Sidewalks

Washington County has been awarded a grant to add sidewalks in the area of Lincolnshire Elementary School, county Public Works Director Joseph Kroboth III said. The roughly $600,000 grant comes from the national Safe Routes to School program, said Kroboth, calling the improvements a "significant safety enhancement for the children who walk to school. " Sidewalks will run from U.S. 11 along Lincoln Avenue and Lincolnshire Road, and also along Oak Ridge Drive from Virginia Avenue to a back path leading to the school, he said.

Workers replacing sidewalks along Potomac Street in Hagerstown shattered a window Tuesday morning in the Elizabeth Hager Center, officials said. City Engineer Rodney Tissue said workers from Concrete Central of Hagerstown were excavating sidewalks on the east side of the street when the machinery they were using broke the glass. As part of a Maryland Heritage Area Grant, the city is replacing its concrete sidewalks on North Potomac Street, from the square to Franklin Street, with brick.

Sharpsburg wants sidewalks maintained SHARPSBURG - Sharpsburg Town Council members want to remind property owners that they're responsible for maintaining the brick sidewalks in front of their property. The Council received a complaint during Monday night's meeting concerning brick sidewalks overgrown with grass and moss, making the sidewalk slippery.

The Maryland State Highway Administration hosted a meeting to get feedback from Chewsville residents on a proposed paving and sidewalk improvement project Thursday, but some people suggested that the SHA first fix the town's drainage problem. The meeting was prompted by the SHA's plan to pave Twin Springs Drive, Md. 804B/Md. 62, and Track Side Road, in addition to making sidewalks along Twin Springs Drive comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards.

Damage from street tree roots has prompted the city of Hagerstown to repair uneven sidewalks on South Prospect Street next calendar year, including those considered to be property owners' responsibility. City staff got the nod Tuesday from the city council to bid for replacing all of the uneven and damaged sidewalks on South Prospect Street. To maintain uniformity in the historic neighborhood - which has its own standards in the city code regarding curbs and sidewalks - the city plans to bid and complete all of the repair work and set up some mechanism for property owners to repay the city for their portions of the project, City Engineer Rodney Tissue said.

City to send sidewalk and curb notices The Hagerstown City Council voted Tuesday to distribute notices to property owners about needed repairs to sidewalks and curbs. The vote was unanimous, even though Councilman William M. Breichner has in the past voted against sending the notices because the city does not enforce city laws that call for all property owners to have sidewalks and curbs. He has said he cannot support requiring some property owners to make repairs while others don't have to install sidewalks and curbs.

SHARPSBURG - In 20 days, bicyclists will no longer be able to ride their bikes on Sharpsburg's public sidewalks. Sharpsburg Town Council members voted 5-0 on Monday night to ban bikes, in-line skates, skateboards and other play vehicles from all town sidewalks. The new law will allow police, at their discretion, to confiscate bikes of violators. Confiscated bikes would be kept at the town garage and it would cost $15 to retrieve them. Town officials raised the possibility of banning bikes from all sidewalks last month after receiving complaints about reckless bicyclists and youths playing chicken with motor vehicles by jumping in and out of the street on their bikes.

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - The Borough of Greencastle may or may not require all, most or a select few property owners to repair or install sidewalks along their property, according to borough code. However, for some borough officials, the word "may" in its ordinance just might be too flexible and not entirely fair when it comes to enforcing such a sensitive issue. The Greencastle Borough Council has never officially established a hard line for maintaining and expanding pedestrian infrastructure, but a few members of the council are hoping to solve that problem in the new year.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Washington Township Supervisor Christopher Firme almost got his way Monday night when he asked fellow supervisors to support his insistence that a developer build sidewalks in a 228-unit housing development behind Wayne Heights Mall. Firme, who previously has raised the issue of forcing developers to build sidewalks, ended up with a compromise for the Antietam Commons to be built off North Welty Road. The developer, WAM Enterprises of Lemoyne, Pa., agreed to build a sidewalk along the east side of North Welty Road to give residents in the development access to the shopping center.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Rather than requiring sidewalks to be constructed everywhere in the borough at once, a committee studying the issue is leaning toward directing sidewalks in new developments and connecting already existing stretches. The sidewalk policy will be the topic of a Chambersburg Borough Council public workshop next week. The Curb and Sidewalk Advisory Committee has been meeting for the last 18 months examining options that are feasible and equitable for borough property owners, said Mayor Tom Newcomer.

The Maryland State Highway Administration hosted a meeting to get feedback from Chewsville residents on a proposed paving and sidewalk improvement project Thursday, but some people suggested that the SHA first fix the town's drainage problem. The meeting was prompted by the SHA's plan to pave Twin Springs Drive, Md. 804B/Md. 62, and Track Side Road, in addition to making sidewalks along Twin Springs Drive comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards.

Borough of Waynesboro property owners who fail to clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of a storm ending are facing increased fees. Fines were $10. Now, under a borough council vote Wednesday, property owners could be issued either a $75 ticket or a $100 citation, the latter of which carries state-related fees on top of the $100. The borough council directed an ordinance to be written for adoption later. Council members indicated they want tickets to be the primary method of enforcement.

Changing regulations about shoveling and sledding in the Borough of Waynesboro likely will not go into effect this winter. The Waynesboro Borough Council on Wednesday tabled its decisions about sledding at Memorial Park and fines for sidewalks that are not shoveled after snowstorms. On Jan. 2, the council enacted a temporary ban on sledding at Memorial Park because a new fence there was creating a hazard. Borough officials said they wanted to protect sledders and their investment in the new fence.

New regulations adopted Wednesday by the Waynesboro Borough Council are designed to make it easier to open sidewalk cafes in town. The council voted 5-0 to adopt new outdoor dining provisions as part of the zoning ordinance. The revisions will allow tables and chairs within the public right of way. Those items are required to “remain movable.” The ordinance would affect the “downtown business district” zone centered on Main Street, making outdoor dining areas a conditional use that will have to go before the council members for their review before approval.

The remnants of what once was Hurricane Sandy were a weakening presence in the Hagerstown area by Tuesday, but the lingering effects of the storm could be seen in downtown Hagerstown, where closed storefronts and empty parking spaces were common sights.  It didn't help that a light steady rain fell nearly all day while temperatures hovered in the low 40s. With many offices in the area closed, popular lunch spots such as the Brickyard Grill on...

Proposed changes to Borough of Waynesboro regulations could make it easier to open sidewalk cafes in town. The Waynesboro Borough Council is considering adopting an ordinance that would allow tables and chairs within the public right of way. Those items would be required to “remain movable” if the ordinance passes as proposed. The council is soliciting feedback on the ordinance and might vote on it in late November, Borough Manager Lloyd Hamberger said Wednesday. “That's exactly what I thought we should have,” Councilman Mike Cermak said of the latest draft.

A sidewalk chalk art competition to be held in downtown Martinsburg by an Internet television station was unanimously approved by Martinsburg City Council Thursday. The Aug. 25 event was proposed by Dan Mace of Mace Television Network, who told council members prizes would be awarded to winners of adult and children divisions. The chalk-only event, to be held from 1 to 3 p.m., will be filmed for a new segment on the network's “Talk of the Town” online video magazine and winners will invited to appear on the show, according to Mace.

It's big of the City of Hagerstown to, if all goes as planned, offer loans to citizens to help them pay for sidewalk repairs that the city itself is demanding they perform. At least the city seemed to think so. We concede that the public officials' hearts might be in the right place, but we would urge them to take a longer view of the issue. Low-interest loans (if 5 percent can be called low these days) might be a slightly more humane way of telling a homeowner he or she is liable for an unplanned expense that can run into the thousands of dollars.

Editor's note: Each Monday, The Herald-Mail will highlight an infrastructure issue or other problem and will try to find out what is being done to fix or improve the situation. We will not tackle situations involving neighborhood or domestic disputes, or consumer problems. The problem: A crosswalk across West Main Street (Md. 144) in Hancock, about 500 feet east of the entrances to the Hancock schools, ends at a steep hill, with no sidewalk or shoulder, on the north side of the street.

The right lane of northbound Edgewood Drive between Dual Highway and Mount Aetna Road is closed Monday as crews from Pessoa Construction are working on the sidewalks on that side of the street. According to a published report in October, sidewalk repair work and patching up driveways are minor tasks that need to be completed as a result of the expansion project at the intersection of Dual Highway and Edgewood Drive. The project is substantially complete, though, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration.