After months debating the worth or the headache of installing “recreational trails”—sidewalks—on three main roads in Pepper Pike, thousands decided Tuesday in favor of walkability and safety.
As of Wednesday morning, the Ohio Board of Elections reported that 65 percent of Pepper Pike voters opted in favor of Issue 65, to welcome sidewalks to the eastern ‘burb.
Just over 35 percent voted no, preferring unencumbered grass and the city’s apparent “semi-rural” feel.
Due to the win, the city will now be allowed to spend $3.4 million to lay down sidewalks on three main roads: Lander, South Woodland and Shaker Blvd. The project is most likely to start in early 2024 and continue for the next couple of years.
The first “trail,” so designated to keep residents out of maintenance duty, will, the city said, be completed by the end of next year.