BROOKINGS – The Brookings City Council approved a width of 8 feet for the shared-use bike/pedestrian path planned for the north side of Sixth Street but put off making decisions on other aspects, most notably snow removal.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation is in the final phase of designing how the new five-lane street from Main to Medary avenues will look and asked for the city’s input on the path width, giving a choice between 8 and 10 feet, said City Manager Jeff Weldon. Construction is set for 2019.

There was an added bonus, no matter how wide the path is.

“The DOT will pay for this project in its entirety,” Weldon announced.

“Did you get that in writing?” quipped Councilor Dan Hansen.

“Yes, we did,” Weldon confirmed.

The DOT had budgeted for 14-foot lanes for traffic, but since the lanes will not be that wide, the extra money can be put into construction of the path, he said.

The motion was to decide only on the width of the path, but the council had a lot of other things to consider, Weldon said, including snow storage, green space and other aspects.

He explained that even if the council decided on a 10-foot path, there is no need to acquire more property from homeowners.

Sharon Webster said she and husband Skip own property on Sixth Street.

“Who will clean snow out and who will pay for it?” she asked.

According to the city’s policy, the property owners would be responsible, and the city does realize it’s more than a 5-foot sidewalk, Weldon said.

Councilor Nick Wendell said he’s seen other cities take responsibility for cleaning shared paths like this, and why can’t Brookings?

Property owners by ordinance are required to clear sidewalks, Weldon said, adding this is a “precedent-setting” situation, because he didn’t know how many of these types of paths would be constructed in residential and business areas in the future.

“We can have the city crews take care of it, but it will have an impact on the operating budget,” Weldon pointed out.

It wouldn’t be fair to require to the property owners on the south side of Sixth Street to move the snow on their sidewalks and then have to watch the city crews clear the north side, he added.

Mayor-elect Keith Corbett said the only thing that needed to be decided that night was whether the path would be 8 or 10 feet; the rest could be decided in the future since the work won’t even start for two years. It was suggested property owners be allowed to shovel a 5-foot swath in the winter, so it’s the same amount of work as the sidewalks.

Councilor Patty Bacon pointed out a lot of people still bike in the winter and it would be wrong to narrow the path down from what they were accustomed to using, and it would be hard on the property owners.

Councilor Ope Niemeyer said other areas have problems with snow removal when the sidewalks are close to or on the streets, like 22nd Avenue, and they have to shovel the snow onto their lawns instead of the boulevard because there isn’t one.

Resident Joann Perso said the council should decide between 8 feet and 10 feet and leave it at that for now because they should think about the rest.

She said the city was adding to the homeowners’ snow removal work, so it couldn’t be compared to what the south side has to do, adding there isn’t anywhere to go with the snow.

Perso brought up the controversy surrounding the snow removal in the downtown area, calling it a “fiasco” and saying that was yet to be resolved.

Councilor Mary Kidwiler wanted measurements on Sixth’s boulevard.

The DOT centered Sixth Street in the right of way, City Engineer Jackie Lanning said. The street does narrow toward the east end and the path will pretty much be on the curb when it hits Medary Avenue.

“Those homeowners or business people will have no place to put their snow,” Kidwiler said.

Lanning said the path will follow the current line of the sidewalk, so it will not encroach on the buildings.

Niemeyer pointed out the map shows a 10-foot path, so how will it be situated for an 8-foot path?

The north edge of the path will stay the same, Lanning said, so there would be a little more room between the path and street.

The council approved the motion for an 8-foot wide path unanimously.

The deadline for applying for the council seat left open by Corbett’s being elected mayor is noon Friday. The council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, to interview candidates.

Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.