Salem Lakes may remove central Silver Lake sidewalks

A section of sidewalk along Park Street in Silver Lake.

A section of sidewalk along Park Street in Silver Lake. /westofthei.com file photo from 2010

Sidewalks in the central part of Silver Lake may be removed as part of a planned street paving project.

The Salem Lakes Village Board discussed the move at its March 1 meeting.

Village administrator Patrick Casey said removing the sidewalks at the same time as paving work in Silver Lake planned for later this year would be efficient because a contractor that could do the work would already be in town. That paving will be paid for with reserves set aside for that purpose when the finances of Salem and Silver Lake were combined in connection with the merger of those municipalities into Salem Lakes.

Casey said he has inspected the sidewalks and found many of them to be in disrepair. The sidewalk network in general is incomplete, he added. Many of them are too narrow for modern standards.

“The sidewalks are in very bad shape,” Casey said.  “You really have no true sidewalk system.”

The sidewalks in the central area have been an ongoing nemesis for both the local government and property owners. Silver Lake’s insurance carriers for years have been suggesting removing the sidewalks because their condition presents a liability exposure for the village.

The matter was tabled at the March 1 meeting.

Casey said plans are for the paving, and the sidewalk removal if it is approved, to take place this year.

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5 Comments

  1. SL Goverment says:

    Now that is using your head. More things have gotten done under this administration than last one. Sue, Roger and company missed the boat big time.

  2. Casey does good work says:

    Having a person working full time at the job gets things done.

    But you have to keep your eye on them or they will do things with out telling you.

    I hope this new village board demands more monthly reports out of Casey than Diane ever did or Linda ever got.

  3. Mike Ullstrup says:

    And will the village pay to get rid of my sidewalks when I leave mine in disrepair?

  4. SL Citizen says:

    Sounds like a good idea. I can see doing this in them residential areas but hope they will keep sidewalks in the ‘downtown’ business district. Lake street east of railroad tracks. Hoping someday the downtown area will revitalize.

  5. Downtown area? says:

    How is the “downtown” area of Silver lake going to revitalize when there is zero, nada, nothing, there to bring people into town? Why would Salem spend a penny on Silver Lake’s downtown area when Salem’s downtown looks like a ghost town? Why are we even talking about this , come April 4th our current board will all be voted off anyway, and we won’t have a say on anything.

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