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Boone Town Council To Consider Updated Sidewalk Priority List on Thursday

A stretch of State Farm Road that is being outfitted with sidewalks. Photo by Jesse Wood
This photo was taken during the 2014 summer when a sidewalk off of State Farm Road were constructed.  Photo by Jesse Wood

By Jesse Wood

The Boone Town Council will consider the town’s Transportation Committee’s updated sidewalk priority list for fiscal-year 2015-16 at is monthly meeting on Thursday, Aug. 20.

The main amendment to this updated priority list is the committee’s recommendation of moving Meadowview Drive up to priority No. 2, while moving Perkinsville Drive down to priority No. 4.

According to a memo from Public Works Director Rick Miller, the committee made this recommendation because construction is currently taking place along Perkinsville Drive and the committee thinks it would be best to wait until that construction is complete before installing sidewalks.

If approved sidewalk construction along Meadowview Drive would begin in 2015.

When the 2014 sidewalk priority list was vote on, Jeff Templeton, a local citizen and member of the Boone Area Planning Commission, advocated for Meadowview Drive, Leola Street and Greenway Road. (He happened to be the only citizen to speak up regarding the sidewalk priority list.)

Leola Street/Greenway Road happens to be No. 3 on the list.

State Farm Road was being constructed at the time Templeton spoke out and the Boone Town Council adopted the last year’s list in June 2014. Templeton recounted a story of seeing a lady dodging traffic while taking home a basket of goods from Walmart.

Lynne Mason then offered her own tale of watching a mother and young child navigate State Farm Road before its sidewalk was built.

“Unfortunately, there are needs throughout the community that we need to address,” Mason said.

In a prior meeting, former interim Public Works Director Eric Gustaveson noted that the Meadowview Drive stretch of sidewalk wouldn’t be difficult from a logistical standpoint because right of ways were secured, funding was available and no drainage issues existed.

See the entire sidewalk priority list for 2015 below.

See Thursday’s agenda and meeting packet here.

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