McCandless OKs sidewalk near town hall, plan to add bike lane falls flat

After a lengthy discussion recently about whether to build a 1,500-foot sidewalk along Grubbs Road near McCandless Town Hall or go with more elaborate — and expensive — options that include a lane for bicyclists, town officials went with the economy version.

But the May 20 discussion helped lead council to a quick conclusion: Future decisions about where McCandless puts sidewalks, bike lanes or trails that make getting around town without a vehicle easier will be made as part of a comprehensive pedestrian mobility plan.

Council voted unanimously to proceed with work to build the sidewalk after determining that two other options under consideration — a sidewalk and a bike lane running along the road or a sidewalk with a green buffer — would cost more than was initially budgeted for the work.

The cost of installing the sidewalk along Grubbs from McCandless Drive to Ingomar Road is estimated at about $103,000, according to Manager Bob Grimm.

Adding a roughly 2-foot wide green buffer between the sidewalk and the road, which would have to be widened, would cost about $150,000 according to engineering estimates, Grimm said.

Adding the bike lane alongside the sidewalk, which also would require widening the road, would likely add an additional $75,000 to the project, according to the manager.

Councilman Greg Walkauskus said he would have preferred to wait before approving the Grubbs Road sidewalk so other areas could be considered, but eventually joined his colleagues in the vote to OK the sidewalk work.

“There’s a need for sidewalks in different areas, especially Wexford Flats,” he said, noting that a meeting has been scheduled in June to discuss the town’s comprehensive plan. “I think we should not approve this project at this time.”

While making the town more accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists are among the things residents have requested as part of the municipality’s long-term planning, council President Kim Zachary said money has not been budgeted for the town to increase the number of sidewalks it builds beyond what already has been approved.

“Based on the amount budgeted, the only option the town can pursue at this time is the sidewalk — unless we want to wait or unless we have money leftover some other place that we want to add to this,” she said, noting that the Grubbs Road sidewalk was approved two years ago and $105,000 is earmarked in this year’s budget to do the work

Zachary said adding the sidewalk near the town hall “seems like a good place for us to start.”

“We have activities going on here and are really getting some educational things starting here,” she said. “We also have the new playground apparatus, a new volleyball court and the heritage center. It seems that as part of this nice complex, having sidewalks would be an appropriate place to start, especially since we require everyone else to have them.”

The council president’s reference was to zoning rules that require developers to install sidewalks as part of their projects unless the town grants a waiver.

Zachary said moving forward with the project also helps the town demonstrate that “we practice what we preach.”

“I’m not saying there aren’t other places that need sidewalks, there’s a lot of places that need them,” she said. “But this is a place to start that would be highly visible and I think a lot of people will use.”

Council also voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the sidewalk measure requested by Councilman Bill Kirk that will require town officials to review the budget to “assure adequate funds are available for all essential services” before work on the project proceeds.

I third measure also was approved that sets the groundwork to develop a pedestrian mobility plan that includes “an objective rating system and prioritization of future projects.”