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Council hears further debate on Grand Avenue sidewalk design after property-owner objections
Summary
City public-works staff reported that property-owner resistance to an 8-foot multi‑use path on Grand Avenue has led the city to consider a narrower 5-foot concrete sidewalk alternative; 54 properties would be affected by the corridor work and 18 would be affected regardless of option chosen.
Public Works staff reported to the Saratoga Springs City Council that a long‑planned Grand Avenue pedestrian improvement faces resistance from property owners and the city is shifting its design approach to reduce impacts.
Staff said the city had previously appropriated about $1 million in 2023 for a Grand Avenue sidewalk project that initially proposed a 10‑foot asphalt multi‑use path. After design review the proposal was reduced to an 8‑foot multi‑use path to add opportunities for pedestrian-actuated crossings. Following a May 16 on‑site meeting, staff said many property owners declined to sign the easements needed for an 8‑foot path; flags were placed to show boundaries and the project team reported that 54 properties would be affected by any corridor change and that 18 properties would be affected regardless of whether the corridor were an 8‑foot path or a 5‑foot sidewalk.
Public Works described a new consensus around a 5‑foot concrete sidewalk alternative; staff also asked engineers to explore marked shoulders with striping as a lower‑impact option, though striping could remove a standard five‑foot green buffer between road and sidewalk. The public‑works representative said reducing width from 10 to 8 feet earlier had allowed funds for two pedestrian crossings, but the property‑owner refusals made the 8‑foot option infeasible without takings.
During council Q&A, a councilor who has championed the project for several years asked whether a sidewalk could be curved to follow the road rather than be poured straight; staff noted the city standard discourages serpentine sidewalk alignments but said minor adjustments could be considered to reduce impacts where feasible. Staff reiterated the goal of minimizing takings and litigation and said the 5‑foot alternative reduces the number of affected properties.
What happens next: staff said they will continue to work with the design engineer to finalize a plan that minimizes property takings and returns with detailed plans and cost estimates when available.
