Port sidewalk controversy heats up again

The controversy over the idea of installing sidewalks along Hales Trail and other bluff roads in Port Washington is heating up again.

The Board of Public Works on Tuesday voted 4-1 to recommend the Common Council contract with BMCI Construction Inc. at a cost of $200,000.

The council will consider the recommendation when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17.

The action came after Mayor Marty Becker, a longtime opponent of the project, spoke against the measure, saying it’s not something the city can afford.

“We’re over budget,” he said. “We have no money to begin with.”

If the city has to install sidewalks in the area, he said, it should only install them on one side of Hales Trail and split the cost between property owners on both sides of the road.

The city should not install them on Crestview, where they would extend from Noridge Trial to Briarwood Lane, and Sunrise Drive, where they are to be installed from Crestview to Hales Trail, Becker said.

Sidewalk isn’t needed on those streets, he said, adding that by eliminating those walkways the project would come in under its $200,000 budget “by quite a bit.”

“Think outside the box and do it correctly,” Becker said.

Ald. Paul Neumyer told the board that he supports installing the sidewalks, especially on Hales Trail, but believes the cost should be picked up by the city, not assessed to homeowners.

“That’s an unfair burden on constituents,” he said, especially when they oppose the installation of walkways.

The Common Council and Board of Public Works have approved the sidewalk project repeatedly over the past three years, but the project has been pushed back for a variety of reasons.

The city sought bids for the project from four contractors, three of which submitted bids. 

BMCI was the low bidder at $213,088, which includes $24,000 for landscape restoration, Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven told the board.

The sidewalks have been designed to minimize the impact on the landscape, he said, adding they would tie into most of the existing driveway approaches.

That not only minimizes the cost but also the inconvenience to property owners, he said.

Ald. Mike Gasper questioned why crosswalks were only being installed along Hales Trail and not across the street at Patrick Court, Sunrise Drive and Niesen Road.

Vanden Noven said he is not recommending crosswalks because the corresponding ramps at the corners are costly.

That’s something that can easily be added when the street is rebuilt in the future, he said.

“Right now, people are walking in the street. This is still an upgrade,” he said.

Vanden Noven noted that the crosswalks are installed across Hales Trail near the bike path and at Upper Lake Park.

“Where we have crosswalks are where they’re most needed,” he said. “It takes them (pedestrians) to the two destinations.”

The crosswalks are important at all intersections, Gasper said.

“It’s hard to argue we’re doing this (project) for pedestrian safety when we’re ignoring something this obvious,” he said.

Vanden Noven said he is willing to paint the crosswalks in the area.

Board member Phil Bruno, who cast the lone dissenting vote, questioned whether this is the right time to install the sidewalks, especially since the bid was higher than the $200,000 budget.

“It sounds like we’re piecemealing this together,” he said. “We’ve been up there since the ‘60s without sidewalks. At some point we have to stop spending on something that’s not needed right now. This is a want-to-do.”

Bruno said the city should take the money earmarked for the sidewalks and instead use it for snow removal and other items.

“We’re over budget every place,” he said. “I think it’s a bad time to even think of putting sidewalks in.”

Ald. John Sigwart, a member of the board, asked if the city could do the landscape restoration itself, noting this could trim the cost enough to bring the project in at budget.

The Street Department crew is too busy to do all the work, Vanden Noven said, but he suggested that the city cap the amount for the sidewalk project at $200,000. Landscaping work that doesn’t fit within that budget could then be handled by the city, he said.