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Staff: Ocean Road sidewalks infeasible without state action; alternate neighborhood links advised
Summary
Staff told the committee Ocean Road is a state road with limited right‑of‑way and that building sidewalks there would likely require costly property takings; they recommended creating alternate neighborhood connections to the rail trail instead.
Public works briefed the committee on recent requests for sidewalks on Ocean Road and explained the road is a state highway with very limited right‑of‑way, making sidewalks expensive and legally complex because they would likely require property takings. Staff recommended that, rather than pursue a costly direct sidewalk along the state road, staff explore alternate neighborhood connections to the rail trail to provide safe routes that avoid Ocean Road.
Eric (Public Works) said trimming vegetation and incremental improvements can help but reiterated that Ocean Road maintenance and major improvements fall to the state and right‑of‑way constraints limit city options. Committee members and staff discussed off‑road connections and the possibility of leveraging adjacent neighborhood paths to improve safety without invoking takings or long state permitting processes.
