Council tables Smithland Drive reconstruction decision after residents cite safety, drainage and cost concerns

Marion City Council on June 18 heard extended public comment and debated competing design options for the Smithland Drive reconstruction before voting to table a staff-directed design decision.

Residents who live on Smithland Drive urged council not to convert the street from a dead end into a through road, citing safety for children, increased traffic, and worsening yard flooding. "We've lived there and had no problems at all," Jerry Depenning said, describing a neighborhood he said the city had annexed and then neglected. Patty Ceine warned that adding traffic would endanger walkers and students who use the street to reach nearby schools, and Justin Amble said he worried for his young children biking on the road.

Greg Annis, project manager in the Public Works engineering division, summarized staff's analysis and three options: option A (the recommended 24-foot reconstructed road with full connectivity and ditch-based drainage, no sidewalk); option B (same as A but with a sidewalk); and option C (a cul‑de‑sac with mounted delineators and limited connection). Annis said the recommended option meets current design standards, preserves first-responder access and represents the best long-term value; he also noted estimated construction costs for variations ranged around $1.34 million to $1.42 million compared with a current budget of about $1.15 million.

Council discussion focused on emergency access if Echo Hill is blocked; whether mounted delineators would damage vehicles and require ongoing maintenance; unresolved neighborhood drainage and whether ditch-based conveyance would adequately address local flooding; and the equity and character implications of making a formerly dead-end street public and fully connected. Several councilors objected to moving forward with option A if sidewalks were not included; others raised concerns about the higher cost and easement needs a sidewalk would trigger.

With two council members absent, Council Member Jensen moved to table the directive to proceed with staff's recommended parameters; the motion was seconded and approved. The council also earlier voted to receive and file the supplemental 30% design memorandum, preserving the current design materials while directing a later, fuller decision.

Next steps: the Smithland Drive reconstruction item was tabled for further review and to allow absent members to weigh in; staff indicated they could return with refined numbers for options that include or exclude sidewalks and for barrier alternatives.