The Columbia City Council on Monday authorized staff to proceed with final design and easement acquisition for a sidewalk improvement project along the south side of West Broadway between Maplewood Drive and West Boulevard, but debate at a public hearing showed clear differences between city standards and some residents' privacy and historic-preservation concerns.

Public Works Director Shane Creech told the council the project would construct about 2,100 feet of five-foot-wide concrete sidewalk, roughly 1,000 feet of new curb and gutter, and storm-inlet work; total cost was estimated at about $616,000 and the project will be funded up to 80% by a MoDOT Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant with the city's capital-improvement sales tax funding the remainder. Construction is anticipated in 2026.

Residents who live on the south side of the roadway urged the council to reconsider a 5-foot standard in places where homes sit close to the street. Mitchell Moore, who said he has lived in the neighborhood 57 years, told council he had been told by staff that "the ADA mandates 5" but said that "the ADA requires 3 foot sidewalks" and argued a 3-foot minimum would be appropriate for portions of the block. Public Works staff replied that while the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes a 36-inch minimum accessible route, the city's minimum sidewalk standard is five feet; staff also noted ADA passing-space requirements (a 5-foot by 5-foot passing space every 200 feet for segments narrower than five feet) and that utility poles and driveway grades factor into design choices. Creech said the project was on the city's sidewalk master plan and was an attractive TAP candidate because of traffic volumes on Broadway.

Sidewalk advocates at the hearing, including members of Local Motion and residents who use mobility aids, urged the council not to reduce the width. Councilmembers asked staff about design flexibility; staff said narrow sections and passing spaces are possible in constrained locations and that any change to the sidewalk width could affect the TAP grant and require renegotiation with MoDOT.

Council deliberation and vote

Councilmember Valerie and others urged adherence to wider sidewalks in most locations while directing staff to examine constrained segments and potential designs that combine 4-foot sections with 5-foot passing spaces where driveways can serve as passing areas. Councilmember Betsy Peters voted against moving the project forward at this stage; the remainder of the council voted yes and the motion to authorize staff to proceed passed (roll call: Buffalo yes; Carroll yes; Elwood yes; Sample yes; Foster yes; Peters no).

Why this matters: The project is intended to improve pedestrian accessibility and safety on a busy section of West Broadway that connects neighborhoods to retail and civic destinations. The vote starts a design and easement-acquisition process that could change the proposal before construction bids are solicited.

Key numbers and details

- Project length: about 2,100 feet of sidewalk; about 1,000 feet of curb and gutter.
- Estimated cost: approximately $616,000.
- Funding: up to 80% from a MoDOT TAP grant; remainder from City capital improvement sales tax.
- Design standard: city standard sidewalk width is 5 feet; ADA minimum continuous accessible route is 36 inches with 5-foot passing spaces required at intervals.
- Public input: an interested-parties meeting on July 14 received 8 written comments and 14 attendees; at the council public hearing residents opposed, residents and advocates supported.

Next steps

Staff will pursue final design and easement acquisition and said it would return with detailed designs for easement acquisition and bidding; council members asked staff to explore narrower sections where pre-existing historic homes sit close to the road and to preserve ADA accessibility through passing spaces where possible.