Sumner County delays acceptance of Wolfpack Way after residents raise sidewalk, drainage and curb concerns

The Sumner County Highway Commission on Sept. 2 moved to delay accepting Wolfpack Way into the county road system after residents and commissioners raised concerns about damaged sidewalks, curb and gutter and drainage onto neighboring property.

Michael Clark, a resident who signed up to speak, described conditions along Wolfpack Way and urged caution before the county takes responsibility. “My only concern with it is I’m assuming the sidewalks are part of the road,” Clark said. “There are several places down through there that in the expansion joints ... gone back 3, 4 inches.”

Another resident told the commission he had driven and walked the entire road and found badly broken sidewalks and curb-and-gutter that had been “abused by big equipment.” The resident said an 8-foot section had three through-cracks and that some curb sections had sunk after water got behind them. He also said drainage from the project continued to flood a neighbor’s stock pond and that six to eight neighbors were affected.

Commissioners and staff discussed who would be responsible for repairs if the county accepted the road. The resident noted the school had contracted a civil engineer and said any design errors might be covered by the contractor’s liability insurance. He asked whether that insurance liability would pass to the county through contract terms; the commission referred that question to Mr. Silber, who was identified in the discussion but did not speak on the record in the transcript.

Marshall Boyd, identified as the county engineer in the meeting, was asked to revisit the site. Commissioners and staff agreed to re-inspect the sidewalks and curb-and-gutter conditions where active construction meets existing sidewalk sections and to return the matter to the commission next month for further consideration. The commission also noted that Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance would need to be addressed before accepting any sidewalks into the county system.

No formal vote on accepting Wolfpack Way was recorded in the meeting transcript. The chair instructed staff to re-inspect and scheduled the item for the next meeting so the commission could consider inspection findings and ADA compliance requirements before any acceptance vote.

The commission’s next review will determine whether the county assumes maintenance responsibility for Wolfpack Way, whether repair costs or contractor insurance mitigate county liability, and whether ADA-related work must be completed before acceptance.