Street cave-in still an enigma

A week later, residents complain city hasn’t kept them informed

Residents who live near the East 26th Street block that partially collapsed amid heavy rains in Charles Village last week say they have received little information a week later about what occurred and what’s being done to prevent it from occurring again.

“We in the community are anxious to get a meeting together with the city and to get answers and voice concerns,” said Jeff Larry, a resident of the block between North Calvert Street and Guilford Avenue. “It’s a real community gathering place, and it’s just a little stressful to see it all messed up and have it not be clear yet whether the city is going to do the right thing when they put it all back together.”

“I’m still pretty much in the dark,” said Kelly Cross, president of the Old Goucher Community Association, which represents the neighborhood.

City officials also had yet to respond in any detail to questions from The Baltimore Sun about their plan to fix the street and whether they had conducted promised inspections of it after a similar collapse four years ago.

Larry said he and other residents were exchanging a whirl of emails Monday morning to figure out the best way to press the city to provide more information. He said the collapsed block is a “real active stretch of street in an important part of our neighborhood,” and residents want to be sure it is restored in the right way.