By Sarah Moskowitz
As a result of the poor road renovations, the village is attempting to fire contractors Techcon, Inc. of Westbury, according to Lynbrook Village Attorney Peter Ledwith.
Villagers who have been directly affected by the roadwork problems did not hold back their feelings at the Oct. 7 village board meeting. Anne Cussen of Lenox Avenue led the pack of angry Lynbrook residents who said they are appalled at poor street construction work that left their streets patched and uneven.
"They've done a horrendous job," said Cussen. "It's patched and it's terrible. It looks like a map."
Cussen had petitioned last year throughout Lynbrook and successfully gathered signatures of people who supported redoing their streets. Now, she said, she is sorry she did so.
Ken Kiernan said there has been collateral damage done to the sidewalk, tree, sprinklers and roads outside of his home, which sits at the corner of Thompson Place and Lenox Avenue. He said his neighbors have called him lucky to have the sidewalks that line his house replaced, but it would not have been necessary had Techcon's heavy machinery not made such a mess he said.
Lena Ligouri of Lenox Avenue said she believed there was a direct correlation between her tenant losing electricity and heavy drilling outside her house, which she was told was to repair a gas line damaged during street construction. She said that she felt drillers were responsible for the power outage, which she had to call a private electrician to fix.
Each year the village allots a certain budget for roadwork in Lynbrook. In 2002, $1.3 million was designated towards about one mile of roadway that was to be repaved, which included a portion of Lenox Avenue. The project commenced in late spring, but after completing roadwork on Fenimore Street, Leaman Place, portions of Lakewood Boulevard, Charing Cross, Langdon Place and Acorn Place and spending $400,000, village officials decided to terminate the contract with Techcon. Lynbrook Village Mayor Eugene Scarpato said the village found the work to be defective.
"In my opinion we could no longer tolerate this company to operate here [in Lynbrook]," said Superintendent of Public Works Philip Healey.
Healey added that projected construction has not even begun yet on Wilbur Street, William Street, Sherman Street, Spencer Avenue and Walnut Street, which should have been completed during 2002 construction period this summer.
In terminating the contract, many streets were left unfinished, including portions of Lenox Avenue and Cedar Street. These "open items" are being completed by the Department of Public Works and private contractor Robustello & Son, Inc., said Healey. Some roads like Lenox have been temporarily patched for safety purposes, Scarpato said.
"It's been difficult for us [the village] and it's been difficult for you [the residents]," said Scarpato.
A background check had been done on Techcon before a contract was signed and Scarpato said they were hired because of their "good credentials."
"The irony is that Techcon got some glowing recommendations," said Ledwith, "and those recommendations didn't come through."
In the next step on the road to recovery, a claims adjuster will meet with Lynbrook village officials and examine Techcon's work and then decide if they will honor the village's claims. Ledwith said if the village's claims are found to be invalid, the village will sue the contractor. If the village claims are honored, the project will be retendered to the village, after which the village can re-bid the balance of remaining work to the lowest responsible bidder, in accordance with New York State Municipal Bidding Laws, said Ledwith.
The remaining work, including roads damaged by Techcon and those that are untouched, will be tended to in spring 2003, when the weather is warm enough to lay asphalt. The project will be done when the village's normal annual roadwork is schedule, resulting in two simultaneous separate projects.
