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Resident fights proposed McAllister sidewalk; local business owner criticizes Go Topeka spending
Summary
During public comment the committee heard Joe Ledbetter urge the city not to build a sidewalk at 1315 McAllister without notifying neighbors; Mr. McClure criticized Go Topeka and the city manager’s role in economic development decisions. Deputy Mayor Wolford announced a July 6 West Topeka fire-station meeting at the Topeka Zoo.
Joe Ledbetter urged the Topeka City Infrastructure Committee not to approve a proposed sidewalk in front of his sister’s house at 1315 McAllister, saying neighbors were not notified and the path would cut through family gardens that have been maintained for decades.
"I just don't want a sidewalk built for my sister," Ledbetter said, adding that his sister, Donna Lacy, opposes the sidewalk and that the neighborhood had not been informed about the proposal. He asked the committee to require advance notification to property owners before approving sidewalk construction in neighborhoods.
In a separate public comment, Mr. McClure criticized the city’s economic development spending and Go Topeka, saying that over time the program has become a "slush fund for the members of the chamber." McClure said the office of the city manager should not sit on the Go Topeka board and called for prioritizing infrastructure projects such as 49th Street to make land ‘‘shovel-ready’’ for development.
Deputy Mayor Wolford used the committee’s announcements time to tell residents the city has scheduled a community session on Monday, July 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Topeka Zoo to discuss a proposed West Topeka fire station and take questions.
The comments were made during the public-comment portion of the Infrastructure Committee meeting; no committee action on the sidewalk or Go Topeka was recorded in the meeting minutes.
