OREGON, OH (Toledo News Now) - Oregon city council voted to order in sidewalks for about a mile of Navarre Ave. The sidewalks will cover Navarre Ave. from Coy to Lallendorf.
Protestors took to Navarre Ave. about a year ago demanding sidewalks. Anna Shank and several of her friends use wheelchairs to get around. Parts of Navarre Ave. are paved and other parts are not.
"We've been trying to get people to pay attention for six to seven years now," said Anna Shank.
"We noticed a lot of pedestrians either walking in the grass or walking along the road edge or some people were in wheelchairs, so it's a major safety concern" said Paul Roman, Oregon County Public Service Director.
Shank said she took her wheelchair onto the major street once and will never do it again.
"It was scary. I literally felt people brushing by my ear. It was very scary," said Shank.
Oregon City Council recently decided it was time to install sidewalks but the major issue to get this project started is money. The cost will be split up between the city and the property owners along Navarre Ave.
The city will pay about $30,000 of it for drainage and site grading. Property owners will pay for the rest for an estimated total cost of $112,000. Property owners have the choice to get the work done themselves or have the city to do it and get assessed.
"Most of those properties have developed. There are some that aren't, but for the most part they felt it was more proper to go the full mile," said Roman.
Preparations for the sidewalks will get started this fall and sidewalks should be complete by the end of 2013. Shank says she is happy she contributed.
"We didn't do much. We did a few demonstrations, but it got their attention so I guess that's what we needed to do," said Shank.
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