MINOT – Improvements to sidewalks near busy places in Minot may be in order.
The Minot city council voted Monday to move forward with planning on the possible installation of a crosswalk and improvement of the sidewalk along the south part of 21st Avenue Northwest between Ninth Street Northwest and Lakeside Drive, near the Optimist Soccer Complex.
This is an area where the city says it has received complaints about difficulty in parking, especially during soccer games.
“The motion is to direct the city engineer to move forward on planning this project and return to council with a plan of action including any cost sharing partners in early 2023,” Alderwoman Carrie Evans read at the meeting. “At that time council will provide additional direction for the project.”
Evans said the reasoning behind the language of the motion is it would allow city staff to consider future variations and factors and come up with a more detailed plan.
“We can decide with further direction,” said Evans. “Putting it in the CIP, funding it all in one swoop. But we just don’t know really all of the information right now.”
“We can have those conversations with our other funding partners,” said Lance Meyer, city engineer. “We can develop this a little further.”
Meyer said there are not enough resources to start the project in 2023.
“Our workload is kind of set for next year,” said Meyer. “In ‘24, I think we may be able to do that if we start the design early enough, otherwise we may have to consult it out.”
Meyer said this sidewalk project is simpler than others because the city is not looking for federal funds at this time.
The motion passed unanimously.
