Concrete Strategy To Address Sidewalks Elusive for Wheeling City Council

WHEELING -- Members of Wheeling City Council have been pushing to upgrade deteriorated sidewalks in town, but the long journey down this bumpy path has consistently led to a dead end.

One tripping point in this effort has been the fact that the city code puts responsibility of sidewalk repairs on the abutting property owner. Some city leaders have expressed a desire to spend public funds to address hazardous sidewalks throughout the city, despite the red tape it would take to try to recoup costs from responsible property owners.

Over the past few years, conversations about sidewalk repairs have been brought forward by city officials, but the topic seems to make its way to the back burner soon afterward.

During the most recent meeting of Wheeling City Council, Ward 3 Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum went back down that path.

"I met with a resident who uses a mobility chair in the city of Wheeling, and she remarked that she believes that the city could do a better job at addressing ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance on our sidewalks," Ketchum said. "I know whenever a sidewalk is replaced, that is a serious concern that we take, but there are various sidewalks in the city that are older, perhaps, than ADA requirements have been."

Ketchum indicated that the city should explore options to address issues on properties adjacent to intersections where people in wheelchairs or electric mobility chairs have to navigate around curbing or sidewalk configurations that make crossing hazardous.

"I just want to encourage city staff to take a closer look at our ADA requirements, and if there are property owners who are not in compliance, that we're able to address that in a timely manner for those folks who use those mobility chairs and other forms of mobility," Ketchum said.

Wheeling Vice Mayor Chad Thalman has championed efforts to bring widespread sidewalk improvements to the city. However, progress has been slow on efforts that actually have been set in motion, and a more ambitious proposal -- a complete replacement of all hazardous sidewalks in the city -- was met with awkward silence during a Development Committee meeting a year ago.

"The status of the sidewalk improvement effort is frustratingly slow," Thalman said this week. "It's been over two years since city council asked for a plan to help property owners get their sidewalks in compliance. It's been roughly one year since the Development Committee passed a resolution asking for a plan. We have yet to be presented a plan."

In September 2021, the Development Committee approved the resolution instructing city staff to come up with a plan to present to council that is "attainable and fiscally responsible," but one that gets the job done. The language in the resolution put forth a pledge by the city to "make Wheeling a more walkable city by Dec. 31, 2023."

A private contractor also provided a lengthy presentation during a city council meeting last year, detailing its expertise in identifying and replacing damaged sidewalks throughout a city the size of Wheeling.

"A company called Precision Safe Sidewalks was hired to look at every slab of sidewalk in a few neighborhoods to help determine the condition of those sidewalks and to help the city get an understanding of how many slabs in the city need to be repaired or replaced," Thalman said. "My understanding is we should receive that report shortly."

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron this week said the report on sidewalks in certain areas of the city should be available for review this month.

"The sidewalk consultants that were retained earlier this spring/summer to conduct a thorough evaluation of three pilot areas is just about done," Herron said. "I expect the completed report within two weeks."

At the beginning of this year, city officials took a step toward fixing the sidewalk along Wheeling Hill adjacent to National Road from McColloch's Leap down to Fulton. The sidewalk has been in such disrepair in recent years that city leaders were forced to close it to pedestrian foot traffic.

In January, city council approved a contract in the amount of $9,200 for design and engineering services for sidewalk repairs to Wheeling Hill with Alpha & Associates. Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott -- who has also championed efforts to make the city more walkable -- noted that although this hillside property along National Road is owned by and would typically be maintained by the West Virginia Division of Highways because it is a state route, the city entered into an agreement with the state in the 1970s that transferred maintenance responsibilities for the sidewalk, curb and hillside fencing to the city.

One major sidewalk improvement project that has been put in motion -- through the ongoing partnership with the city -- is the state's long-awaited Downtown Streetscape Project. Earlier this month, the state awarded a contract for $31.9 million for the project, which will completely overhaul the streets and sidewalks in the downtown business district. New ADA compliant sidewalks, curbs and intersections are all part of the overall project, however, work is expected to take at least two years to complete from the time it begins.

In the meantime, Thalman indicated that he will continue to push for needed sidewalk repairs in other parts of the city, and it appears he is not the only city official who is backing the effort.

"Due to the poor condition of some of our sidewalks, I frequently see parents pushing strollers on the street or through the alleys instead of using the sidewalks," Thalman said. "I find this to be unacceptable. Our residents deserve better."