Massive Sidewalk Initiative On The Table

Traverse City commissioners tonight (Monday) will consider a $4.5 million proposal to repair and construct nearly 70,000 feet of city sidewalk over the next two years – including adding more than 48,000 feet of new sidewalk to Traverse Heights neighborhood.

City Manager Marty Colburn is recommending using a 15-year, $4.5 million bond to accelerate sidewalk improvements throughout the city. An in-depth analysis by city staff over the winter identified a total of 115,000 feet of needed sidewalk gap infill and repairs throughout the city. Another 15,000 feet of city sidewalk was rated as being in “poor or very poor” condition, requiring immediate repairs to avoid liability issues, according to Colburn.

“It’s been almost two decades since our last (sidewalk analysis)…so this time we were trying to be much more inclusive of gap and infill (needs) and the shape of the current sidewalk,” says Colburn. The analysis more than doubled the city’s last estimate from the late 1990s of needed sidewalk improvements, according to Colburn. “To tackle it all in one bite would be overwhelming, but what I’m suggesting is still a very significant bite,” he says.

The bond proposal allocates $3.825 million for sidewalk repairs/construction and $675,000 for engineering, legal and bonding fees. The proposal encompasses four key projects, including repairing or replacing the poorest 15,000 feet of city sidewalk, installing nearly 3,000 feet of new sidewalk on East Front Street from Munson Avenue to East Bay Boulevard, and installing more than 3,330 feet of new sidewalk on South Garfield Avenue from Boon Street to the city limits.

At $2.8 million, the largest component of the project calls for installing more than 9 miles of new sidewalk throughout Traverse Heights neighborhood. A proposed map of the area shows new sidewalks along Fern, Kelley, Bates, Grant, Garfield, Hannah, Boyd, Lincoln, Centre, Kinross, Hastings, Boon, and Barlow streets, with additional infill on surrounding streets to fill any gaps and ensure connectivity throughout the neighborhood.

In total, the proposed bond project – which would equate to a $366,455 annual payment for the city – would tackle more than half of the needed sidewalk improvements throughout the city. Colburn says city crews could carry out initial field work this summer, with the majority of construction taking place over the next two years. “We’d be advancing the timeline very aggressively,” says Colburn, noting that 85 percent of project funding would go toward “new gap infill and sidewalk,” with the remaining 15 percent going toward “caring for what we already own that is in disrepair.”

At least two city commissioners expressed support for the proposal to The Ticker, though both stated a desire to carefully evaluate the numbers to determine the most appropriate bond length and amount. “I’m in favor of it – the bond rates are very low right now, and some of these projects we’ve had in our capital improvement plan for years,” says Commissioner Amy Shamroe. “They keep getting put off, and it makes far more sense when we have the resources and crews in action to keep working on it instead of stop-start-stop-start.”

Shamroe also says the city has a “legal obligation” to make sure the sidewalks in the poorest condition are addressed for the sake of public safety, and notes installing sidewalks in Traverse Heights has also been a high priority for commissioners. “The sidewalks will increase property values and make neighborhoods more desirable, which is an investment in our future, so I don’t have a problem bonding that out over the years,” she says. “I’m just interested in hearing more about the cost analysis and how this will save money by doing it all at once.”

Commissioner Brian Haas says he’s also in favor of bonding in order to invest in “long-term infrastructure” assets. “I think it gives us better control over our cash flow,” he says. “If we can bond and use the savings to maintain other infrastructure, to me that’s a great deal. But we shouldn’t be treating it like a credit card and maximize our monthly payment. We want to minimize our cash flow out.” Haas says his primary questions for Colburn will focus on determining the appropriate level of investment and how bonding for sidewalks could affect other city spending priorities.

“As much as we’d like to see sidewalks done right now, is that the best route?” Haas says. “We want to be thinking about Eighth Street and other projects we’ve got going on. I think what Marty is proposing is what we’d like to do, so my question is: What should we do? I think (the proposal) is a great start to the discussion.”