Philadelphia crews hit snag repairing 2-month-old sinkhole in Point Breeze
Frustration is growing over a sinkhole that's been plaguing a neighborhood in Philadelphia's Point Breeze neighborhood for almost two months.
The gaping hole in the ground is being covered with plywood on Sigel Street near South 20th Street. Not only is it an eyesore, it's a safety hazard disrupting life for nearby residents.
"It's just frustrating," Ben Sugarman, from Point Breeze, said. "Deliveries can't come through because it's all blocked off. Kids are still playing around it and one board moves, you know, who knows what can happen."
The sinkhole emerged in late April after a six-inch water main broke. While the main was repaired within a day, the city admitted there was a delay in fixing the sinkhole because of a miscommunication. No maintenance order was created after initial repairs were made, officials said.
"I just think we got forgotten again," Paul McGannon, from Point Breeze, said. "That's what it seems like. They admitted before there was a miscommunication, so what's going on now?"
CBS News Philadelphia has learned crews have encountered a setback.
The Philadelphia Water Department said in a statement: "We are currently waiting for repairs to be made on two private sewer laterals damaged in the sinkhole. That work is scheduled for June 24. Once the repairs are made and the homes are reconnected to the City system, the excavation site will be filled in, and we will request that the Streets Department restore the roadway. We hope to have the street reopened as soon as possible and appreciate the patience of residents on the block."
In the meantime, residents continue to wait.
"The city is definitely taking a while," Michael Werwinski, from Point Breeze, said. "It's definitely tough at the end of the day for getting a parking spot on the street."
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The number of people in cooling centers visited by the Tribune ranged from zero to 10, and most visitors were there to use other services offered inside the cooling centers, such as a library or DFSS office. 'Most vulnerable populations, they may or may not have access to the internet,' Sims said. 'Language barriers can be an issue too. We want (the city) to be making sure that (information is) in Spanish and in Mandarin and Polish, and making sure that people who aren't native English speakers are aware of the cooling centers, so that they can get relief as well.' For some residents, the cooling centers lack convenience and security. According to advocates, some Chicagoans say it feels riskier to leave home than to stay put; they worry about the security of their personal items and a lack of privacy in a communal environment. 'It's been probably 20 years since I've gone (to a city cooling center),' said Carol Vaxter, an Englewood resident. 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