Second in the series. See the first installment for an overview.
In this installment of Learning from CHS: a look at the sidewalk that leads from the north retail section down to Route 9. On this critical path, the sidewalk narrows dramatically, because of a sign and a light stanchion, both of which were both part of the original design.
Bottom line:
- Pedestrians are not provided with a safe, inviting route to the corner of Route 9 — bad
- Bad design decisions further reduce sidewalk width — bad
Who’s to blame for this? While the original design is the developer’s, this is something that city professionals, the then alder-critters, and those of us advocating for pedestrian accommodations should have noticed and demanded be changed. I’m getting old, so may not remember, but I don’t think anybody raised the light stanchion as an issue. I believe I (and probably others) noted that the corner itself was uninviting and potentially dangerous.
Takeaway:
- Sidewalks need to be wide and protected, considering all planned and potential obstructions
This is not the only example at Chestnut Hill Square of a design element reducing the sidewalk width, just the most egregious.
Are those narrow bits even wide enough for a wheelchair? Especially in winter when there’s bound to be some snow. It’s truly bizarre that the handicap accessible curb ramp runs into a wall. It does not look ADA-compliant, which new construction must be required to be.
Julia’s (excellent) point aside, it looks like the developers tried to remedy this by creating an uninhabited, unfriendly environment around the corner to the right! But maybe that’s Sean’s third installment?
Far worse: last winter, and the winter before, the nearby sidewalk on Route 9 by Shreve, Crump and Low was never cleared. In fact, it had a huge pile of snow. I guess it’s technically not part of Chestnut Hill Square, but it was rebuilt at the same time.