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Jamestown council agrees to pay blacktop for Ponderosa Pike and moves to loosen street-width rule
Summary
Council members voted to fund blacktop to finish Ponderosa Pike and moved to amend the city's ordinance to reduce required street width (from 20 feet) to 14 feet with 2-foot shoulders, citing narrower existing side streets and annexation needs.
Jamestown
The Jamestown City Council approved payment for blacktop to finish Ponderosa Pike and moved to change the city's street-width standard so narrower side streets can be accepted into the municipal system.
Chair (speaker 1) said the council had reviewed Ponderosa Pike previously and that the existing city ordinance requires a 20-foot roadway with 2-foot shoulders and blacktop before the city will accept a road. Council members argued that many Jamestown side streets are narrower than 20 feet and that the ordinance is a barrier to annexation and to development of small residential lots.
One councilor (speaker 4) said, "I think we've got the width of our requirements set too wide and we need to lower that to 14 or 16, no more than 16." Council member Dwight (speaker 5) moved to change the ordinance so the required roadway width would be 14 feet (with the 2-foot shoulders retained); the motion was seconded and taken up by the body.
Council members also described the work the property owner had already completed (grading and base rock) and said the owner bought some materials. A motion that the city purchase the blacktop for the paving was moved, seconded and approved; the chair directed staff to arrange payment and scheduling so paving can proceed.
Separately, staff noted that the current ordinance requires a 4-inch dense grade aggregate base (6 inches where Public Works deems necessary) and that the roadbed must be blacktopped before acceptance. Councilors discussed whether gravel or partial city participation could be an interim measure, but ultimately approved city funding to complete the blacktop at Ponderosa Pike.
The council also discussed consequences for future annexations and the need to review the ordinance comprehensively so developers are not deterred by excessive upfront road costs.
