Thursday, January 20, 2000 Older Editions

New sidewalks slip-slide away

By Neil Fater

Selectmen have sidelined their plan to build nearly $1 million in new sidewalks this year.

Board members decided they don't want to build any new walks until they talk the talk about creating sidewalk-betterment and sidewalk-priority policies.

Four selectmen unanimously voted at their last meeting to delay building any new sidewalks until such policies are created.

The 4-0 vote came after selectman and sidewalk proponent Larry Larsen had left for the evening, saying he was nursing a bad cold.

When Larsen was informed of the decision by a reporter, he was not happy.

"I disagree with that considerably. I think that's a very ill-thought-out approach, and, frankly, I'm surprised," he said.

Larsen, the board's senior member, said the town has considered charging sidewalk betterments in the past, and leaders have always decided they are a bad idea.

"And I think that priorities have been worked out in the past. The problem is (that) one person's priority is another person's last choice. We have to start somewhere," said Larsen. "Andover is in desperate need of sidewalks."

But the other selectmen said they should discuss whether homeowners should be charged betterments for sidewalks, and possibly have an betterment policy approved at a 2000 Fall Town Meeting, before the town spends thousands of dollars. They also said Andover should establish sidewalk priorities, such as deciding if building them near schools is the town's top priority.

The selectmen's decision may mean that they will not only hold off on their own plan to spend nearly $1 million on new sidewalks this year, but will also oppose private citizen articles seeking sidewalks. Town officials are expecting private articles looking for sidewalks for parts of Woburn Street, High Plain Road, High Street and Chestnut Street.

Because selectmen canceled support for new sidewalks this year, Selectman Lori Becker suggested spending more than the planned $600,000 to repair existing sidewalks, but that idea failed to garner any support.

Ballardvale sidewalks nixed

Before they decided to delay all new sidewalks, selectmen noted that building just the two sidewalks wanted by the Ballardvale Traffic Task Force would cost nearly the entire sum allotted for new sidewalks.

But they said they weren't sure building sidewalks on Andover Street and Ballardvale Road should lead the town's list.

"I don't think we should kid ourselves that those two are the highest priority. We know they're not," said Police Chief Brian Pattullo.

Still, selectmen acknowledged their decision to delay all sidewalk construction would upset some of those in Ballardvale who are angry about the traffic conditions.

"There will be a lot of unhappy folks in Ballardvale, but I think perhaps that's valid," said Mary French of the delay.

One of those unhappy folks is Sheila Stone, of Clark Road.

Selectmen need to do something to improve safety in the area, says Stone.

"The fact (is) that they have not done anything about the traffic, (so) they should at least do the sidewalks," she says.

But Stone says the sidewalks are a secondary issue, and by no means a cure-all to what she and other neighbors say is a major safety issue in Ballardvale. Her street has sidewalks, and still has significant safety problems, she says.

"When my three kids were growing up, even with the sidewalks (on Clark Road), I would not let them walk from my house to the Ballardvale playground. I would not let them ride their bikes," says Stone. "If they could put sidewalks in, it might help, but it's certainly not going to alleviate the traffic problems."