Understanding the Sidewalk Improvement Program in Royal Oak

The City of Royal Oak 2013 Sidewalk Improvement Program is scheduled to begin construction in April. This year’s target area is bounded by North Main Street, East Farnum Avenue, Stephenson Highway, I-696, Longfellow, South Alexander, and East 11 Mile Road.

Providing and maintaining continuous sidewalks that link neighborhoods, schools and community facilities is a primary goal of the city’s Master Plan and the Royal Oak Non-Motorized Transportation Plan recommendations, according to Interim City Engineer Matt Callahan.

Key elements of the Sidewalk Improvement Program are the maintenance of existing sidewalks and the installation of new sidewalks where they do not exist.

“The program also helps reduce the number of slip and fall claims against the city,” Callahan said.

In May of 2011, when the Engineering Department first went to the City Commission asking for approval to implement a six-year citywide sidewalk improvement program, the City Engineer provided a table showing sidewalk claims and legal expenses paid dating back to 1987. The table shows the city made the largest payout in 2007, when it settled  $384,000 in claims and more than $223,000 in legal costs.

Sidewalk Inspection Criteria

Representatives from the Engineering Department have already inspected the 2013 target area last summer and marked sidewalks for replacement using the following criteria:

• differential sidewalk elevation is greater than half-inch
• sidewalk is cracked
• more than 25 percent of the sidewalk has spalling or flaking, is pitted or popped
• sidewalk shows signs of ponding water
• sidewalk has excessive sloping, more than 1-inch per foot
• sidewalk does not comply with 5-foot wide city standard

In addition to replacing deficient sidewalks, part of the sidewalk replacement plan is to install new sidewalk adjacent to properties that do not have 5-foot wide concrete sidewalks.

The Engineering Department does not flag sidewalks for cosmetic reasons, only for potential safety problems. “A broken sidewalk doesn’t heal itself,” Callahan said. “It only gets worse.”

Appeals Process

For property owners who do not have sidewalks and wish to appeal the installation of new sidewalks, there is a form available at the City Clerk’s office in City Hall and on the City website. Property owners may also write a letter to the city clerk in lieu of filling out a form. The City Commission will make the determination of whether any appeal is granted from installing sidewalks where they currently do not exist.

As the City Commission has also authorized the City Engineer to address requests for altering or eliminating repair and replacement work on existing sidewalks that meet the criteria for being deficient in some manner. For residents or businesses with concerns regarding existing sidewalk adjacent to their property that have been marked for replacement, call the Engineering Department at 248-246-3260 to schedule an appointment when a representative will meet at the property to discuss individual situations.

Billing Process

Property owners in the target area have already been issued individual estimates of the work based on the surveys done in 2012. The proposed work is subject to review and alteration during the course of construction and any billing adjustments will take place after the construction has been completed.

Owners are billed for the affected sidewalks adjacent to their property at $88 per regular 4” thick, 5’ by 5’ flag/square. Because this is a special assessment project, property owners have 60 days to pay the bill after the assessment roll has been approved (Currently scheduled for March 18) to avoid paying the interest associated with the six-year assessment repayment schedule.

Otherwise, property owners have six years to pay for the improvements as an annual assessment with interest. It is expected that the interest rate obtained for the Special Assessment bond will be less than 6 percent.

No-interest loans are available for property owners that can meet low income requirements. Contact the Housing Department at 248-246-3130 for more information.