Cascade council approves shifting Hayes Street to keep 4-foot sidewalk in public right-of-way

Cascade’s City Council voted Jan. 26 to shift the Hayes Street SW roadway slightly to the east so a 4-foot sidewalk can be reconstructed inside the public right-of-way, a move council members said would avoid buying permanent easements from several property owners.

MSA Professional Services engineer Mister Eber, who presented the project’s conceptual design, told the council that the existing sidewalk lies partly on private property and that reconstructing it in the same place would require either permanent easements or condemnation proceedings. "To put the sidewalk back as it is on private property, you either need to take right-of-way or get a permanent easement from the owners," he said. He said shifting the roadway about 1.7–2 feet east would allow the city to keep a 31-foot travel width and preserve on-street parking on both sides while placing the sidewalk inside the right-of-way.

Residents and property owners urged caution, citing safety and liability concerns if sidewalks are removed. One resident said, "I just don't think it's a good idea to take the sidewalk out myself," adding that homeowners purchased houses with sidewalks already in place and worry about precedents for removing them. Council members and staff discussed who would be responsible for snow removal and for liability if someone were to fall where a sidewalk had been removed.

Council members considered trade-offs including the potential need to remove or reconstruct a few driveway panels to make the shifted curb line tie in with existing driveways, and a small increase in driveway reconstruction costs. Eber estimated additional driveway work would be modest and contrasted that with the higher cost and time implications of acquiring permanent easements or pursuing condemnation, which would also stretch the project timeline.

After discussion, a council member moved "to move the street and put sidewalks back to where on the same side" while retaining the 31-foot street width to allow parking on both sides; Gail moved, Delaney seconded. The council recorded Aye responses from Raker, Weber, Gail and Delaney and approved the plan to shift the roadway and reconstruct the sidewalk within the right-of-way.

The decision preserves the sidewalk network without requiring the city to acquire private property permanently, but several residents signaled they expect continued debate over sidewalk policy for the growing town. The council directed staff and the consultant to proceed with design reflecting the roadway shift so the project can move toward bidding.