Contractor says things moving at good pace; Church council unhappy with sidewalk ramp
By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
After years of torn-up streets, changing traffic patterns, a lot of dust and detours, Flandreau’s multiyear street, water and sewer project is nearing an end.
“We’re in the home stretch,” Shane Waterman of IMEG told the Flandreau City Council at its most recent meeting.
Utility work continues to affect traffic, particularly along Broad Avenue, but crews are pushing to finish as much as possible while keeping the project on schedule.
Claflin Excavating is completing gravel bases and cleanup work, while Clark Drew Construction continues working on concrete. Waterman said contractors want to get as much graded and graveled as possible before paving crews arrive, reducing the need for them to return multiple times.
Two rounds of asphalt work remain — one expected in August and the final round likely in early September.
Residents in the current work zone raised concerns after recent heavy rains left water pooling near Crescent Street and Park Avenue. Similar problems have reportedly occurred near Park Avenue and Wind Street.
Waterman explained that parts of the storm sewer system remain temporarily plugged with materials required under the project’s permit from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. As a result, the system cannot yet handle stormwater as it normally would. Drainage should improve once construction wraps up.
The council also heard from Jared Sanderson, representing Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, where concerns persist about the steep sidewalk ramp leading from Wind Street to the church’s west entrance.
Sanderson said the previous approach had a more gradual slope, and the church is hoping something similar can be restored.
“Ideally we’d like the slope to go back to what it was,” Sanderson said.
“The big concern is the elderly that are still able to walk, walking up it and if we’re carrying a casket out of the church, for how steep it is.”
City Administrator Cohl Turnquist said the challenge is finding a solution that works for the church while meeting federal accessibility requirements. The previous sidewalk was not ADA compliant but had been grandfathered in. Once it was replaced, however, the new construction became subject to current requirements.
The replacement sidewalk is compliant, but officials acknowledged its steepness remains uncomfortable and impractical for some of the church’s needs.
“It’s a unique situation,” Waterman said.
The limited distance between the church property and the curb makes a more gradual approach difficult. Two entrances on the north side will be ADA accessible, but the Wind Street entrance is routinely used by elderly church members and during funerals.
City crews have cut grooves into the concrete for additional traction, but church representatives remain concerned about safety and liability.
Turnquist asked the city attorney to research whether the former configuration can be restored without putting the city in violation of ADA requirements or creating an unnecessary financial burden for either the church or city.
Waterman cautioned against waiting too long because contractors will need time to complete any changes while they are still working in the area.
“We have August and September to go through yet, so it’s not like we’re up against a wall, but …” Waterman said.
The council is expected to revisit the issue at its next regularly scheduled meeting this week.