Clermont Town Council Vetoes Side Walk Program(posted June 17) Clermont Town Councilman Walt Miller's piecemeal side walk program did not fly with the majority of the council members nor with the residents at the June 14 meeting. Miller wanted to extend sidewalks from Mabel to Tansel Road along West 30th Street. B.C. Henschen of 9062 W. 30th Street opposed the town putting in a sidewalk in front of his house. He used the word "disappointed" to describe his emotions that nobody from the council bothered to contact him about the proposal. He became aware of the issue after receiving a certified letter that contained a $125 fine for having a fence in the right of way. Miller apologized for the fine. He said he did not know Indianapolis would cite Henschen when he called the City to see if the fence was located in the right of way. Henschen said he now has to drive downtown to show the previous assessments that he purchased the house with the fence so he could be cleared of the fine. He was aggravated that it would cost him time from work to prove his innocence. Henschen said none of this would have happened if they would have knocked on the door to explain the town's plans. He told the council not to install sidewalks until the drainage problems were fixed on Elizabeth and Mabel because the surface water runs off and drains into his yard. He commented that during heavy rains the water comes to his front door. He preferred the town work on the poorly conditioned sidewalks on Tansel Road. He called the sidewalk condition a liability. Councilors Vonda Kiger and Nancy Baxter agreed that Tansel Road's sidewalks are deteriorating. Kiger said it is crumbling so badly in certain spots that kids have to ride their bikes out into the street. The reason Miller selected 30th Street west of Tansel Road is to participate in INDOT's Safe Route grant program to encourage kids to walk to school The program offers grant money for towns to improve sidewalks that are used by kids to walk to school. He thought this would encourage kids to use 30th street to walk to Robey Elementary School. Baxter said children that reside west of Tansel Road must take the bus because it is too dangerous to cross the road without safety guards. Baxter suggested Miller contact the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township to find out where the highly populated bus stops are before engaging in a sidewalk program. This would help him better prioritize. Miller said the grant program does more than build sidewalks, it provides material to educate children about safety when crossing busy roads. Henschen stated not that not enough kids live on 30th to build the sidewalk. He also noted that if the sidewalk is not completed it would only encourage kids to eventually walk in the street without sidewalks. Henshcen urged Miller to find another route that would have continuous sidewalks to the school. Resident Linda Lucas did not think sidewalks were important, and people could walk on the edge of the road. She thinks it is far more dangerous to offer pedestrians an incomplete sidewalk that detours them to walk out into the road. "We need other things," Lucas said, referring to the fire contract. Council President Bob Hinshaw noted earlier in the meeting that the Department of Local Government Finance restored the fire budget, so the town would be able to have $185,000 in its budget to pay Wayne Township for fire services. The council also disagreed with Miller's idea to put one sidewalk in front of 3625 Tansel Road. The council preferred he extend it to include all three houses on Tansel Road where the sidewalk abruptly ends. Kiger informed him that he should check with the railroad and the City of Indianapolis to make sure the sidewalk project does not interfere in their jurisdiction. She thinks it is Indianapolis' responsibility to put in the sidewalk since the city controls the road. Miller also announced that he formed an 11 member steering committee to meet with Ball State College of Architecture Director Scott Truex on whether or not to proceed with a redevelopment program for Clermont. Lucas wanted to know how the town plans to finance the planning services. Miller responded that grant money is available to offset the costs. Miller's idea to pursue a skateboard park received thumbs down by the other councilors. At the last council meeting, the council instructed the police to crack down on skateboarders using the sidewalk and street. Baxter said the cost would be too prohibiting to spread among the 600 homeowners in town. "It would only benefit a handful, and not the average taxpayer," she said. Her other concern was that a skateboard park would only attract outsiders including "the riffraff." Other council approvals included two drainage projects. The first project included a drainage clean out at Bridgeport and 30th Street and rebuilding the berm for a cost not to exceed $1,520. The council altered the second drainage project, bordering along Log Run Drive, not to straighten the ditch. Kiger thought it would be a waste of money and it would not control the erosion. The project is not to exceed $1,788. |
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