What's the responsibility for maintenance when a property owner installs an appurtenance in the public space for use by all?
The Apollo Apartment building on H Street NE--the building where the Whole Foods Supermarket is located--also has apartments on the back side of the property, on I Street NE. Adjacent to the bike racks they installed, they put in a seemingly high quality public rated bicycle pump, by Cyclehoop.
But it's broken. I discovered this a couple weeks ago and had to walk my bike over to Florida Avenue NE to reflate the tire that I tried to add air to there.
I informed them by email, never got a response, and the pump is still broken, with no sign on it saying it is out of order.
I guess I should report it to 311. But how do they handle service requests on "street furniture" in the public space that is not maintained by the city?
Labels: bicycle and pedestrian planning, street furniture, urban design/placemaking
posted by Richard Layman @ 6:45 PM&Permanent Link
2 Comments:
Did the developer have some kind of maintenance bond, and/or was there a maintenance agreement?
I don't know. I should look into it. My understanding is that such agreements are required.
E.g., with the bicycle racks, I believe that the property owner signs an agreement and agrees to maintain them, when they install their own racks.
OTOH, at least in DC, the city will install racks if requested, and then the city is responsible.
But the city only installs standard steel hoop racks, not architecturally forward racks, not stainless steel.
wrt the comment in the other post about preference to park bike by the street, at 1st and M St. NE (Harris-Teeter) the developer installed racks both by the street and abutting the building.
It happens that the racks by the street are next to a bike share station. They do get used more. I use them myself.
I presume though that the developer is responsible for maintaining them, because they are stainless steel.
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getting back to your original question, presuming that there is an agreement, I wonder how 311 deals with requests?
I'll file one, to see.
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