Column: Need a sidewalk fixed in L.A? It could take City Hall 10 years, if you’re lucky

The word “cursed” etched into a damaged sidewalk slab on Nowita Place in Venice may very well reflect the state of this neighborhood’s walkways. You can try the city’s Safe Sidewalks L.A. website, and it will appear as though there’s an efficient program in place for you to fix your own sidewalk and get a rebate, or to get a quick fix paid for by the city if the request is by, or for, people with disabilities. In 2016, city officials rolled out the “fix and release” program, saying it would repair all the sidewalks and then pass future maintenance responsibility over to the homeowner. The report recommended a “fix without release” plan I couldn’t quite comprehend, and it called for input from several city departments, which is always the kiss of death in L.A. “The city is making it really hard for homeowners to actually fix their own sidewalks,” said Alonso Romero, a Sherman Oaks contractor whose Safer Sidewalks website breaks down city programs and repair options.