City to begin fixing aging Eastside Lodi alleyways

Albert Osorio Jr., 4, rides his tricycle behind his home in the alleyway south of Elm and west of Central streets. His father, Albert Osorio, worries that his son will get hurt in the potholes, and said that when it rains or someone washes a car, the alleyway often floods. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

City to begin fixing aging Eastside Lodi alleyways

By Maggie Creamer
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:08 AM PDT

Comments (29 comment(s))

Alberto Osorio watched his four-year-old son ride a tricycle around a large pothole in the alleyway behind his home on a recent afternoon this month.

"It's nasty over here. It looks ugly. When it's raining, it floods," he said.

Because he parks behind his apartment, Osorio drives through the alley several times a day. He worries that his son, Alberto Osorio Jr., will get injured while playing, and said it is time the alley south of Elm and west of Central streets gets fixed.

Alleys on the Eastside have been in disrepair for years, said Curt Juran, assistant streets and drainage manager.

"There is not enough money to go around. We are already having trouble maintaining the streets financially," he said.

Some of the alleys have little or no drainage systems and are paved with only an inch of asphalt, which will not stand up to garbage trucks, Juran said.

When it rains or someone washes a car, Osorio said, his alleyway floods, and when people drive by, the water splashes the garage door or his car.

Caitlin Ottilige, 16, left, and Nathan Clubb, 18, talk about the rough condition of alleys south of Oak Street and west of Cherry Street on Wednesday afternoon in Lodi. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

But Osorio's alley could be fixed, because the Lodi City Council decided earlier this year to use $232,000 in federal funds to rebuild at least one alley on the Eastside.

Every year, the city receives Community Development Block Grants to make repairs in low-income areas, but this is the first time the money will be used for the alleys. The city has selected three alleyways it could replace. Besides Osorio's, an alley north of Elm Street and west of Cherokee Lane, and an alley south of Railroad Avenue and west of Garfield Street are possibilities.

Because it is unclear how much it will cost to redo an alley, Juran said the city will ask for bids on all three alleys, and then start with the cheapest one.

If possible, the city will try to revamp two alleys if the prices are low enough, Juran said. Lodi is getting its asphalt supply for about $20 less than last year, so that will help with the costs. The city is waiting for the money to become available in July before starting the engineering for the alleys and then asking contractors for bids, he said.

While sitting outside his friend's home, Nathan Clubb, 18, watched two dogs play near a puddle in the alley south of Oak Street and west of Cherokee Lane. He said all the alleyways he drives in could use some repairs.

"It's probably something they don't care about because they are not a main road," he said. "But then, for the people who live in the alleyways, they have to drive through them every day."

He also worries about drivers who speed through the alleyways while kids are playing. He suggested the city look into speed bumps, too.

Even though the city is working to fix the alleys, Juran said it is important to remember that the alleys were not originally intended to handle constant traffic. Garbage was still picked up using horses when some of the alleys were first constructed.

Alleyways at a glance

Issue: The city of Lodi has dedicated $232,000 to fix alleyways on the Eastside. It is unclear how much it will cost to repair an alley, so the city will get bids on three alleyways and pick the cheapest.

The possible alleyways are:

South of Elm and west of Central streets.

North of Elm Street and west of Cherokee Lane.

South of Railroad Avenue and west of Garfield Street.

News-Sentinel staff

While he has not received many complaints from citizens, Councilman Bob Johnson has driven in the alleyways.

"Many of the alleys need some significant repairs. You have to start somewhere, and if you do one alley, that's one less we have to do down the road," he said.

The council might have overlooked fixing the alleyways in the past because there have been other projects that need immediate attention, like a water main breaking, Johnson said.

"In government, especially these days, there is always another priority. Sometimes we live from financial crisis to financial crisis, and worthwhile projects get passed over," he said.

Contact reporter Maggie Creamer at maggiec@lodinews.com or read her blog at www.lodinews.com/blog/citybuzz.

Reader Feedback

Eastsider wrote on Jun 27, 2009 9:09 AM:

" FYI: Lodi Academy's property is one of the most poorly maintained in the area, and it is a shame. I agree with Brian, and further: we have been told for years that as soon as the water/sewer system is repaired (for which they've been collecting money from all of us for years) our street will be paved. We're still waiting, while they repave Avena Street areas twice in the meantime, and now that fund apparently has gone to other things. We had a wheat crop growing in the middle of our street several years ago, and the city did a quick patch on a small part of it, but every day we pick up chunks of asphalt from the edges that have unraveled. I love my home and my neighborhood - come on, City - help us out! "

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