must still comply with 
replacement/repair.
           c.  If you do not want the extension, then just proceed as 
instructed in the letter from the
City.

3.  Beyond.
     BHA will work to get block captains and proceed as outlined in the 
previous flyer.

4.  The addresses sent in to City Hall by BHA, and are therefore covered 
under the extension,
are:

Aurora:  2720; 2721; 2740; 2750; 2761; 2858; 2920.
Briarcliff:  2762; 2765; 2771; 2778; 2782; 2788; 2790; 2806; 2814; 2824; 
2827; 2828; 2832;
2860; 2912; 2959; 2995; 2996.
Burlington:  2858; 2971; 2988
Burlington Ct.:  2931
Nixon:  2340; 2348; 2372; 2440; 2448.
Prairie:  2144; 2221; 2235; 2260; 2271; 2283; 2435; 2515; 2536; 2560; 
2563; 2615; 2627
Prairie Ct.:  2460
Renfrew:  2814; 2819; 2820; 2826; 2832; 2850; 2892; 2898; 2913; 2915; 
2927; 2936; 2939;
2948; 2963
Sheffield Ct.:  2912; 2915; 2936; 2972.

Return your form from the City before August 20.