Sidewalk on Georiga Avenue in front of New Wheaton Rescue Squad Station

This post has been on my mind for months, and a recent Patch post about possible construction delays has prompted me to write it. Regardless of the construction delay, the sidewalk in front of the in-progress construction site should be fixed for the safety and mental health of residents.

According to the WaPo, "The $14 million fire station at Georgia Avenue and Arcola Avenue in Wheaton, [is] about 75 percent complete" and its completion "will likely be delayed" because the general contractor Milestone Construction is going out of business.

I have been eagerly waiting for the streetscape in front of the new building to be finished. The old sidewalk there now is skinny and way too close to Georgia Ave. Plus, to make it even less comfortable to walk there, during the spring the row of shade trees that used to border the sidewalk was cut down.

When construction is complete, I expect the sidewalk to be moved back even with the sidewalk in front of the Leesborough Townhome Development, and replacement trees planted between the new sidewalk and the road.

Here are photos I took of this sidewalk problem area on February 19, 2013 (it still looks the same, except without the pleasant bushes and sun-blocking trees around the construction area). 

The area where the two sidewalk configurations meet. Difficult to navigate on a bicycle.

The shade trees by the sidewalk and bus shelter that were cut down.

"Future Home of  Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad" sign and another view of the abrupt sidewalk transition.

The wider modern sidewalk just south of the construction at Leesborough Townhomes, with new shade trees.

This last photo is the current sidewalk at the recently built development just south of the rescue station construction.  This type of wider sidewalk is what the community expects when the construction is complete!  It should have this amount of space between the sidewalk and the road with trees in that space.

I have been hoping that this was self-evident, but wanted to write this post and share these pictures anyway in case this is not the plan.  This should be the plan!

Now that we know there may be a construction delay, and the old shade trees have already been destroyed and removed, can the sidewalk be fixed in advance of the construction being completed?  The fence can just be moved back and the sidewalk work finished.