It's been 385 days since the collapse of East 26th Street in Charles Village ("East 26th Street still under construction a year after collapse," April 30). We, the neighbors, are still waiting for the construction to be completed! The list of "things to do" is outrageous and excuses for not completing the work way outnumber the amount of work required.
It is my opinion that this project could have been completed three months ago. My list of complaints goes far beyond the time to complete the work. Additionally, we were promised 24-hour-a-day security during the six weeks we were evacuated from our homes yet our house was broken into just two days after the promise. We were not compensated for this incident.
During the cold spell in February, our new water service (installed by the city) froze and we had to hire a plumber for $150 to make the repairs. The city told us they could not enter our street because it was classified as a "construction site" and they did not reimburse us for the cost. Take note that two days after the catastrophe, the CSX tracks were cleared and the trains were back in operation. Money talks!
I could make a list of how the city, CSX, the general contractor and all of his subcontractors could have expedited the whole project, but it would be too long for this letter. It's just a construction site to them but it's our home.
James A. Zitzer Sr., Baltimore