Feedback: Temporary Solution To Summit Woods Controversy

An agreement is in place, albeit a temporary one, concerning the safety of children who walk from the new Summit Woods housing complex to Watertown schools.

City School District District Superintendent Terry Fralick worried that students in grades 5 through 12, who walk to the intermediate, middle and high schools, won’t have a safe route.

Summit Woods, located off the western portion of outer Washington Street, will open 14 apartments this month.

Fralick was concerned that any students who moved into those units and who walked to school would have to cross four lanes of traffic in order to access a sidewalk.

Fralick wrote a letter to City Council asking it to install a lighted path between Summit Woods and Iroquois Avenue West.

“A lot of neighbors objected. City council shied away from that proposal. I don’t thing the city council is going to be inclined to change its mind,” said Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham.

Lawmakers say they planned to install a sidewalk on the west side of Washington Street by next spring.

Fralick and lawmakers have tentatively agreed that the city will provide a crossing guard at the entrance of Summit Woods.

“I’m very satisfied that the response that we’ve gotten from the city has been very helpful and I think that we’re on our way to resolving the issue,” said Fralick.

However, everything depends on if there will be any students in the complex who would walk to school.

“Obviously we stand ready to put a crossing guard there whenever it’s necessary, but we’re not going to do that until the time comes because at this point we don’t have a clear cut date for occupancy,” said City Councilwoman Roxanne Burns.

Students in kindergarten through fourth grade will be bused to school.

Next spring, there will be 200 housing units at Summit Woods.

See Caroline Tucker’s report:

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