Plans for $4.5 million worth of improvements in the neighborhood surrounding Mae Richardson Elementary in Central Point would provide new sidewalks, bus stops and widened bike lanes to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

Oregon Department of Transportation crews began survey work in recent weeks in the area along West Pine Street, from the elementary school to Brandon Street.

Matt Samitore, Central Point’s parks and public works director, said the city took jurisdiction of the area to be improved last year in anticipation of the project.

“One of the big reasons for this project all along has been that there are five bus stops along this corridor for elementary and secondary schools in addition to (Rogue Valley Transportation District) bus stops,” Samitore said.

“We’ve had, in the last five or six years, a minimum of 12 near misses where we received phone calls from parents or students or the school district with cars speeding by. There’s just really not a safe place for kids to walk or to wait for the bus. The whole purpose of this project is to improve the safety in this corridor so that students and other community members are safe.”

Samitore said the start of survey work had prompted concerns, with area residents worried about the city acquiring large portions of private property to complete the project. The majority of the improvements will take place within the existing right-of-way and won’t involve an expansion of the existing two-lane road configuration, he said this week.

Fewer than 20 properties would require a 1-foot right-of-way acquisition to install sidewalks that connect to existing driveways.

“I think there are 52 properties in that corridor. Big chunks of them are made up of apartment complexes and the school, and then some city property and some remaining properties,” he said.

“There’s only something like maybe 17 properties where we would potentially need to acquire 1 foot from.”

Samitore said the project was originally slated to take place in 2015 but was pushed back to await the completion of two railroad crossings — one at Scenic Avenue, the other for the Twin Creeks neighborhood.

Funding for the project will come from a federal grant administrated through the state transportation department.

Design work is expected to be completed this fall. The city plans to hold public meetings to share information and solicit feedback prior to construction.

“We understand what the community’s concern is, but we want to make sure we reassure people that we’re still in the very early stages of this project and we don’t know what the final configuration is going to be,” Samitore said.

“We have new guidelines to follow because of the grant funding, and we’re dealing with what was an old county road that has to be retrofitted as an urban street. … We’re going to meet with every individual property owner, one on one, and talk about how the design will affect everyone’s property.”

Samitore said change is inevitable but that the city was sympathetic to residents’ concerns.

“We’re not unreasonable. If there’s mature landscaping that we can avoid, we’re going to avoid it. We want to hear everyone’s concerns so that we can address them,” he said.

“There are going to be changes. If you look at some of the properties, there are wide open driveways that are 40 to 50 feet in width. That’s not allowed in the city, period. … But the important thing to remember is that we live in this community, too. We’re stewards. We will make sure that what gets done is what the community wants done.”

Samitore said the project will be similar to work done along Freeman Road in recent years, incorporating sidewalks near Mountain View Plaza and Hopkins Road.

Property owners with questions about the upcoming roadwork can watch the city’s project website, centralpointoregon.gov/publicworks, for updates.