BRAINERD — A north Brainerd sidewalk project will see a half block of sidewalk completed along North Third Street but not continued further.
City Council members voted Monday, Oct. 17, on the parameters of the project after tabling the measure earlier this month in favor of hearing from more residents.
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The reconstruction will affect varying segments of sidewalks along North Third Street between Washington Street and Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
Sidewalk segments will either be replaced or left in place all along the west side of the street and on the east side north of the alley between Washington and Kingwood streets. New sidewalk will be added south of the alley.
The portion of the project council members discussed Monday was the east side of the road between Kingwood and Ivy streets. Right now, there is a partial block of sidewalking extending south from Ivy Street to 418 N Third St., which is about halfway to Juniper Street. Options for that portion included removing that partial block or extending that sidewalk to either Juniper Street or all the way south to Kingwood Street.
Residents at 418 and 422 N Third St. asked council members earlier this month to leave their partial block of sidewalk in place, as it is beneficial for them when walking and safer than walking on the street.
Before Monday’s meeting city officials received comments from Mohammed El-Bashir, who owns the house at the south end of the block without a sidewalk, in favor of extending the sidewalk to Juniper Street, as there are many families with children who walk through that area and have to use the street. Extending the sidewalk, he said, would make the neighborhood more walkable.
Carter Kuehn, who owns the home on the next block between Juniper and Kingwood streets, provided comment to the council ahead of Monday’s meeting in opposition of extending the sidewalk further south to Kingwood Street. Kuehn will already lose some shrubs to water main work during the project and does not want to lose more of his landscaping or have the added responsibility of shoveling a sidewalk.
During the Safety and Public Works Committee meeting before Monday’s full council meeting, Mayor Dave Badeaux and committee member Tad Erickson advocated for completing the sidewalk up to Juniper Street but no further, with Badeaux saying he did not like the idea of filling in sections of sidewalk just for the sake of filling them in. He also spoke to Kuehn’s desire not to see the extension.
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Committee member Jamie Bieser initially advocated for extending all the way to Kingwood Street, saying the decision is not just about current residents but those in the future as well. He said the city could try working with Kuehn on his landscaping concerns.
Committee Chair Mike O’Day said he did not have strong feelings on either option.
Taking all the comments into consideration, council members voted unanimously during their meeting for the option that would complete the partial block of sidewalk up to Juniper Street but not extend it further south to Kingwood Street. This option will add an estimated $7,700 to project costs, as the original scope of the project did not include that extension.
The nearly $4 million project, slated to take place next year, will also see a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon crossing at North Third Street and Holly Street, near Essentia Health.
This project was originally slated to take place last year but was postponed because of supply chain issues with water main materials.
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THERESA BOURKE may be reached at [email protected] or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa.
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