Why We Still Don’t Have Sidewalks

I’m continuing to reach out to people in our community looking for answers to our sidewalk issue, or lack thereof. The most consistent answer I’ve come across so far is, the people in our Fair Oaks area love their trees. Many trees reside where sidewalks would be built and several residents here would rather their trees stay in place than have safe walking areas for the neighborhood. The city has strong-armed people in the past to get rid of trees in order to instal pipelines or sidewalks. Some people lost income from the decimation of their food bearing trees making them furious and very resistant to further change. Many people want the city to pay a sizable amount for their trees to be removed as compensation. But, the construction of sidewalks and the removal of trees is a small fortune in of itself.

The city is requiring all new developments to build sidewalks and bike lanes, but our older communities are being left in the dust.

I’m still hopeful we can create a trail-like walking area next to the road that can curve around trees more easily, and keep Fair Oaks’ sub-rural feel… but even that requires space, not all properties have to give away.

Something to keep in mind if you’re a homeowner, who might want to sell in the future, “In U.S. cities, homes safely walkable to schools, shopping, parks and other urban amenities sell for an average of 23.5%, more than comparable properties that are car dependent.”

I personally don’t want to sell my home but I would like my kids to be able to walk safely to friends’ homes or school, and everyone to safely walk their pets well into senior ages.