Sandy Springs Suspends Sidewalk Construction Policy

Sign up for the Sandy Springs Patch newsletter!

---

The Sandy Springs City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to hold off on enforcing its sidewalk construction policy.

The resolution passed by the City Council suspends the requirement for sidewalk construction for new single-family homes in all locations while the city takes a deeper look at the policy and consider possible changes.

In particular, the city is conducting a study of impact fees -- possibly using those fees to deal with funding new sidewalks, Assistant City Manager Jim Tolbert said.

Adopted in October, the policy requires the addition of new sidewalk as part of construction projects, including single-family residences.

See also:

• Sandy Springs Looks to Revise Sidewalk Policy
• City Exempts New Homes From Sidewalk Policy

Since its adoption, Sandy Springs has received a number of requests to waive the policy. In presenting the item for consideration by the City Council, staff members noted discrepancies among residents in the interpretation of the policy’s intent.

The code related to the sidewalk policy was amended this past summer to further clarify the requirements and provide for new single-family sidewalk construction only for homes constructed on streets that have sidewalks identified in the Sidewalk Master Plan.

Despite the change, residents continued to seek a waiver, however. One primary objection is the cost related for construction of the sidewalk, especially when the sidewalk segment does not link to another segment.

The current policy also requires the dedication of right-of-way from the centerline according to set standards when a single-family home permit is requested for a lot on the Sidewalk Master Plan. That requirement will remain in effect, even without the requirement to build the sidewalk at this time, preventing a need to secure right-of-way for future sidewalk installation.

---

Image via Shutterstock