Family feels unsafe walking, asks for sidewalks on Klein Road
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

In the past 10 years that Jim Price has lived on Klein Road he has seen the intersection with Transit Road develop with a Kohl's, Buffalo Greater Savings Bank and Eckerd Pharmacy.

He has also seen the traffic flow increase.

A few years after buying the house, he married his wife, Karen, and they now have two young sons. And with the lack of sidewalks on Klein between Covent Garden Lane and Transit Road, they aren't able to fully enjoy their neighborhood.

They have asked the Town of Amherst to install sidewalks on the south side of Klein to accommodate its residents. In their opinion it should be a town cost because it was the town's decision to develop the intersection at Transit Road, which has caused the increased traffic.

Jim said a study completed two years ago estimated that 8,700 vehicles use that portion of Klein each day. He added that since then, more houses and businesses have been built.

"We want to be able to go to those stores and the other streets. In the summer we would like to be able to walk to Bassett Park," Karen said.

The family went to the town for help, and the project was directed to the Planning Board and the Engineering Department.

After reviewing the project, principal engineer assistant Chris Schregel said the installation of a sidewalk won't be recommended for that section of Klein.

"There are objects, poles and other items that would be an obstruction to installing a 5-foot sidewalk," Schregel said.

He said the proposal will go before the Amherst Town Board on July 16 with a recommendation from the Planning Board not to approve it.

Jim said he will be speaking on behalf of his family at that meeting, urging that something be done to protect the residents.

According to Town Code, homeowners are responsible for the cost of installing sidewalks. The Price family said they have been researching options to make it a town project.

At present, there are no sidewalks installed on either side of Klein between Transit and Covent Garden. The sidewalk proposal would include 30 homes.

The Price family started the process by writing a letter to the town in October 2006, expressing their concerns and requesting the issue be looked into.

Laurie Sanderson, who also lives on that portion of Klein Road, has been pushing for sidewalks.

On July 5, she and Karen Price went door-to-door with a petition, asking their neighbors for an opinion on the situation. Sanderson said approximately 15 agreed to the idea. The petition had a clause that would not make the homeowner responsible for the cost - estimated at $100,000, or $3,300 per household.

Five people would not sign, for reasons such as they have no need for a sidewalk, prefer how their yard looks without one, don't want to be responsible for maintenance or don't want to lose any trees that would have to be removed, Sanderson said.

She added that she believes the bottom line is this is a safety issue.

"Safety has to override some of those concerns," she said about asking the town to find a way to pay for the sidewalks.

The Price family said that without a solution to the cost issue, they wouldn't push for sidewalks, not wanting to burden their neighbors with a more than $3,000 bill.

The proposal is scheduled for the Town Board's Monday, July 16 agenda under the Planning Department's report. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5583 Main St., Williamsville.