Sidewalk project feared unsafe in Winter Park

A planned sidewalk project meant to make one Winter Park neighborhood safer might instead create new hazards for children walking to Brookshire Elementary School.

Construction will start next month on a project that will add sidewalks on the east side of Brechin Drive, the south side of Kimbrace Place and the east side of Dunblane Drive, just west of Brookshire Elementary. The three roads are currently missing large segments of sidewalk, and the 2,150 feet of new paved walkway will improve the streets for pedestrians and school children, city spokesperson Clarissa Howard said.

But one resident’s concerns stirred discussion about safety among the City Commission during its Sept. 28 meeting. Resident Robert Rich, who lives off of Brechin Drive, told the City Commission that reckless drivers consistently use Brechin and Kimbrace as a cut through and that the speed limit needs to be reduced.

The sidewalk project as currently designed, Rich said, would encourage school children to walk or ride their bike along the new sidewalk on the south side of Kimbrace and cross the street to use the existing sidewalk on the north side to head toward Brookshire Elementary.

“The area has all types of problems when you’re crossing Kimbrace … people just speed up when they go by there,” said Rich, adding that the neighborhood has at least 19 children under the age of middle school.

“If you’re concerned about kids walking to Brookshire, you’ve got the planned sidewalk on the wrong side. It’s a really a safety issue and the sidewalks aren’t going to keep kids off the street.”

City Manager Randy Knight said that drivers are not required to lower their speed during school hours on Brechin or Kimbrace due to the neighborhood sitting just outside the Brookshire Elementary school zone. The current speed limit along Brechin and Kimbrace is 25 mph, while the speed limit within the school zone is 15 mph.

Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel said she recalled how dangerous the neighborhood could be for pedestrians due to sharp turns and winding roads.

“I remember the road because my child used to take his bike on it,” Sprinkel said. “I just know that it’s a kinky area.”

Commissioner Carolyn Cooper agreed that the city should look at setting a lower speed limit within that neighborhood.

“We’re encouraging them to walk on that road by putting the sidewalks there,” Cooper said. “If we’re putting the kids on that road than maybe it does need to have the benefit of the speed [limit change].”

“I walked it a couple of years ago – I felt very similar.”

The city manager will brief the City Commission about the sidewalk project and the concerns at a later date.