-by Historic Preservation Advocate Sarah Marsom

It is amazing what can be accomplished in one day when volunteers are willing and able to get a little dirty! Thanks to 20 volunteers led by Bello Giardino and Scholl’s Landscaping, two sidewalks were repaired to create a safer walking environment.

The two sidewalks were separated into Bricks 101 and Bricks 102. Both workshops tackled different issues, but both enjoyed a delicious lunch from Harvest Pizzeria provided in part by the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

At the Bricks 101 workshop at Jackson and Cedar, volunteers repaired a sidewalk with wide gaps between bricks. During brick removal, we discovered that at least a foot of the sidewalk was actually hidden under landscaping! We removed bricks, cleaned them, and then re-laid a beautiful herringbone pattern! Scholl’s Landscaping did a great job clearly explaining the right angles for draining and how to test a sidewalk after laying it to make sure there are no low spots where water may pool creating an ice hazard.

Over on the 600 block of Grant, volunteers at the Bricks 102 workshop learned how to tackle a problematic tree. Bello Giardino taught volunteers how to safely remove part of a tree’s rooting system to avoid damaging a tree while removing sidewalk bump! We were able to remove glazed bricks (not approved by the German Village Commission) and create a common bond sidewalk that adds to the fun patchwork of sidewalk patterns along that block of Grant.

Bello Giardino also gave sidewalk attendees a great tip; have your sidewalk fixed in winter! If you contact Bello Giardino for landscaping in winter you could potentially save 10-20% off, because it is their slow months.

Hands-on sidewalk repair workshops are incredibly rewarding.  Homeowners appreciate the assistance, people enjoy learning new skills, and at the end of the day everyone enjoys the safer walkway.  We were able to fix 3 sidewalks in 2015, and I am excited to see how many we can fix in 2016! If you are interested in being a part of the sidewalk repair team or to potentially have us fix your sidewalk in 2016, please email me at smarsom@germanvillage.com.