Council debates whether to require sidewalk for new 3rd Avenue townhomes; staff recommends deferral

Council members debated at length whether to require a developer to install sidewalk now for a multi-phase townhouse project on 3rd Avenue or allow a deferral. Staff said the property-owner request is driven by the local block’s lack of connecting sidewalks; the site is within an area not in the city’s sidewalk-priority zone for schools.

Several council members argued that building sidewalks when new housing arrives protects pedestrians and future residents, especially children walking to nearby schools. One council member said requiring the sidewalk now would avoid a future gap in pedestrian connectivity and reduce the chance that residents would be forced to walk in the street during winter.

Other council members and staff counseled deferral. They noted the city is finalizing a multi-phase sidewalk plan and that adding a one-off sidewalk without a coordinated plan risks piecemeal work and inefficient spending. Staff emphasized the property could add sidewalks later and that the project can be included in the sidewalk assessment and CIP prioritization so it connects to larger future investments. "Until we have our formalized sidewalk plan, I have no problem with a referral on this knowing that in the future we can have it as part of our sidewalk assessment plan," a councilmember said.

Council did not take a formal vote during the work session but directed staff to proceed with the public hearing and include the matter in upcoming CIP and sidewalk-priority planning discussions.