Colleyville council confronts sidewalks again

Each of the four cases on Tuesday night had a different twist.

One man put $1,600 into escrow, but said now it is physically impossible to put a sidewalk on the property. He wanted a refund, but was denied after a motion to grant it died.

Another resident Chris Putnam, showed a video with music in which he filmed a dozen or so "sidewalks to nowhere" and asked for a refund of his $6,200 in escrow. Putnam told the council he didn't want or need the sidewalk, which wouldn't connect to anything.

Additionally, Putnam protested having to pay for sidewalks when the residents across the street didn't have to.

A lawyer representing another resident with property on Pleasant Run Road said his client didn't want to build a sidewalk now because the road is scheduled to be widened. After considerable discussion and motions made and withdrawn, he was told his client would have to put money into escrow.

The fourth applicant, builder Sam Noel suggested that the council go back and review what they had done thus far, adding, "Y'all don't even know what you're doing."

He said he wasn't told about the sidewalk requirement until the home was almost finished. The property owner said he had a problem with not being told about the requirement up-front.

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Taylor agreed with Noel at one point, saying, "We look like a bunch of idiots tonight. What we have is a heck of a bad communications problem."

City Manager Jennifer Fadden told Taylor the staff has recently changed its procedures so that the requirement is clearer. Ron Ruthven, city director of community development, said Colleyville has actually always required sidewalks to be built, but that enforcement has been more consistent since the ordinance was passed.

After the vote, which took place after midnight, Taylor said he wants the council to revisit the sidewalk map to correct any inequities.