Kwik Trip agrees to pay half the cost of crossing; property owners will help foot the bill for sidewalks
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
As the City of Burlington Common Council held public hearings March 19 to finalize plans to use special assessments to cover the costs of new sidewalks on South Pine near the new Kwik Trip, the scope of the improvements in that area is becoming known.
In addition to new sidewalks being constructed on the west side of South Pine Street from Dunford Drive to a point about 150 feet south of the south right of way line of Hidden Creek Lane, the city is adding a crosswalk at the intersection of Hidden Creek Lane and South Pine – so foot traffic can safely cross the road to Kwik Trip.
Joseph Hauswirth, 77, died Jan. 13 when an Illinois driver on South Pine struck him as he crossed the street near Kwik Trip. City Police Chief Peter Nimmer said there were extenuating circumstances involving both the driver of the car and Hauswirth that led to the collision.
Since then, the city has already lowered the speed limits in that area to try and improve safety. There were numerous cries to install a crosswalk as well, and the City Council approved that process back in February.
On March 19, City Administrator Kevin Lahner said Kwik Trip has agreed to foot half the cost of the crosswalk, but will not pay toward the new sidewalks.
The estimated cost for installing the new sidewalks is $71,890 – none of which was planned for in the 2013 City budget. Most of the cost, $45,334, is being assessed to property owners, and the city is responsible for $26,556.
The council unanimously approved the assessment, though there was discussion about that cost being high by one resident, and another questioning the portion he was being assessed by the city, saying the city was assigning him too much property and that his property map differed from theirs.
Mayor Bob Miller asked Director of Public Works Craig Workman and DPW Supervisor Dan Jensen to work with the man to resolve the property issue, and Jensen reassured the other resident that the costs were just an estimate at this point – and residents would be billed from the final cost, not the estimate.
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