STUART, Fla. — A Martin County parent is raising safety concerns about her son's daily walk to school, citing the lack of a sidewalk connecting their neighborhood to South Fork High School.
Aleksandra Cohen, a resident of the new Highpointe development across the street from the school, says her son, a freshman, has no safe pedestrian route to get to class.
WATCH: County says there are plans for crosswalk, sidewalk
“As you see there is not a pathway, there is not even a bike lane,” Cohen said, pointing out the route along Bulldog Way where her son walks almost every day. Cohen says part of the issue lies just beyond a gate between Highpointe and the school campus.
“[The gate] is the connection between the neighborhood and the high school. As you see right behind [it] is the high school, the fence, and the gym right there. When you look past the gate you see a chicken wire fence so kids cannot cross,” she said.
That barrier has forced her son and other students in the community to walk along Bulldog Way without a paved path.
“I am very concerned because it’s very, very unsafe and, you know, the problem is we are talking about probably less than 300 feet of concrete that needs to be poured and I don’t understand why this is such a problem,” Cohen added.
WPTV's Cassandra Garcia reached to Martin County, the school district, and the developer, Pulte Homes.
Martin County confirmed there are active plans for both a crosswalk and a sidewalk along Bulldog Way to create a safe connection. They said a contractor has already been selected and the project will move forward when funding has been provided by Pulte Homes.
The Martin School District explained its role in the process, stating:
It’s our understanding that Pulte has agreed to fund a construction project connecting the existing sidewalk within the Highpointe community to the access gate at South Fork High School. The project is being managed by Martin County, not the School District, and the County has already put the work out for bid. Once a contractor is selected, the School District will grant them access to our property so construction can proceed. [...] Student safety remains our highest priority, and we look forward to working closely with the County, their selected contractor, and Pulte to complete this project as soon as possible.
Pulte Homes emphasized its support for the project and clarified its involvement, saying:
Pulte’s development of the Highpointe community does not include site activity on South Fork High School property. However, Martin County is stepping in to lead the construction of this important connection, with the School District providing access to support the work. We fully support this effort, appreciate both the County and District for doing the right thing for community safety, and remain ready to collaborate on the process.
In the meantime, Cohen says the delay continues to put her son at risk, and she hopes the project gets done soon.
“I’m checking his location on my phone, seeing if the little dot is moving along Bulldog Way, right, and if he made it home every day,” she said. “I can not imagine if this prolongs so much longer.”
