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Residents sharply criticize Wimbledon Road Cape Seal work; engineers say punch list will fix problems
Summary
Wimbledon phase‑1 residents called the newly finished cape‑seal surface dangerous and poorly finished, citing drainage problems, vehicle damage and ripped sprinklers; city staff and the project engineer said finishing work and punch‑list items remain but acknowledged residents’ frustration.
Hundreds of pages of public comment at the June 22 Birmingham City Commission meeting centered on the two‑block Wimbledon Road cape‑seal project. Residents described the finished surface as “roller‑coaster” bumpy, said water ponds in places and reported damaged yards, irrigation systems and driveways.
“It's like Mr. Toad's wild ride,” one resident said during public comment. Multiple neighbors urged the city to require the contractor to redo or fully repave the street rather than ask homeowners to absorb costs for work they said was defective.
City Manager Jana Eker and engineering consultant Paul Tangas told the commission much of the alleged workmanship will be addressed by outstanding punch‑list work: hand tooling around catch basins, clean‑up of spray on manhole covers, adjusting grades near driveways, and final as‑built surveys. Tangas noted that cape‑seal surfaces can settle and smooth somewhat over several weeks, and he said the project had not yet completed final acceptance and the contractor remained under obligation to finish punch‑list items.
Residents disputed that incremental corrections would be sufficient. Speakers described repeated project delays, damaged private property (sprinkler systems and walkways), safety concerns where children play, and a desire that the city require a full re‑do if punch‑list fixes fail. Several neighborhood speakers urged the commission to require contractor penalties or to withhold payment until the work meets standards.
What officials said: Eker acknowledged the neighborhood’s anger and described the technical items that remain. Engineer Paul Tangas said he believed the work matched the plan and that a final as‑built and punch list would address many visible problems, but he also acknowledged some areas “were pushed out a little bit” at edges and that a final review is pending.
What residents want: re‑paving where punch‑list fixes won’t help, evidence of stronger contractor oversight, reimbursement or non‑assessment of residents if problems persist, and faster restoration of damaged lawns and irrigation.
Provenance: Long public‑comment block on Wimbledon (multiple residents), city manager and consultant remarks (Paul Tangas), Q&A by commissioners.
