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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1970 Walks, Buried Utilities Written into CS ProposalTHE DAILY EAGLE Sunday, February 1, 1970 -- SECTION A Page 10 Bryan - College Station, Texar Eagle Editorials Children Worth Sidewalk Costs The College Station Planning and Zon- Ing Commission was well advised in- writing into the proposed new subdi- vision ordinance added requirements for sidewalk construction. The commission has voted to recom- mend to the city council requiring side- walks on all but "residential" streets, those with cul -de -sacs. Spectators at the commission meet- ing when the subject came up comment^ ed on community desire for sidewalks. It was pointed out that parents want sidewalks so their children will have a safe place to skate and ride tricycles and people who don't have children want sidewalks so the children will stay off their lawns. Requiring more sidewalks is the trend around the county; and we believe the idea is worthwhile. Agreed, it will push up the price of new homes, but new home prices have been increasing so fast that only affluent families can buy them anyway. Besides, the sidewalks are cheap when measured beside the lives of chil- dren. Youngsters need room to romp and roam and cycle and they are going to do these things whether there is a safe play area available or not. Unfortunately, the high demand for homes causes most modern subdivisions to fill up with houses in very short order. Then there are not even any vacant lots left for the children to play on. That pushes the children into the street and makes conscientious motorists and parents nervous. The proposed sidewalk requirement Is going to be discussed again at the planning and zoning commission meeting Monday night, by the developers. They will probably fuss about the pro- posal and you can't blame them. It would mean their costs of doing business would go up and their houses would be 'ghn in nrir �• �' 15 Written Into CS Proposal Walks, Buried Utilities By FRANK GRIFFIS .Eagle Staff Writer The College Station Planning a n d Zoning Commission amended the preliminary draft of the proposed new subdivision ordinance Monday evening to require sidewalks on all but residential streets and un- derground utilities in new subdivisions. Residential streets were defined as those with cul -de- sacs and serving not more than 24 persons. The change included all major streets and collector streets. Some spectators said they talked with a few College Station residents about the need for sidewalks and their opinions were that sidewalks were of extreme importance. "The people I talked with who had children of their own said they wanted sidewalks so Their children would have a place to ride the tricycles and to wear their roller skates. The ones who did not have children said they wanted sidewalks so that the children would keep off of their lawns, Mrs. Mary Bryan said. "I feel the street regulation "I'll volunteer to drive the members of the commission down Glade Street tomorrow and we'll try to dodge the kids," C. W. Alworth of 1704 A Lawyer said. "I feel the same you do about the problem, but as a com- mission we have to think of how much money the city has," Codie Wells, acting chairman of the commission, said. The utilities amendment states that all electrical lines and communication lines will be installed underground, and that the subdividers will excavate the ditch, furnish and install the conduit, and backfill the ditch. The amendment requires the city to complete the installation and furnish the transformers. Also included in the amendment is the requirement that colored vinyl tape at least one foot wide be laid in the ditch to warn of high power lines underneah. Commissioner Jim Gardner said he felt street regulation standards for College Station are sub - standard and below what the city needs. o r d i n a n c e needs revision," Gardner said. "The Brazos Area Plan's recommendations are higher than the present College Station standards. It surprises me that we would lower the standards from what they were 10 years ago," Gardner said. He cited as an example Me problem involving parking lanes .on Texas Avenue and the need for e m e r g e n c y parking facilities. "There is also no place for buses to stop. Left turn lanes would be another good idea," Gardner said. "I would like to see a revision made, but I don't know if it is possible." "I don't think it would be too difficult to increase the right -of- ways," commissioner R. R. Rhodes said. Rhodes added that automobiles are becoming wider and that they are approaching the maximum allowed by state law of 96 inches. "I think we should take this up as a special chore because the work would be extensive. It will involve a complete rewriting of the street ordinance section of this ordinance," Wells said. "We've come so far in the last few years; it would be very expensive," Don Dillon, city attorney, said. "Also there is no industry to tax in College Station and the money would have to come from the citizens. Just ±hink, we need to have .lust blacktop road with no curbs," Dillon added. Wells told the commission that city is participating in a See SUBDIVISION, Page 3