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Residents press council over Safe Routes sidewalks as contractors prepare to start work
Summary
Residents told the council they feared losing driveway space and facing maintenance liabilities after the Safe Routes to School grant project was designed to maximize numbers served, producing some dead-end sidewalks; staff warned scope changes risked losing grant funding and delaying construction.
Designers and staff told the council the Safe Routes to School project was tailored to maximize the number of homes served within the grant budget and that altering scope now could jeopardize unit pricing and the contractor’s availability.
Jim Clenard, the project designer, said the grant required selecting segments that serve the most houses for the dollar and that some long-term continuity will need follow-up phases. “The goal was to maximize the dollar amounts to serve as many houses as possible,” he said, explaining why some sidewalks end mid‑block.
Several homeowners disagreed. Thomas Trump, who lives on Clark Street, said shifting the sidewalk into private yards will reduce his driveway by about seven feet and force trailers or trucks back onto the street. “Now I’m going to lose seven feet of my driveway,” Trump said. “I’m worried about people not being able to see around the corner again.” He and other residents asked whether field adjustments were possible to move the sidewalk across the street or shorten the encroachment.
Staff and council members said they had completed environmental review and obtained easements for the segments in the current scope and explained that the project’s $250,000 state share depends on completing the selected scope. Staff said contractors were scheduled to begin work shortly and that further delays would push the contractor out of the schedule and potentially increase costs.
Councilmembers encouraged residents to submit specific, site‑by‑site requests for minor adjustments and said engineers would look at a limited set of change orders that would not jeopardize the grant. Several council members said they want to plan additional phases to connect missing links after the current grant work is complete.
The council did not vote on removing or changing scope at this meeting; staff said they will review residents’ specific requests and return with recommendations.
