King City’s sidewalk improvement project is finally underway. The project is being funded from a $3.5 million Community Development Block Grant the City recently applied for and received. It is a great example of the City’s persistence and commitment to addressing needs in the community.
The City wasn’t successful until its fourth grant application after failing in the first three attempts. The City refused to give up because sidewalk repairs are greatly needed and the City does not have funding available within its budget.
The project will be instrumental in improving pedestrian accessibility and public safety throughout the community. It is part of several separate priority efforts, which include addressing deferred maintenance of the City’s aging infrastructure, transforming King City to a more pedestrian friendly and oriented community, addressing ADA deficiencies throughout the community, and reducing the City’s liability risks.
The City’s sidewalk system has deteriorated due to a lack of adequate funding over many years. A Citywide ADA Pedestrian Walkway Assessment Plan was prepared and approved in 2016, which was updated in 2019. The grant will fund the first phase of this plan.
The grant is focused primarily on the older residential areas in the city. Work began on King Street and will gradually move south. The project includes repairs of damaged segments of sidewalk, installation of accessibility ramps at intersections, and installation of new sidewalk in segments where sidewalks are missing.
The installation of new sidewalks will be limited primarily to streets with the most pedestrian traffic and where sidewalks currently exist on a majority of the street but have gaps that interrupt the path of travel.
Repairs will target locations with the most serious damage. When the project is complete, the City will follow-up with an additional contract to trim sidewalks where smaller trip and fall hazards exist to create a smooth surface.
An annual sidewalk improvement program will also be funded in the future to address areas that aren’t funded through the grant and to repair new damage that occurs.
Priority locations have been specified through the ADA Pedestrian Walkway Assessment Plan and included in the bid documents. However, some items will be modified as the project proceeds based upon priorities and available funding. Costs for each item will not be fully known until work begins and the amount of necessary tree modifications and curb and gutter work are determined.
Tree removals will be limited to only those where the tree cannot be saved or is deemed unstable after the necessary roots are pruned to replace the sidewalk. The City will also replace trees where they are currently missing if adjacent residents will agree to water the new trees for a period of time until they become established.
This is part of an overall effort to improve the City’s urban forest and streetscape over time. If a tree in front of your house has been removed in the past and not replaced, please contact the City at 831-385-3281 if you would be willing to water it for a period of two years so the City can enter it into its inventory for future planting.
The public is also encouraged to contact City Hall if you have any questions about the project or other City issues.
