Madison Park

This weekend the city marked off the intended placement of sidewalks along Murrayhill Rd.  This is a very pretty road in a suburban neighborhood, and the 5 foot sidewalk would ruin much of the street's charm.  I did not move out to this neighborhood so that my front yard would become a concrete jungle, and I would be very surprised if a majority of the residents want this sidewalk to go in.  I also do not think that this is the type of progression that Murrayhill and Madison Park need, and I am hoping that others out there agree and will help to petition against these proposed sidewalks.

 In the February neighborhood letter, it mentions that this sidewalk is needed because of the proximity to the elementary school.  Not once in my years of living on the street have I seen a child, unaccompanied or accompanied, walk to school.  In my opinion, that is a very poor argument for installing these sidewalks in yards with matured trees.  The sidewalk that is already installed on Lamont is both ugly and unnecessary, and it would be a travesty for these sidewalks to continue around the neighborhood.

 If you do not want these sidewalks installed, please help in being outspoken.  There is absolutely no reason to have them when pretty streets like Montford, with far more foot traffic, do not have them.

Disagree, I think as long as there is the amount of on-street parking that this neighborhood has that we need the sidewalks. 

Now, maybe they don't need to be 5 foot sidewalks....

Unfortunately the Americans with Disablity Act requires the walk to be 5 feet wide.  The Urban Street Design Guide requires the planting strip.  It will not be placed on the curb like the Lamont sidewalk.   The USDG was just passed a few weeks ago by the City Council.

According to Vivian Coleman with CDOT, when I ran into her less than two weeks ago, the side of the street had not been chosen.   She had also stated at the Feb. 2008 HOA meeting it would not be chosen until after the public meeting when residents can state their preferences.

Both sides of the street are being surveyed.  I was privy to some direct coversation with a couple of residents that copied me on their correspondence, and this was reiterated in the responses that CDOT returned.

There will be a public meeting (those living up to 1/4 mile away will get notice from CDOT) and people can state their preference as to side of street and so forth.

CDOT did state when they came out to the HOA meeting in February that they realize that retrofits for sidewalks will need to be a bit more flexible than new construction residential zones.   This flexibility should allow for trees to be meandered around.   CDOT even stated they intended to do some tree plantings in the planting strips.

According to CDOT this is the number 1 project city wide for sidewalks.  All projects are ranked and scored.   Murrayhill with connectors along Wedgewood is now on top of that list.

Not one neighborhood outside of Uptown has 5 foot sidewalks.  The new sidewalks that are on the first block of Murrayhill at Woodlawn are not 5 feet.  The front lawns along this street certainly are not large enough to accomodate these, and with a planting strip, this would allow pedestrians to come within 5 to 10 feet of many homes' front doors and windows.  This is absolutely not safe, especially with all of the warnings being given to hide your belongings at the neighborhood meetings by the police.

 For people that do not live on Murrayhill proper, would you want pedestrians right outside of your living room window?  We do not live in an apartment complex, and I believe that every homeowner along this street should be able to expect a certain level of privacy.