By ROBERT LINNEHAN
For years the residents of Inglis Gardens have almost felt like prisoners in their own community. With a small sidewalk that doesn’t extend a mere 200-feet out of their community, walking anywhere out of the complex is almost an impossibility. However, a solution is close that may satisfy all parties within the township.
Almost 10 years ago the township constructed Inglis Gardens at 304 N. Elmwood Road as an affordable development for wheelchair accessible apartments for people with physical disabilities. On a stretch of road in between Route 70 and Evesboro-Medford Road, the community is almost like an island unto itself. A small sidewalk is in front of the community, but it only runs about 200-feet to the right and left of the development.
Because of a lack of a sidewalk, residents at the development have to walk on the shoulder of the road to reach Route 70 or Evesboro-Medford Road — or attempt a risky mid-street crossing — all while dodging cars on the 35-mile-per hour road.
Despite a motion being tabled at the last township meeting, the township council took a big step towards providing a solution to the Inglis Gardens problem.
Mayor Randy Brown endorsed a plan that would see the installation of a mid-street crosswalk in front of the Inglis Gardens community, allowing residents to cross to the other side of N. Elmwood that has a sidewalk. Included in the plan would be the installation of a stretch of sidewalk near the St. Isaac’s church on Evesboro-Medford Road, which currently does not have a walkway, allowing residents to walk safely down to the intersection.
Jon Allen, a resident of Inglis Gardens, said this would be an appropriate plan for the area. Allen is confined to a wheelchair, but he typically makes a daily trip down N. Elmwood to a convenience store at the Evesboro-Medford intersection for several residents of the community. He must ride his electric wheelchair down the shoulder of the busy roadway to reach the convenience store.
“As long as they were able to give us the crosswalk and give us the blacktop or some type of sidewalk in front of the church than yes, it’s a good idea. If they’re not able to do that, then there’s no point,” he said. “I think this is what they should have done from the get go.”
One of the options the council debated was constructing a sidewalk on the Inglis Garden side of N. Elmwood down to the Evesboro-Medford Road intersection. However, because of several patches of wetlands and a small bridge that would have to be built, the project would have cost the township nearly $300,000.
Originally the township was also considering building a sidewalk that would go left out of the development to the Route 70 intersection, allowing residents to cross over and then walk all the way back to the Evesboro-Medford intersection if need be. Brown asked his administration to table this proposal and come to the next council meeting with plans for a mid-street crosswalk.
“We need the shortest, easiest solution. With all this talk we still can’t get you across the street,” Brown said.
Josephine M. D’Antonio, also a resident of Inglis Gardens, thanked the township council for listening to the residents’ cries for help at the development. While the best solution would be a sidewalk on the Inglis Gardens side of the street extending to both intersections, this plan would make for a good start.
“I’m very happy with a Band-Aid solution right now,” she said.
D’Antonio said there are currently 16-residents at the Inglish Gardens community, one of which is blind.
Township Engineer Tim Staszewski said it might be a difficult location for a mid-street crosswalk because the road is fed by two major highways and drivers may not be aware of a crosswalk in this location. However, he did say that sidewalk bump outs in front of the proposed crosswalk and some prominent signage could make it a safer location.
Brown said that mid-street crosswalks are in several neighboring municipalities, so this shouldn’t be an excuse for Evesham. He also noted that the township would continue to explore grant opportunities to one day be able to fund a project to install a sidewalk from Inglis Gardens to both intersections.
Kathleen Santomero — a longtime advocate for the residents at Inglis Gardens — said it was a good start, but that she hoped to see a sidewalk connect the development to the intersections in the future.
