Eye on the Street
Decatur Metro | February 28, 2011 | 4:15 pm
“New county fence and sidewalks on Glendale Ave”. (pic courtesy of Helen)
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I never believed a sidewalk could be put on such a narrow space. One of these days I’m going to scale the cliff down to the creek and check out the tunnel.
Just a slight correction to the photo caption – the sidewalk was constructed by the City of Decatur using proceeds from the 2006 bond referendum.
Maybe a typo and should have read “country fence” because it is split rail?
not all of us are pleased by them – they completely ripped out people’s front lawns, one part of the sidewalk is dangerous has no railing over a 10 foot drop, and it feels like cars are speeding up on glennwood, now that they “dont have to worry” about all those kids and dogwalkers and neighborhood people out on their strolls.
I don’t recall there being any property takings on the those sidewalks. Wasn’t everything placed in the existing right of way?
Property owners do not “own” the public right of way along roads/streets. Your property has actually been “improved” by the sidewalks. I haven’t seen this one in person, the the photos are very inviting. Wish Scott Boulevard had similar sidewalks on both sides all the way from Ponce to North Decatur Road!
The folks on the Oakland end of Wilton thought the same thing a few years ago. Drive down Wilton and see if you can tell where the newer sidewalk is now.
Not to stir up a hornet’s nest (well maybe a little bit), but I would appreciate a sidewalk on Lamont when I walk from my house on Wilton to friends a the Scott end of Lamont. That sidewalk project got beat down a few years ago with the same complaint without consideration to people that don’t live on the street that want to walk down it. It is public property after all, as other posts here point out. I prefer to look at the long view. The front yards would be grown back by now and I suspect the property values would be increased by the sidewalk in front of the house. That is the reason many people move to Decatur.
One argument by the Lamont anti-sidewalk crowd was that sidewalks would cause more run-off, drainage issues. Meanwhile some of the same folks have done renovations that added a huge amount to their concrete footprint and/or wide driveways and/or 3 car garages. I wish the City would have the courage to say that walkability and pedestrian safety are community values and they will install sidewalks using the city right-of-way wherever sidewalks improve walkability and safety, regardless of whether some folks inappropriately planted or installed watering systems on that right-of-way or just plain don’t like the idea of sidewalks. (Meanwhile, Lamont and Vidal have had plenty of home and car break-ins without sidewalks. Strangely enough, few burglars transport their stolen goods on foot!)
We live on Wilton drive. I feel very safe letting my daughter walk down the street on the sidewalk to her friends house on the street. I drove down Lamont not too long ago and counted 14 children in the street, dodging cars, swerving on and off the front yards of several houses to avoid danger. Once again it crossed my mind, why on earth would people not want side walks on their street? Sometimes I even drive the two blocks as I feel better in a car then maneuvering the parked and moving vehicles on the road. Personally, I believe that the City should step in and make it happen.