Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pedestrian Access Osprey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents, DPW discuss barricade at Osprey culvert; staff says temporary fence removable and sidewalk options will be evaluated
Summary
Neighbors raised safety and access concerns after a temporary barricade was placed at an Osprey Street culvert used as a pedestrian connection; Public Works said the fence is temporary, cited steep slopes in the culvert, and discussed options including adding a sidewalk and pursuing easements.
Several residents told the council that a temporary barricade placed at the culvert on Osprey Street is blocking a longstanding pedestrian route and forcing walkers and cyclists to use private yards or a berm. The city’s public works director said the fence was installed in response to safety complaints and can be removed; staff also discussed options to provide a safer, permanent pedestrian route.
What residents said: Ron Quas (Osprey resident) described the culvert as a frequently used pedestrian shortcut for people walking around the lake and said the new barricade now blocks pedestrian access and causes people to cross private property. Dennis O'Rourke, another resident, said the berm routing is rough and can present a fall risk and that bicycles and strollers commonly use the route.
What public works said: Paul Barch, the Public Works director, told the meeting "the public works did put the fence up. It's very temporary. It can be removed very simply." He said the culvert slopes are steep—far in excess of ADA sidewalk slope limits—and that staff placed the temporary barrier after receiving complaints about people using strollers in the confined, steep area. Barch described a few options: adding a sidewalk adjacent to the culvert approach, and coordinating any required easements or maintenance needs; he raised snow storage as a practical issue for a sidewalk in that spot.
Council response and next steps: Council members reacted by asking staff to pursue a practical solution. The city said staff will evaluate sidewalk construction on the approach and pursue needed easements, and that the temporary barrier can be removed quickly once a safe alternative is identified. Residents offered to help with seasonal clearing where practical.
Context and clarifications: Staff noted historical drainage problems at the culvert that the recent work sought to address and said prior erosion had been reduced by the resident-installed concrete in the channel. The city described the slope as steep—staff characterized it informally as substantially steeper than a typical sidewalk slope and therefore unsafe for strollers and some pedestrians.
Outcome: No formal vote was required; staff and council directed Public Works to evaluate and report back on a sidewalk or other permanent pedestrian solution and to remove the temporary barrier when a safe alternative or interim route is identified.
