Franklin Park council weighs sidewalks on Reese Run Road amid resident resistance and maintenance questions

Franklin Park council members spent a lengthy portion of their work session debating a proposed sidewalk that would connect neighborhoods to school and recreation facilities on Reese Run Road.

Staff outlined engineering constraints: the route includes steep slopes and a right‑of‑way that could accommodate a sidewalk, but construction would require excavation and may present accessibility challenges. Several council members said the sidewalk would benefit children and active transportation; others highlighted a single property owner’s strong resistance to construction across or adjacent to their lot.

"Do you see any solution at all when the property owners are saying, ‘I do not want to sell’ ?" a staff speaker asked, summarizing the procedural and political difficulty. Council discussed options: pursue grants, negotiate an assessment where property owners pay installation costs, have the borough install the sidewalk but require owners to maintain it, or delay the project until more consensus is built.

Members raised liability and maintenance concerns: municipal responsibility for a sidewalk can invite requests to maintain other stretches, and some voiced reluctance to add a recurring maintenance burden to borough operations. Council cited precedent in which developers were required to install sidewalks and homeowners were later assessed for costs.

Council asked staff to obtain an engineering cost estimate, confirm right‑of‑way extents and slope feasibility, and return with a clear set of funding options and legal steps (including whether an owner assessment or lien would be permitted). Several members favored pursuing grant funding first and then returning to the question of resident assessments or borough financing once costs were clearer.

What’s next: Staff will provide a cost estimate and a summary of funding and legal options to enable an informed decision at a subsequent meeting.