The City of Carmel has established a new Sidewalk Repair Grant program to help keep residential sidewalks across the city in good shape and safe for walkers, bicyclists and anyone using sidewalks on a regular basis. This program is supported and funded by a $50,000 non-reverting fund established by the Carmel City Council in 2020.
The Sidewalk Grant program will be administered by the Department of Community Services in a partnership with the Carmel Street Department and Carmel City Engineer, who administer the city’s annual sidewalk maintenance program. The fund’s primary purpose is to help facilitate the upkeep and repair of sidewalks in residential neighborhoods by assisting homeowners with their responsibility of maintaining the public sidewalks adjacent to their property.
Brainard
“The City Council and I have prioritized transportation investments, including development of our active transportation network, to improve our city and benefit residents and businesses,” said Mayor Jim Brainard. “This grant program is another way for us to partner with Carmel homeowners to assist with keeping our residential infrastructure in top shape. We work hard to support many different forms of transportation, including bicycling, walking, running or simply pushing a stroller. It is important to maintain our sidewalks so they are safe for all. Good sidewalk quality is particularly important for the physically challenged and blind members of our community.”
Some of Carmel’s older neighborhoods are beginning to show signs of aging, including the deterioration of concrete sidewalks and driveways, some of which are 30 or 40 years old.
Carmel City Code makes it the responsibility of homeowners to handle the maintenance of sidewalks and driveway portions in the public right-of-way, including repair of cracking or settling that makes them difficult and in some places unsafe to use. The city has taken on the responsibility of managing multi-purpose paths and sidewalks along arterial streets, and the city also takes care of sidewalk repairs when city-planted street trees or manholes are the cause of any needed repairs.
Photo provided
However, when it is simply age-related deterioration, normal wear-and-tear, or damage from private contractor activity, that sidewalk maintenance is the homeowners’ responsibility to make repairs that meet city standards.
The new Sidewalk Repair Grant fund will assist residents who own and occupy their homes with the expense of repair/replacement of sidewalks and for removal of trees located on their private property that are affecting sidewalks by reimbursing up to 50 percent of the project cost, up to $3,000. The cost of sidewalk grinding, where heaving or slumping of sidewalks can be eliminated through mechanical grinding, is also a cost that can be reimbursed through the grant.
The city has established a website with an online application for the Sidewalk Repair Grant, which includes an explanation for how to apply and the overall grant process. Property owners may also choose to contact David Littlejohn (dlittlejohn@carmel.in.gov) who is the point person to administer the applications and process.
Key requirements
Property owners must own and occupy their homes and if they seek a grant, they must solicit three competitive quotes for the project and those quotes must be included with the grant application package. It should also be pointed out that applicants should not start work on their project before they have their reimbursement approved by the Department of Community Services.
Applications will be evaluated on a first-come first-serve basis. Applications will be reviewed and inspections will be done as part of the approval process.