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Resident urges council to reject Shenandoah-side Grogan's Mill sidewalk, warns it could open door to widening
Summary
At the June 10 council meeting, resident Ron Ray Maker asked Shenandoah to halt a proposed sidewalk on the city's side of Grogan's Mill, saying it duplicates existing paths and could be the first step toward a future road widening. Council members said the item was posted and described the sidewalk as a safety proposal; no change in policy on widening was announced.
Ron Ray Maker, a resident who spoke during the citizens forum, urged the Shenandoah City Council to terminate a proposed sidewalk project along the Shenandoah side of Grogan's Mill and to clarify whether the council intends to oppose any future widening of the road.
"This is not simply a pedestrian improvement. It's preparing the corridor for future expansion by clearing and formalizing the edge of the roadway," Maker said, urging the council to adopt a resolution opposing any widening of Grogan's Mill within Shenandoah consistent with the council's prior position opposing widening in The Woodlands area.
Maker told the council the project would duplicate existing sidewalks on the opposite side of the road, remove natural vegetation in the residential area and create a corridor that would ease later widening. He also noted that in 2017 the council had removed widening of Grogan's Mill and a bridge over I‑45 from the mobility plan and asked whether those items were back under consideration.
Council members responded on the record to the concerns. One speaker cited the Texas Open Meetings Act and said the sidewalk item had been posted at least 72 hours in advance and discussed in open session. Several council members denied any secret meetings or intent to change the city's longstanding position opposing road widening; one council member described the Shenandoah-side pathway as an idea raised during a campaign to improve pedestrian safety and said the proposal was intended to make it safer for residents to cross Grogan's Mill, not to initiate a widening.
The council did not take formal action on the sidewalk during the meeting. Council members reiterated their intent to coordinate as appropriate with neighboring jurisdictions and with county or precinct officials who control portions of Grogan's Mill, and one council member said he had sought a meeting with County Commissioner Riley to discuss jurisdictional options.
The citizen's concern and the council's responses were raised during the public comment and subsequent council inquiry portions of the meeting; no resolution adopting a formal new policy or a new resolution opposing widening in Shenandoah was made at this session.
