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Riverside council approves Spinning Road sidewalk after 4–3 vote despite resident opposition
Summary
Council voted 4–3 to approve Resolution 26R3075, accepting a state sidewalk gap grant for Spinning Road that requires roughly $66,000 in local upfront engineering and easement work; supporters cited grant leverage, opponents cited budget strain and limited pedestrian use.
Riverside — The City Council voted 4–3 on Feb. 17 to approve Resolution 26R3075, authorizing the city to accept state funds and proceed with preliminary engineering and easement work required to extend and connect a sidewalk on Spinning Road.
Council members who supported the measure said the award brings significant state dollars to the city for a relatively small local outlay. City manager Josh told the council that the Ohio Department of Transportation, acting as grant administrator, approved the project award but required roughly $66,000 in initial engineering and temporary right-of-way work that the city must pay up front; portions of that cost would later be reimbursed from the state grant.
The resolution had been tabled previously and was taken off the table before a motion to adopt. Councilwoman Angel Patterson reported door-to-door outreach in the affected neighborhood and said most residents were strongly opposed; one resident was tentatively in favor. Patterson said a nearby business owner reported the lack of sidewalk was not harming his business. Those concerns were central to the debate.
Opponents of the measure repeatedly raised the city’s fiscal pressures. One councilmember cited rising debt figures and said the city should not take on additional expenditures, even small ones, while others argued that the city routinely seeks “free money” and that the grant represents a strong leverage ratio. Council members differed on how to prioritize many small sidewalk projects versus larger road-repair needs.
After extended discussion on the project’s scope, costs and neighborhood need, the council called the question and the clerk recorded the roll call: Miss Fry — Yes; Miss Bridal (Freda) Patterson — No; Mister Brown — Yes; Mister Gaby — No; Mister Maxfield — Yes; Miss Angel Patterson — No; Mayor Williams — Yes. The measure passed, 4–3.
What happens next: Staff said ODOT would administer the grant and that the $66,000 covers engineering, environmental work and easement acquisition; construction was described as likely to occur in 2028, when the project would be bid. Council asked staff to confirm ODOT deadlines if council seeks more time for a priority-setting session before final acceptance of the grant.
