Lake in the Hills helps residents replace sidewalks

If you live in Lake in the Hills and you’ve been wanting that ugly sidewalk in front of your house fixed, you’re in luck.

A new village program reimburses residents who want to take on the job of replacing sidewalks themselves a portion of their costs

The cost-sharing sidewalk replacement program reimburses up to $325 for the cost of aesthetic repair or replacement of public sidewalks adjacent to residents’ properties. The program does not apply to private sidewalks.

The village board last week budgeted a maximum expenditure of $2,000 on a first-come, first-served basis, said Guy Fehrman, superintendent of streets for Lake in the Hills.

“People want to do it for cosmetic reasons. Sometimes there is a little bit of flaking or chipping from homeowners using salt. They don’t like the look of that and want to replace that,” he said.

The $325 could cover about 100 square feet of sidewalk, or about five, 20-square-foot-slabs, he said. “The price really depends on the contractor,” he said. Residents must file an application and hire a contractor licensed by the village.

The village inspects public sidewalks on a four-year basis and takes immediate action when sidewalks pose a hazard, Fehrman said. A trip hazard is considered a step separation greater than three-fourths of an inch.

The public works department usually gets one to two calls per month in spring and summer about sidewalks’ aesthetic issues, Fehrman said.

“It’s something new we just started; we’re hoping this will be a good program,” he said.

A similar program in Huntley allows residents to be reimbursed up to $500 a year, with a total budgeted amount for $10,000 for 2011, said Rob Scardino, civil engineer for Huntley.