Now is Not the Time to Mandate Sidewalks

OPINION — The City of San Angelo staff has pressed the issue of sidewalks for about half of 2021. The idea, generally, is to require sidewalks on most new construction developments, such as in the newer areas of Bentwood now being developed. Yet, this is not the time for local government to mandate seemingly frivolous “nice to have” features on our homebuilders who will be forced to pass the cost to new home buyers.

The Home Builders Association quickly came out against a new sidewalk ordinance because sidewalks add about $5,000 to the cost of a new home. With markup, a new home customer faces a $5,000 to $10,000 extra expense, enough to deny some potential homebuyers their mortgage approval.

The sidewalk mandate is a self-inflicted wound by our local government that is not welcome right now. Supply chain and labor shortages have driven new construction north of $200 per square foot in many new developments. In the near term horizon, the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates, pushing more San Angeloans away from the dream of home ownership.

At the City of San Angelo, Director of Planning Jon James believes sidewalks serve a purpose. He notes that in established areas that are located generally closer to the city center, sidewalks are popular. He noted that in surveys, he learned that 10-35 percent of children walk to school. Legacy San Angelo neighborhoods are built around elementary schools.

“I hear from people all the time and they tell us they like to walk in their neighborhood,” James said.

Ryan Newlin who is a broker and homebuilder said this may be true in older areas but most of the new developments may have sidewalks required and those sidewalks will not connect to anything.

“They are on the edge of town. The only benefit they provide is to allow residents in far flung areas to walk around just in their own neighborhood. Those sidewalks don’t connect to anything. I’d argue the streets are wide enough for the role sidewalks traditionally provide,” he said.

City Manager Daniel Valenzuela said the current sidewalk ordinance is not clear enough. It leaves too much wiggle room, where requiring or not requiring sidewalks is open to interpretation. That has usually pitted the city staff against the land developer. Valenzuela wanted an open debate to settle the sidewalks issue once and for all.

The Home Builders Association of San Angelo has almost killed the most onerous portions of the sidewalk ordinance change. Monday morning, James asked for input on how to move forward with the ordinance, as the Planning Commission has tabled the discussion until January 24.

The HBA seems happy with the proposed changes that eliminate the need to build sidewalks everywhere.

“There is general agreement that sidewalks should be required in new development along major streets, in commercial and multi-family housing areas, and areas near shopping, parks, schools, and churches, but the primary issue of contention is whether sidewalks should be required in new single-family home developments,” James said.

Inside new single-family home developments the consensus seems to be that sidewalks would be required on “major collector” streets. That is, sidewalks would be required on Southland Blvd, but not on Timber Ridge Dr., for example, if the Southland area was a new development.

We should push back more. The City should eliminate the sidewalk ordinance altogether for new residential construction, whether it is infield or a new development. A drive down S. Jackson St. should convince you. In this neighborhood built in the late 1950s with sidewalks, this is what is left of them: