Warder Avenue Hasn't Been Fixed In 24 Years: U. City Resident

UNIVERSITY CITY, MO — At Monday's council meeting, resident Steve Glickert told city officials that his street hasn't been adequately repaved in 24 years, and asked the city to publish its paving schedules to ensure transparency in the road maintenance process.

"I come here about every four or five years, all on the same subject," he said. "It's the 800 block of Warder and its condition."

Glickert lives on the corner of Warder and Blackberry Avenues in the city's second ward. He says the city's initial paving job almost a quarter century ago was a slipshod affair that left tar on residents' cars and rocks in their houses. "There was no compression to where those two materials adhered to each other," Glickert explained. "They just splashed the tar, dumped the rocks and left."

In the 2000s, he said, the city micro-sealed the street, but failed to repair the sub base, and within two weeks it was cracked again. He called it a waste of time, energy and resources.

Three and a half years ago, around the last time he complained to the city council, Glickert said the city sent workers and equipment to repair the street, but ended up paving the wrong block, which wasn't in need of repair.

While a fairly narrow street, Warder provides a straight shot between Blackberry and Delmar Boulevard with no stoplights, and sometimes sees high traffic. The city has recently repaved other streets that carry far fewer cars, Glickert said, including Gannon Avenue, where Councilmember Paulette Carr lives.

Glickert asked the city to publish its paving schedule so that citizens can compare which streets get repaved and which are neglected.

"What I'm recommending, since this is the administration of transparency, can you publish the paving schedule so we can watch, we can compare, we can look at streets. ... That way we can watch what's going on and everyone can see, and we'll be able to find out when the 7900 block of Gannon gets another paving. It's been a month, I'm sure you're incensed. It's been 24 years for me."

The city has promised that the 800 block of Warder is on this year's paving schedule, and that it will be one of the first streets the city takes care of.

Later in the meeting, Carr said she believes Warder is indeed in bad condition, and asked city officials whether the ultra thin Novachip paving process the city plans to use will adequately address the problem.

Officials said the upcoming fix will both fill potholes and conduct other base repairs before resurfacing the street with new asphalt, adding that it will appear to residents as a newly-paved street. City officials also said inspectors will be on site to make sure the work is done well.

Patch has reached out to the city for a complete paving schedule and we will update this story when we hear back. We'll also keep our eye on Warder and provide an update when the work is completed.

Do you have a street that's in dire need of repair? Send us your photos and we'll check with the city to see where you are on the paving schedule.

Photos by J. Ryne Danielson/Patch