Residents of N. Franklin from 12th to 14th N. pulled a switch Tuesday and asked the New Ulm City Council to allow them to install sidewalks.

The catch was that the property owners wanted to put in four-foot-wide sidewalks instead of the six-foot-wide ones required along streets that width if ordered in by the city.

THE TWO-BLOCK stretch is near Washington Elementary School and residents told the council the city would probably be ordering sidewalks in sometime in the future,so they’d rather put them in now.

City policy has been six-foot sidewalks along streets with 80-foot right-of-ways, four-foot sidewalks along narrower streets. The stretch in question has an 80-foot right-of-way.

City Manager Richard Salvati spoke up in favor of setting a citywide standard to make sure all property owners pay for the same width of sidewalk, with the city at large paying any difference.

Salvati noted that when six-foot sidewalks were ordered in on 10th S. the council received a request to put in four-foot ones but insisted on six-foot sidewalks.

Councilmen asked if all sidewalks in the two-block stretch would be four-foot ones and people in the audience said yes.

“I think these people should be commended for wanting to put in sidewalks,” said Council President William Gafford.

Salvati said to protect those along the two-block stretch who want to install the four-foot sidewalks the council should order four-foot sidewalks in for the two blocks. The council did this. Sidewalks are to be installed by Oct.31.

IN OTHER sidewalk action the council ordered in six-foot sidewalks on the east side of Valley from Seventh to 12th S. and on both sides of 12th S. from Valley to Minnesota.

The action came despite protests from area residents that sidewalks are not needed and would not be used there.

Councilmen said improvement of the street along this stretch is being partly funded by $190,000 in federal money and the federal government requires the sidewalks as part of the project.

Federal funds will pay about 70 per cent of the sidewalk cost. Abutting property owners will pay 30 per cent, the council indicated.

The federal government requires sidewalks so that handicapped can use wheelchairs and crutches along the street.

Bruce Schwan, assistant city engineer,said estimated cost to owner of a 50-foot lot for the sidewalk would be $135, with federal funds paying the balance of the sidewalk cost. He said a person could not build it himself for less.

Salvati said of the sidewalks, “I don’t think we have any choice if we’re going ahead with the street project.”

The New Ulm Daily Journal

August 6, 1975