I personally think the City and CDOT should be more flexible on all retrofits in regards to the planting strip. I have told them this over the years. I think it is fine on new construction to follow the guide, but on retrofits where residents purchased homes with no sidewalks they really need to be a little more flexible. I like sidewalks and wish we had more of them.
The USDG or Urban Street Design Guide came in part from public meetings that were held around the city. There were surveys online consisting of pictures of what type of sidewalks / planting strips citizens would like to see at Charmeck.org. I know I personally always announced these pubic meetings at our hoa meetings and put the info in our minutes. I even had the link for the USDG survey on sidewalks on our web site at one point. The last meeting I attended on USDG prior to the adoption of the guide was at Morrison Library. Those wide planting strips in part came from citizens of Charlotte telling the City/CDOT that is what they wanted to see in Charlotte. If you drive around Dilworth you will see these wide planting strips before most of the sidewalks. Some of those homes have sidewalks pushed way back in their front yards. I know one home you literally step off the bottom step of their front porch on the public sidewalk. I believe the Dilworth area in part was the model for the USDG. I noticed the first time in our minutes online that the USDG was mentioned was way back in 4/2002. It was discussed many times over the last 7 plus years.
I think some type of planting strip is good on retrofits. The reason if you look at the areas where we don't have planting strips and sidewalks for example Wedgewood between Seneca Place and Tyvola Road on trash day roll outs, yard waste and bulky items often block the sidewalks. This is not the only problem. Some residents use the public sidewalk for their driveway. CMPD enforces the No Parking on sidewalks ordinance/laws in our community as they see violators. Community officers use to direct residents to call 911 to report this problem. You can still do this if you see this happening on a regular basis or find a sidewalk blocked. I know a couple of residents along Seneca Place have received tickets in past years for pulling across the sidewalk in front of their homes blocking the walk. Officers have mentioned it at our meetings.
As far as the width of the sidewalk CDOT has told us in the past that the ADA - Americans with Disablities act requires the 5 foot sidewalk on retrofits and new construction. The US Department of Transporation Federal Highway Amdinistration pretty much states the same thing. I even noted that it said when the sidewalk was on the curb the sidewalk should be 6 feet wide. I don't believe there is any chance of having a more narrow sidewalk than 5 feet. It seems to be the adopted standard size.
I do find it odd that the Grover Road partial sidewalk on the Tire Kingdom side of the street that CDOT placed the walk on the curb and put the decorative lights behind the walk. Here this is at the very busy Tyvola Light Rail Station. I was told by CDOT this spring this was in order to not disturb Tire Kingdom's parking. I am not sure why the decorative lights could not of gone in a small planting strip with the walk behind it, or why commerical property parking is more important than residential! Another example is along Old Pineville Road near Tyvola. Part of that walk was put up against the curb. City of Charlotte owns that land under the track. Not sure why they did not meander the walk around the supports of the light rail bridge like they tell us they will do for trees!
I recall a few weeks ago watching a city council meeting on TV and hearing a rental property owner complaining that a new sidewalk and partial widening of a street was going to encroach to far on his rental home property. I think it was a street off Wilkerson Blvd. I am pretty sure council decided or at least was leaning toward allowing the walk to be on the curb. I did not see the final vote so not sure what was the final outcome. I do recall one council member state the USDG was just a guide!
