Letter to the Editor: Repealing Hellertown Sidewalk Ordinance Would Be A Surrender–Not a Solution

Hellertown Borough Council is considering removing its sidewalk ordinance possibly as early as June 1. That should concern every resident; especially people with disabilities, seniors, children, people pushing strollers and anyone who walks through town.

For decades, Hellertown has had a sidewalk ordinance. The problem is not that the ordinance exists. The problem is that it has not been enforced in a consistent, fair and measurable way for decades.

Removing the ordinance does not fix that failure. It simply makes the failure official.

Some council members have publicly stated enforcing the sidewalk ordinance would be “unethical” or “immoral,” as sidewalk repairs can be expensive for property owners. Cost is a real issue; the answer to hardship is not to abandon public safety. The answer is to create a fair hardship policy, a clear inspection process and a worst-first repair system.

There is a major difference between saying:

“We need a fair process that protects both homeowners and pedestrians.”

and saying:

“We should remove the ordinance because enforcement is an administrative burden.”

The first approach solves a problem. The second avoids one.

A sidewalk ordinance gives the borough a legal and practical tool to address dangerous conditions. Without it, what happens when a sidewalk is broken, missing, lifted, obstructed or unsafe? What happens when a senior citizen cannot safely walk to the store? What happens when a child walking to school is forced into the street? What happens when a disabled resident encounters a curb ramp that leads directly into a broken, impassable or missing sidewalk? Are all these people expected to create safe passage themselves?

If the Borough removes the ordinance, residents deserve a clear answer to the question:

What replaces it?

Doing nothing is not a policy.

Hellertown does not need less responsibility. It needs better responsibility. It needs objective standards that define when a sidewalk requires repair. It needs inspection criteria which are applied consistently throughout the borough. It needs a plan which prioritizes the worst hazards first, i.e.,10-12-inch vertical differences, rather than relying on complaints, chance or selective enforcement. It needs a hardship policy for residents who truly cannot afford immediate repairs. 

The current debate should not be framed as “ordinance or no ordinance.” The real question is whether Hellertown is willing to manage its pedestrian infrastructure responsibly.

Removing the ordinance may reduce pressure on council in the short term, however, it will not make dangerous sidewalks safe. It will not protect disabled residents. It will not help seniors. It will not create accessible routes for everyone. It will not answer decades of inconsistent enforcement. It will not erase the borough’s broader responsibility to provide safe and accessible public pedestrian routes.

If council believes the current ordinance already provides the authority it needs, the answer is not to remove it. The current council did not inherit a perfect ordinance–it inherited a broken will to improve it and to apply it. The responsible path is to use that authority consistently and fairly, with objective measurable repair standards, a worst-first inspection program, reasonable timelines, defined hardship protections and a fair appeal process. If the concern is cost to homeowners, the council should address hardship directly. Removing the ordinance without a replacement plan leaves residents with less protection.

Do not remove the only local tool available and consider that leadership.

A council cannot call enforcement “immoral” while ignoring the people who are forced to walk or travel by wheelchair in the street. It cannot call repair costs unfair while leaving residents without safe access. It cannot claim to protect residents by removing the very ordinance meant to protect public passage.

Hellertown’s sidewalk safety issue was not created overnight. It was created by years of delay, inconsistency and avoidance.

Repealing the ordinance would not correct that history.

It would continue it.

Chip Wagner
Hellertown

Letters to the editor about local topics of general interest are published at the discretion of the publisher and reflect the views of their authors. Signed letters may be submitted for consideration to josh@sauconsource.com.