North Wales votes ahead declaration of taking for sidewalk project despite resident’s impassioned plea

Borough council has approved a declaration of taking for part of a property at Center Street and Montgomery Avenue as a step toward extending a sidewalk along Center, despite impassioned pleas from one family not to do so.

Council voted unanimously to approve the move after hearing the resident’s side of the story.

“This makes me really sad, coming up here and having to read this,” said Ian Horowitz of Center Street.

In April 2022 work began on the town’s “Center Street Gateway” project, the addition of new sidewalks along Center Street from Walnut Street through Elm Avenue, with a new sidewalk ramp leading to a freshly paved and lighted entrance into Upper Gwynedd’s Parkside Place complex.

That project was first noted in the town’s “North Wales 2040” comprehensive plan that was adopted in 2018, then discussed in detail starting in early 2020 as council approved several grant applications throughout that year and into 2021, to fund that project and a subsequent “Center Street Extension” project adding further sidewalks down Center to Washington Avenue.

During the Feb. 25 council meeting, Horowitz kicked said in public comment that they were grateful to have been named a winner of the town’s holiday light decoration contest just weeks ago.

“I was so proud, seeing how our fence was lit up, and my daughters got to enjoy that experience. And just today, going out to throw a catch with my girls,” he said.

“There was someone just running down Montgomery Avenue, where there’s sidewalks, and they’re running in the middle of the street. Every morning, I’ll drive down Montgomery and come back down Pennsylvania (Avenue) and there’s someone walking in the middle of the street, and there’s sidewalks on both sides of the street. But yet here we are, continuing to push this through,” he said.

    A sign indicates the sources of grant funding for newly constructed sidewalks along Center Street in North Wales, as seen on Tuesday April 26 2022.
 By Dan Sokil | The Reporter   

The resolution approved by council authorizes “the acquisition of the easement property rights by purchase or condemnation according to law,” and includes a two-page map of the planned sidewalk route. The new sidewalk would run on the north side of Center Street, running east from Walnut Street, across Shearer Street to Washington Avenue, with the plans indicating a “split rail fence to be reset behind sidewalk.”

“It’s ‘for the greater good,’ but it seems like there’s a major lack of consideration for the residents that it directly affects,” Horowitz said.

“It’s already been established that there will be added costs and liabilities for a few select households. It’s easy to sit here and say that it’s for the greater good, when it doesn’t cost you a dime out of your own pocketbook. But it will be costing us, especially in the long run,” he said.

The corner in question is the only grass on their property, Horowitz told council, and gets used often.

“I could go on and on about how my wife homeschools our girls, and they are out there every day, learning together, reading together, soaking up the sunshine, earthing, playing, practicing softball, and how this project will greatly reduce our space for all of that,” he said.

The stretch of sidewalk will also affect the family’s food, by impacting fruit trees planted nearby, and has other impacts.

“You’re covering the soil that we planned to use for a native flower garden, that would provide pollen to our honeybees, and all the other pollinators that improve our local ecosystem. We now have to rip out all the daylilies that my daughters planted with their grandfather, who is no longer with us,” he said.

“Our home is our peace, and you are disrupting our peace, and it is extremely violating,” Horowitz said.

As the first phase of the sidewalk project was bid out and built, residents along the extension route had voiced concerns about the impact to their properties, and Horowitz reiterated those concerns.

“By continuing with this project, you are saying that money is more important than the residents, and the overall health and wellbeing of this community. Who determined that taking away earth, and adding more concrete, is for the greater good?”

“Honestly, it’s kinda scary that you’re continuing to push for this project, even though so many residents are against it. It’s even more scary you’re pushing this through for free grant money. Thank you for listening, and I really hope you guys will reconsider your options for this project,” he said.

Council President Sal Amato thanked Horowitz for his comments, then asked if any other residents had public comments or input. After hearing none, he then read the formal action up for approval.

“The motion before us is to authorize and approve the filing for the declaration of taking for the Center Street sidewalk extension project; that also has the inclusion of two attached exhibits,” Amato said, referencing the motion and two-page plan showing the route.

Council voted to approve the authorization unanimously, with no further comments or discussion .Borough staff said afterward they have rough cost and timeline estimates for the second phase of the project from when the first phase was bid and completed, but had not yet updated those estimates pending acquisition of the property.

North Wales borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on March 11 at the borough municipal building, 300 School Street. For more information visit www.NorthWalesBorough.org.

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