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FT to maintain Georgesville Road corridor
Franklin Township agreed June 23 to enter into contract with the Franklin County Engineers Office to maintain various features on Georgesville Road once its upcoming improvement project is complete. According to Franklin Township Chair Timothy Guyton, the road must be improved to accommodate the 10,000 vehicles on average that will be using Georgesville Road as the main entrance to the casino. Plans are to improve the I-270 interchange, Broad Street, and Georgesville Road. Guyton said Georgesville Road will receive a major overhaul, but several features such as street lamps and trees can only happen with the cooperation of the township. While I-270 and Broad Street will be improved by Ohio Department of Transportation, Georgesville Road is a Franklin County road and the improvments are overseen by the county engineer’s office. “Georgesville is going to get the full treatment,” Guyton said. “It’s going to be street lights, street trees, sidewalk on west side, shared path on the east side, and raised islands in the middle.” Once the casino annexes into the city of Columbus, portions of the Georgesville Road corridor will remain, and must be maintained by Franklin Township. These duties include removing snow and ice from the sidewalk and shared path during winter months, repair of street lights, and the maintenance of trees and plants within the right-a-way. “We have to enter into a contract of agreement with county engineers,” Guyton said. However, Guyton said the township would only enter into this agreement with the city if a continual revenue stream was supplied to the township so township taxpayers are not burdened with the cost of the upkeep. Franklin Township will sit down with city officials July 18 to re-negotiate the memorandum of understanding. The township hopes to reach an agreement similar to the last non-binding arrangement where a small portion of the casino income tax is disbursed to them for the area’s maintenance and repair. “We didn’t know about Georgesville Road at the time,” Guyton said. “So, our agreement with the city will have to come with a continuing revenue stream – indefinitely – which will afford us the opportunity to take care of this project.” Although the township agreed to enter into a contract, the language in the resolution spells out that the contract will become void if the township and city cannot reach a mutual agreement. “If we can’t get that agreement with the city, then the county says they won’t put (the features) in,” Guyton said.
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