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Residents raise parking and tree concerns; council pauses Safe Sidewalk decisions pending engineering review
Summary
Public commenters and council members flagged parking loss and potential damage to mature trees for the Safe Sidewalk project near the park; the council agreed to ask the engineer whether the alignment can be relocated and deferred any final decision.
The Fountain Green City Council on May 12 heard strong public concern about a planned Safe Sidewalk project near the park and agreed to seek an engineering feasibility review before making any final decisions.
Residents told the council the current alignment would remove parking along the park’s east and west sides and require fill that could damage mature trees. Council members noted the project is already engineered and out to bid, and staff reported the city has spent $26,800 on engineering to date. Some residents and councilmembers suggested moving the sidewalk to the east side of 300 West — where fewer obstacles exist and parking impacts would be reduced — but noted that the original alignment was chosen to connect directly to the school sidewalk.
Council asked the Mayor to contact engineer Garrick to determine whether the sidewalk can be relocated without jeopardizing connectivity to the school or the existing engineering work. No motion was taken to change the alignment; the council deferred a final decision pending the engineer’s assessment.
The discussion reflected a split in public sentiment: some residents urged withdrawal from the grant to avoid tree loss and parking reduction, while others urged the city not to forfeit the already‑spent engineering investment. Council members emphasized they will not make changes until they receive Garrick’s feasibility feedback.
