The Austin City Council approved a bid to install a sidewalk on the south side of 17th Avenue Northwest during its Monday night meeting, despite protests from nearby businesses and the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce.

The council voted 6-1, with Council Member Steve King dissenting, to award the project to Ulland Brothers Inc. for about $167,000.

Council members were set to approve the bid at their May 6 meeting but tabled the issue after Perkins manager Larry Eisenberg and Tom Sherman of Usem Inc. asked to speak with the council during the May 6 work session. The two tried to dissuade the city from installing the sidewalk at that location, but the council voted 4-3, with Mayor Tom Stiehm voting for the absent Roger Boughton, to move the issue forward to the council’s public meeting.

Chamber Executive Director Sandy Forstner asked the council to give the issue a little more time since the issue affects several businesses. He said the city already has walking paths in the area.

“It seems to us that that access is already there,” he said. “And moreover that the sidewalk is being put in simply because there’s grant money available.”

The city would put in the sidewalk as part of a mill and overlay project of Eighth Street from 17th to 18th avenues as well as 17th Avenue Northwest from Fourth to Eighth streets. The project would be paid for through state grant money, as opposed to a street assessment. Mayor Tom Stiehm pointed out the project would cost taxpayers if a sidewalk were put in on nearby service roads, as Eisenberg and Sherman previously recommended.

Not everyone agreed with the business owners, however.

“The sidewalk is necessary in this growing commercial area,” said Merlene Stiles, a representative of Austin’s Sustainability Task Force.

Most council members agreed. Janet Anderson said she was changing her vote to approve the bid as the sidewalk would help develop Austin’s business district.