A squabble over street-hugging sidewalks in front of Warren Road Elementary School has been settled.
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With less than two weeks before school starts, the Richmond County Board of Education agreed this week to drop its demand that the county redo the sidewalk at a cost of $174,000. Instead, Warren Road teachers will instruct children to avoid the sidewalks and walk a different route through the playground or around back.
Originally, board members were furious that county workers had placed sidewalks near the street without a 30-inch grass buffer. The buffer is commonly used to encourage people to stay on the sidewalk and away from the curb and traffic.
Public works officials saved money by not installing the buffer. Board member Helen Minchew said county workers did not want to cut down six trees and remove a fence.
School officials were later told that it is legal not to have the buffer, but Mrs. Minchew said an elementary school is the last place to leave it off.
"It defies good sense," she said. "I think it should have been done right to begin with. Yeah, they would have spent a little more money, but in the scheme of things, it was not all that more expensive."
After the school board became upset with the sidewalk's design, the county offered to install a chain-link fence or guardrail along the road. They also offered to take up the sidewalk. No one liked those ideas.
Last week, school and county officials met and agreed that the situation was not as bad as originally thought. The sidewalk is about 5 feet wide, larger than normal, leaving children more room to stay away from the road. And the sidewalk is near a deceleration lane used mostly by parents who are already looking out for children.
School officials will spend about $5,000 to add paths and steps down an embankment to allow pupils to walk through the playground and avoid the sidewalk.
They will also inform parents of alternative routes.
Interim City Administrator Fred Russell said the squabble proves the need for better communication between the school district and the county.
"We need to make sure we are on the same page and get our disagreements straight before we start pouring concrete," he said.
Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851 or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.
