Coming up on Wednesday, the Summit County Council will again consider approval for the Kimball Junction Master Plan.
That comes after a public hearing last week, where citizens urged the council to keep working to make the junction a more walkable area.
The council heard from half-a-dozen locals who related anecdotes about what they see as residents or visitors to Kimball Junction.
Bob Berube said he’s a Foxpoint resident and intends to be there for the rest of his days. He noted that he was one of those who submitted photos to county planners, showing the obstacles on sidewalks around the Kimball area.
“Sidewalks are used for snow storage areas. Dumpsters are not set back as they should, so the doors block the sidewalk. It creates a hazard, because you're forced to walk in the street. Which become narrower and narrower as the snow falls and the snowbanks get higher. You’re facing cars with people not paying any attention to pedestrians. There are a lot of areas in Redstone that could be improved fairly easily without a great deal of expense. It really is up to the County to force the developer and the owners of those properties to maintain their sidewalks.”
Kathy Sonzini said she doesn't live at the junction but drives through it. She recalled a scene from last summer that made her cringe.
"I saw a very nicely dressed couple, a little senior to me, on their ebikes. Making their way around one of the roundabouts in the Kimball Junction area. I mean I just stopped breathing. It just made me so scared for them. I was just like this isn't good. I would not want to be on my bike right there right now.”
Ehlias Louis, a lifelong Part City resident now residing in ParkWest Village, said it can be a hazard to give across Highway 224 to the west side of the junction.
“I just got finished building a building over in Newpark and occasionally I would have to hit all the coffee shops. I would get to Hugos and walking as a pedestrian if you don't use that tunnel and you use the actual crosswalk—"
“Oh, it's deadly.”
“It is. I mean I feel like I'm pretty brave. I was a downhill ski racer but that—you take a breath, you’re like okay wait a second. I'm not sure if that’s Summit County or UDOT either but you know that is an interesting area. It does not invite you to walk over.”
Finally, Chuck Randall also a Foxpoint resident who likes living there, recalled when his father visited and attempted to take an early morning walk around Newpark.
“We all woke up and he comes back from his walk and he says Chuck I couldn't find the grocery store. I live in Foxpoint. I live a block and a half from the grocery store. I walked and took a right where the sidewalk took a right and all the sudden, I saw the grocery store over there, but I couldn't figure out how to get there. That got me to thinking how I walk to the grocery store. That's that I walked to the end of the sidewalk and then I walk off the curb, the non-ADA curb, and I walk through the Home Goods parking lot. Then I climb over the berm at the end of the Home Goods parking lot. I jaywalk across Newpark Blvd. That's fine I'm an able-bodied guy. I could potentially live at Foxpoint for a long time, and not be spry enough to climb over berms and snowbanks to get to the grocery store. I would still like to walk there.”
That prompted a joking admission from council chairman Roger Armstrong.
“So, what you just described was actually the intentional plan of the original Kimball Junction neighborhood. As designed by Timothy Leery on acid.”
The Kimball Junction Master Plan is on Council’s agenda this Wednesday, 6:30, at the Richins Services Building.
