Dayton to spend $10M replacing sidewalks that are property owners’ responsibility

Some sidewalks are in poor condition and have uneven or damaged walking surfaces that create tripping hazards and make it difficult to get around.

$10 million investment

Dayton plans to use about $10 million of its $138 million in COVID relief funding to replace about 240,000 square feet of sidewalk in the next couple of years.

The Dayton City Commission at its most recent meeting approved nearly $2.6 million worth of contracts to replace sidewalks and curbs in the Five Oaks, Miami Chapel, Edgemont and Wolf Creek neighborhoods.

The city also recently approved more than $4 million worth of improvements to sidewalks and curbs in some of those neighborhoods plus others, like Twin Towers, Old North Dayton and Carillon.

Dayton replaced about 21,000 square feet of sidewalk last year using COVID funding, after basically spending zero dollars on sidewalk projects in prior years. These estimates do not include sidewalks that were replaced during major utility and road construction projects.

Property owners in Dayton are responsible for the curb, sidewalk and driveways abutting their properties.

When this infrastructure is damaged, property owners are supposed to be on the hook to replace it.

Until 2006, Dayton had an annual program where city staff would mark curb, sidewalk and driveways that needed to be replaced, said David Escobar, city engineer.

The city would then send letters to property owners explaining what needed to be replaced and notifying them that they could either handle the work themselves or have the city do it and assess those costs to people’s property tax bills.

But the city’s public works department cancelled this program due to budget cuts. City officials talked about restarting the program in 2016 but that did not happen.

Escobar said the city receives requests for sidewalk repairs via the city’s Dayton Delivers app and through the call center.

He said requesters are told these repairs are the responsibility of the property owners. He said the city sends letters to property owners bringing this fact to their attention.

The city will use COVID relief funds to upgrade sidewalks in about seven neighborhoods. This includes some sidewalk enhancements that will be a part of park improvements.

The sidewalk work is expected to begin this fall and last through the summer of 2025.