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New hope for Lithopolis' Columbus Street
(by Linda Dillman, staff writer - May 13, 2009)
Lithopolis is hammering out a deal with Fairfield County that could pave the way for resurfacing of Columbus Street, a village thoroughfare punctuated with potholes and problems.
In exchange for Lithopolis' $90,175 in federal stimulus funding, the county engineer's office is proposing to resurface Columbus Street between Cedar Hill Road and Walnut Street and from Elder Lane to Delaware Street before Sept. 15.
Lithopolis would provide inspection and oversight of the contractor within village limits. In addition to grinding down four inches and paving with two inches of finish asphalt from Cedar Hill to Walnut, the county would remove and replace broken blacktop curb on the north side, east of Brown Street. From Elder to Delaware, 190 yards of pavement would be ground down two inches, paved, and striped.
"Because it's federal money, the sidewalks would have to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) specs," said Mayor Eric Sandine. "They were built in the 1950s with the roads, so they don't meet ADA specs. What we came up with is we'll pass through the $90,000 to Fairfield County. It gets Columbus Street done. Basically, we'll have everything in the village done this year. I'm still being cautious because the county hasn't signed off on it yet."
County officials are also considering furnishing Lithopolis' 10 percent local match for the 2009 Local Transportation Improvement Project (LTIP) North and South Street resurfacing project and provide up to $18,000 to relocate the village's waterline for the county Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) Lithopolis Road bridge replacement project.
Any costs in excess of the $18,000 cap would fall under the village's responsibility and in the event Lithopolis does not receive LTIP funding, Fairfield County will reimburse the village for any expenses not exceeding $24,999.
Wagnalls and funeral home
At its May 12 meeting, Lithopolis Council was asked to send a conditional use permit to the Board of Zoning Appeals to allow a funeral home to enter into a three year contract with Wagnalls Memorial to lease space in "building two" for funeral services.
"It meets the building code," said Sandine. "It meets the zoning code with a conditional use. It would be a good use for that area. The building is empty right now. It would provide revenue for Wagnalls and a source of income tax for the village."
Wagnalls Board Member John Rogers said the reason it is important to grant the conditional use is the state allots only so much for libraries, Wagnalls gets a very small portion of the Fairfield County pie, and funding will be even less this year.
"The advantage is it's tax revenue for the community and a funding source for Wagnalls," said Rogers. "There's plenty of parking. It shouldn't interfere with traffic. The people behind it are financially solid and have been around for a number of years.
A public hearing on the conditional use request is scheduled for May 29 at 7 p.m.
Other Lithopolis news
•A new full-service bank could be coming to Lithopolis. Council approved a memorandum of understanding with Savings Bank, which is headquartered in Circleville and maintains branches in Ashville and Williamsport. The bank is in the process of purchasing property on a lot at Lithopolis Road and Washington Street.
•An update to council rules had its first reading during the May 12 meeting and could find council members meeting at a different time and twice a month instead of only once. Sandine reported the update proposes meetings start at 7:30 p.m. and council meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Sandine said the second council meeting was suggested by the state and would be used to pay bills. The full council agenda would continue to be held on the second Tuesday of the month.
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