Waterloo: Neighbors fear injury because of severely uneven sidewalk pavers

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - If you’re not familiar with East 163 and Huntmere streets in Cleveland you could be walking unknowingly into danger.

George Neff, a Purple Heart Veteran of the Vietnam War, knows danger when he sees it and the one section of the sidewalk in front of an abandoned property at 16302 Huntmere Street in the city’s Waterloo neighborhood has him boiling mad.

“I have been fighting with the City of Cleveland to fix this, and it’s gotten worst,” said Neff.

If you don’t know how to maneuver around the uneven pavement in front of the property where a huge tree once stood, you might be in for a huge and painful surprise. The sidewalk is so uneven that it could cause an unsuspecting person painful injuries.

“When this fills over with leaves or fills over with snow, you don’t see any unevenness because it’s flat,” said Neff pointing to a drop-off several inches deep between two pavers.

The 72-year-old veteran was shot in the arm while serving in the military during the 1960′s says he knows pain. But the thought of someone falling because of what he says is the City of Cleveland failure to properly address this issue frustrates him.

Neff is also equally concerned about this wife because he says she is unsteady on her feet and he worries she could be injured trying to navigate this section of sidewalk.

“My wife is not able to walk the dog down the street,” he said. “She walks with a cane.”

City Councilman Mike Polensek who manages Ward 8 told 19 News the city will look into it, and if it is deemed that the City of Cleveland must fix the uneven pavement, they will.

Still, Neff sees that as another round of excuses for a problem that needs to be fixed immediately.

“Well, it’s the City of Cleveland. I tried for two to three years to get it repaired,” said Neff.

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