A Houston resident is still waiting for a city contractor to make good on a promise—eight months after work began on a neighborhood improvement project.
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Juan Corrales lives on a street that was part of the City of Houston’s Pedestrian Accessibility Review Program, which aims to improve sidewalks and driveways to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. While crews repaved nearly every driveway on the block, Corrales says his was inexplicably skipped.
“The city started pouring all the driveways on both sides of the street,” Corrales said. “But they didn’t pour mine.”
In addition to leaving his driveway unfinished, Corrales says the contractor asked to store heavy equipment in the fenced yard of his property next door. He agreed—only to have the empty lot in front of the driveway used as a dumping ground for leftover materials, dirt, and even a porta-potty that remained for months.
“The porta potty smelled really bad,” he said. “There were animals everywhere, and then neighbors started stopping by and throwing trash because they saw more trash.”
Corrales says it took multiple phone calls and complaints before the city intervened. Crews eventually came to clean up the mess, but not all of it.
“They didn’t take everything. There’s still trash here,” he said.
Adding to the frustration, Corrales believes the contractor was paid for his driveway even though it was never completed.
After KPRC 2 contacted the City of Houston, officials confirmed they are aware of the issue and told us the work on Corrales’ driveway will be completed by May 15.
