District one of the program estimated to be completed by July or August

By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
LAKE ORION — The Lake Orion Village Council held a public hearing on its proposed sidewalk improvement program during the council’s regular meeting on Feb. 10.
And while village residents will be getting new sidewalks where they are needed, residents will also be billed for those improvements, or will have to pay for repairs directly.
By the end of the public hearing, the council voted unanimously to direct the Village Manager Darwin McClary to file an estimate in writing with the village clerk showing the number of square feet of sidewalk required to be built, or rebuilt, adjacent to each lot or parcel of land.
The 2025 program involves replacing several deteriorated sidewalks in the first of three specified districts.
Two weeks earlier, council adopted a sidewalk improvement program policy, and authorized village administration to begin preparation work on the fiscal year 2025-26 improvement project and special assessment processes as outlined in a project schedule. The policy established rules, regulations, procedures and specifications for construction, repair and replacement of public sidewalks within the village and the allocation of the costs of these improvements.
The village is responsible for cost of replacing or installing handicap ramps at street intersections and of initial installation of new sidewalk where it never previously existed for the purpose of connecting sidewalk segments to improve community walkability and to enhance pedestrian safety, according to village documents.
“Village Charter and the Village’s Code of Ordinances make property owners responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, repair, and replacement of defective sidewalks abutting their properties and for keeping snow and ice cleared from the walkways,” McClary said.
For sidewalks that need to be replaced in front of residents’ homes or businesses downtown, there will be payment options. People can let the village identify the improvements, set up the work with a contractor and have the repairs made. Residents then have the option of paying the village the full amount directly, or overtime by having it put on their tax bills, said Council Member Michael Lamb.
Residents can also opt out of the village program and have sidewalk repairs done themselves, but they will have to pull permits and have an inspection done on the work, Lamb said.
Resident Rosemary Ford said she is in favor of the program, adding the village’s sidewalks will be much safer and more walkable once the work is complete.
Another resident, Donald Kindred, also said it is a good idea to fix sidewalks in need of repairs as soon as possible. Kindred said that health complications make it difficult to walk on the village’s sidewalks, adding tripping could put him in the hospital.
“I think once this falls into place, our sidewalks start getting repaired, I’ll feel safer walking on the sidewalks than I do now,” Kindred said. “I think that the citizens in the village and the area deserve to be able to walk down their side walks and not have to worry about tripping and falling.”
Lake Orion United Methodist Church Trustee Chair Brad Smiles said he is not against the program, but said he had questions surrounding the program’s timing and when the work would be completed.
“We of course have a budget as well, at our church, and need to make sure we abide by that,” he said.
According to a village schedule, an estimate will be submitted to the village clerk showing the number of square feet of sidewalk required to be built or rebuilt adjacent to each lot or parcel of land in February.
In March, administration will submit bid results to council with costs estimates, with council conducting a public hearing, and adopting a resolution determining whether to proceed with the project in April.
Once the bids come back, Village Council President Teresa Rutt said it would be determined how much property owners would be charged if they chose to participate in the program.
“We assume that it will be cheaper participating with the village’s program,” Rutt said. “After that it would be presented to council.”
Rutt said if affected property owners have questions as to whether they are responsible for the repairs due to underling conditions or contractor damage, they will be able to contact the village to investigate the conditions.
Council will also award the contract for sidewalk improvements in April. District one improvements are expected to be completed in July or August.
The districts will be completed annually on a rotating basis so that one district is inspected and improved each year, according to village documents.
McClary said property owners will be notified of deadlines in case they want to complete improvements themselves.
District one includes sidewalks on Church Street between Broadway and Lapeer Street on the south side of the road, to sidewalks on Hauxwell Street from Flint Street on both sides of the road all the way north, to sidewalks on North Slater Street from Jackson Street to Church Street on the east side of the road, to sidewalks on Washington Street from Shadbolt Street to Jackson Street on the east side of the road, and to sidewalks on Florence Street from Flint Street north into Blanche Sims Elementary School.