The Colleyville City Council listened to a staff proposal Tuesday to do away with a sidewalk map in use now and require either sidewalks to be built or money placed in escrow before a building permit can be issued for new residential construction.

Under the current policy, a sidewalk map drawn up by the city's Sidewalk Committee dictated what would happen. No sidewalk was required in some cases. In others a sidewalk was required. In others, homeowners could either put in a sidewalk or ask for an exception to put money in escrow instead.

The escrowed money would then be used in the same neighborhood as the property—to improve connectivity in the area—but not necessarily on the exact property in question. (The city divides Colleyville into six large neighborhoods for planning, water restrictions and other purposes.)

Homeowners and developers came to several city council meetings last year to complain about the policy, which sometimes required sidewalks in places where they were impossible or extremely difficult to build—for example, in one of Colleyville's many bar ditches.

In cases where owners tore down an older home and rebuilt, the required sidewalks sometimes end without connecting to anything.

While the new proposed policy won't necessarily stop that problem, the city staff will first decide whether an exception can be made and escrow paid. In case of a denial, the homeowner could then appeal to the City Council. The council could decide the question of escrow vs. sidewalk, but the policy contains no provision for a full waiver of both.

The proposed policy was reviewed at a council work session, and still needs to be brought before the council for official approval.