Change seeks to clarify sidewalk rules for cul-de-sacs in the city

Past practice will be put in city code when it comes to sidewalks on dead-end streets and those leading to cul-desacs.

At a special meeting held Monday evening to talk about potential changes to the city’s sidewalk ordinance, council members heard from city coordinator Joe Harris who presented proposed code changes. Currently, either with new construction or when a road will be rebuilt, the city will install sidewalk on at least one side of the street with that side being picked based on the public works department recommendations.

Harris presented the language he would like added to the ordinance.

A sidewalk will get installed on minimum of one side if:

• The road connects with another road on both ends. Even if it’s with another town or county road. This would include areas such as those connecting to CTH Q or where Allman St. becomes Allman Ave. in the town.

• If the street only connects with one other street, if there are five housing lots on one side before it stops or the ball of the cul-de-sac. According to Harris, the bulb of the cul-de-sac itself will not get sidewalk and the goal is to have at least 10 properties (on both sides of the street) to be served.

Council member Laura Holmes gave the example of Highland Lane where Mayor Mike Wellner lives, it is a longer road ending in a cul-de-sac and has more than five homes on each side so when it is eventually rebuilt it would get sidewalk. Holmes still expressed opposition to having sidewalks leading to dead-end areas. “It is a sidewalk that goes nowhere,” she said.

• During reconstruction more than 50% of the current residents of that street request that a sidewalk be installed in writing. This is for streets that would not otherwise qualify to automatically get a sidewalk, and give the option for residents to request one to be installed.

• On all new streets with curb and gutter built after June 1, 2025, regardless of the number of housings lots on one side of the street.

• All streets that contain commercial properties. Harris asked that this be expanded to include those with G1 zoned parcels, these are government, schools, churches and daycare facilities where there would be a greater chance people

See Medford on page 3

“It is a sidewalk that goes nowhere.”

— Laura Holmes, Medford City council member would want to walk to or from it.

Harris’ proposal calls for sidewalk to not be installed when there are four or less housing lots on one side of a dead-end street.

According to Harris, if approved, the changes would eliminate sidewalk from being built on Musky Court this year. However, in the future if Musky Lane, which leads from Shattuck Street to Musky Court is ever rebuilt or repaved, sidewalk would be installed there because it is a street that connects two other streets. Musky Lane is currently not on the city’s five-year capital project schedule and there are no plans to rebuild it any time soon.

In addition to these changes, for new construction with curb and gutter, the sidewalk must be part of the design, but installation may be delayed until 66% of the homes in that section have been built. Harris said this is to prevent having sidewalk damaged by building equipment as homes are constructed.

In addition if a street currently has sidewalks on both sides, it will remain on both sides when rebuilt. He also asked for the city code to note that if asphalt is fully removed that would count as a reconstruct and would trigger sidewalk to be installed on one side of the road.

Musky Court resident Mark Albers spoke against sidewalks, noting that many of the people who moved into that area did so because not having sidewalks gave more of a country feel to the area. “If you have sidewalk it makes you feel like you are living right in town,” he said.

Council members voted in favor of sending the revisions to the sidewalk codes to the May 12 city council meeting.