SAVANNAH -- Remember sidewalks? Those strips of pavement in front of most
homes?
They're out of style in many areas; porch-to-curb lawns are the vogue.
But people are rediscovering sidewalks are more than just concrete pathways:
they link neighborhoods. It's that connection people increasingly want to
recover -- a sense of community.
"One thing we're learning in the new millennium is how much we need other
people," said Rabbi Robert L. Wolkoff of Agudath Achim synagogue. "You don't
connect to people who drive cars. Sidewalks say it's a people-place."
The Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission is spearheading
a drive to bring sidewalks back. The Planning Commission already has approved a
plan to do so; city and county officials still have to approve the measure,
which requires sidewalks to be built in new subdivisions.
But some developers are resisting. A few say the demand for the walkways
simply isn't there; others say local government has done little to connect the
floating sidewalks -- those that begin or end abruptly -- already in existing
neighborhoods in Savannah.
One tenet of Judaism is the element of community, the belief that the best
experiences are shared experiences.
But the experiences of members of Agudath Achim synagogue illustrate another
reason why many people want sidewalks back -- personal safety. There's nothing
sacred in dodging cars en route to fellowship.
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The lack of sidewalks in and around Lee Boulevard, where the synagogue is
located, makes it hard for worshipers to congregate. Bike-riding, exercise and a
connection to neighbors are reasons often given for building sidewalks. Access
to religious activity is new to the list.
"There's no question that communication is necessary for community," Wolkoff
said. "But the idea of going out in the street is OK if you close off the
street. Community is what matters. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to
figure this out."
Nod to New Urbanism
The return of the sidewalk is a nod to New Urbanism. A trend steadily rolling
across the nation, it's a throw-back to old neighborhoods where lot sizes were
small, sidewalks and trees were abundant and neighbors knew each other.
The big lots, broad lawns and lack of pedestrian pathways in contemporary
suburban developments have created an every-man-is-on-his-own mentality in some
neighborhoods. The boomerang effect of the sidewalk is seen by some as the first
step in correcting that.
Seaside and Celebration are two communities in Florida created with New
Urbanism in mind. Both have received national recognition for attention to
detail and careful architecture. Key in both those communities are numerous,
wide pathways for residents.
"When you walk together, you experience together," Wolkoff said. "There's
something powerful about it. It's a simple thing but a very powerful thing."
When Rande Duke went before the Planning Commission in November, he made sure
his subdivision plan was airtight. He asked the board for a rezoning variance
for six acres of property upon which he planned to build duplexes.
A double-edged sword
Armed with the recommendation of support for his site plan by the Planning
Commission staff, Duke expected his petition to breeze right through the board.
But that breeze turned into a cold snap when board members asked that he include
sidewalks in the project.
Under the existing ordinance, his 28-lot project did not have to include
sidewalks. But board members voted down his plan anyway. They sent him another
message -- voting 11-0 in favor of the plan if he included sidewalks.
Duke says builders and developers get a bum rap when it comes to extra items
such as sidewalks. Aesthetics aside, fulfilling green space and pathway
ordinances come at a cost that consumers end up footing.
"They make you feel like you're a villain if you talk about money," Duke
said.
Members of the Home Builders Association of Savannah have met with Planning
Commission staff members to discuss the proposed ordinance change requiring
sidewalks and how it would impact their businesses. Some members have said
requiring sidewalks in new planned communities is a nice idea but with property
costs, development costs and building costs all on the rise, the latest
ordinance change makes homes much more expensive.
Sidewalks cost roughly $500 to $600 per lot. Multiply that by 20 or 30 lots
and the cost rises into the thousands quickly.
"I understand the altruistic good of a sidewalk ordinance or a tree
ordinance," Duke said. "But they don't like to look at the money side of it. The
first-time home buyer is the one who suffers the most.
Yes, neighborhoods might be nicer and safer, but you'll have a bunch of
neighborhoods no one can afford.
"Buying a house is supposed to be the American dream, but if you get to a
point where you can't afford the dream, what have you done? It's a double-edged
sword, and I don't think they look at the other side of the sword."
A road to nowhere?
Jerry Wardlaw is one of about a half dozen builders and developers working on
The Villages at Godley Station in Pooler. Although the Pooler project isn't
affected by the Planning Commission change because that city has its own zoning
body, many of Wardlaw's developments are found in and around Savannah.
Wardlaw, president of Jerry Wardlaw Construction, said he has no problem with
requiring walkways in new subdivisions. But he questions what local government
officials are doing about sidewalks in existing neighborhoods that either don't
connect to main streets or even neighboring houses.
"They're worthwhile," Wardlaw said. "I probably won't build a project without
them. But to build them where they don't serve a purpose really gripes me. It's
a road to nowhere. To do it where it has no meaning or purpose, that doesn't
make sense to me.
"Where is the city or county's initiative or goodwill to connect those?"
