Fayetteville to build miles of sidewalks
The Fayetteville City Council gave preliminary approval this month to a plan to build 14.5 miles of sidewalks and have the city borrow $8 million to pay for them.
The city’s voters this past November gave the City Council permission to borrow the money — and raise taxes to pay the debt — when they approved a $25 million bond referendum to build city infrastructure.
Fayetteville lacks sidewalks in numerous areas because for many years builders weren’t required to install sidewalks when they developed property. Proposals to mandate sidewalks in Fayetteville and Cumberland County generated strong opposition from some local developers.
In the absence of sidewalks, pedestrians walk in the grass and dirt along the roads, they walk along the edge of the roads, and some walk in the vehicle travel lanes.
Here’s more information about the new sidewalks:
Where will they be built?
Most of the new sidewalks — 85% — will be built within a mile of a school. These sidewalks will either connect to school property or will intersect with sidewalks that go to the schools.
Three groups of sidewalks are planned:
● Group one, 7.91 miles to be finished by early 2027, estimated at $2.27 million. This group has portions of Morganton Road, Country Club Drive, Bragg Boulevard, Old Wilmington Road, Rosehill Road, Sante Fe Drive, Cliffdale Road, Bunce Road and Bingham Drive.
● Group two, 4.86 miles to be finished by the end of 2027, for $1.13 million. Sidewalks are to be built on Skibo Road, Country Club Drive, Levy Drive, Eastwood Avenue, Stacy Weaver Drive and Skye Drive.
● Group three, 0.92 miles to be finished by summer 2029, at $460,000. This has Fort Bragg Road and Cumberland Street.
How much is the construction debt?
Fayetteville voters last year gave the City Council permission to borrow up to $97 million. Of this, $25 million is to be used for infrastructure like sidewalks, bike lanes, street repair, recreation facilities and intersection improvements.
Another $12 million is for affordable housing programs, and $60 million is for building projects for the Police Department and Fire Department.
To cover the new debts, the City Council in June increased property taxes by 4 cents per $100 of value. That comes to an increase of $80 per year on a $200,000 home, or $8 per year on a $20,000 car.
Two on City Council voted against sidewalks plan
The City Council voted 7-2 on Sept. 5 for the sidewalk plan. (Mayor Mitch Colvin was absent due to a family emergency.) This was a preliminary approval, with another vote on the plan scheduled for Sept. 25.
Council Members Derrick Thompson and Kathy Keefe Jensen voted against the sidewalks plan.
Thompson and Jensen were unhappy that more schools that need sidewalks were not included in the $8 million sidewalk program. The City Council has over the years directed the staff to better support schools with sidewalks, they said, and they said this program is insufficient.
Senior North Carolina reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-2614710 and pwoolverton@fayobserver.com.