The Depot Street Project is coming to an end in November but there are still some safety concerns for a slope in the sidewalk curb in areas throughout Depot Street.
The Greeneville City Council met yesterday afternoon and continued the discussion on a potential hazard for pedestrians. Architect Cliff Brooks, who is working on the Depot Street Project, presented options to the council last month to address the concerns, specifically on West Depot Street, from Main to Irish Street. All options were designed to steer people away from the street and to indicate where the sidewalk ends. But the options presented didn’t really fix the safety issue. A railing design was to be presented to the council but was not available during the meeting.
Council member Scott Bullington expressed he didn’t feel the council should have the burden of costs to fix the sloping issue as they were under the impression all sidewalks would be flat. The costs to fix the slope ranged from $5,000-$100,000. Bullington explained he looked through past agendas and minutes from meetings and there was no mention of a sloping design.
City Manager Todd Smith stated this could be a legal issue as the sidewalk does have 5 ft. of ADA accessibility but is right next to the 2 ft. of concrete that looks and feels like a sidewalk. This slope is a concern for the general public as Smith says there is no area distinguishing where the sidewalk ends.
Council member Tim Teague made a motion to table to matter until there is more information. Town Mayor Cal Doty suggested bringing in Public Entity Partners (PEP) to an upcoming meeting for their input on modifications. Depot Street is still set to open by November 15th despite some work needed to tie a bow on it.
