Sidewalks strike a nerve among residents of Indialantic. Take note of a handful of letters submitted with the agenda packet for the April 12 council meeting decrying the idea of sidewalks in advance of a vote on a sidewalk master plan.
Sherry Jensen wrote: “My husband and I are highly opposed to the construction of additional sidewalks along Palm Avenue. The sidewalk would directly impact our home and negatively impact our quality of life. A sidewalk would bring pedestrians within close proximity of our house potentially giving them a view straight into our home.”
The Jensens say they polled 27 households in their neighborhood and 23 opposed sidewalks.
Susan Neville wrote: “I am a 36-year resident of Indialantic. My three children all walked or biked to school. I often walk in the evenings. In all this time we never experienced a problem or wished for sidewalks. Table this idea permanently.”
Amy Bond wrote: “I hope you will vote no to this plan. I am against the idea of installing more concrete for three reasons. It takes away from the natural green environment. It’s not funded. And I am against adding more runoff to the Indian River Lagoon.”
These folks and others of the same persuasion got some of their hopes answered when council voted for a scaled-back version of the sidewalk plan introduced last December at a public forum.
“Elements of the plan make a lot of sense,” Mayor Dave Berkman said before introducing the modified proposal.
If funding becomes available – a big if – sidewalks will grace the 200 to 400 block of Sixth Avenue from Riverside Drive to Shannon Avenue, as well as the length of Grosse Pointe Avenue. Palm Avenue? Out. Orlando Boulevard? History. Eighth Avenue? Not this time.
“This is not what residents want,” Deputy Mayor Stuart Glass said of the eliminated sidewalks. He added that if housing developments were built with sidewalks from the get-go, residents may have a different view point.
Bond indicated in her letter that she could be swayed to favor sidewalks if they were located close to the street.
According to Town Manager Chris Chinault, that may not be the case everywhere. “Factors such as existing vegetation, the maturity of the vegetation, the lay of the land, the lay of the pavement adjacent to the sidewalk location, would all need to be considered. Some existing sidewalks in town have the sidewalk separated from the pavement by a drainage swale. Some sidewalks are separated by about two feet of sod. It all depends on the location,” he said.
Of course, it all depends on money.