By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
More big projects are scheduled for the city of Groveport for the coming years as part of the city’s five year capital improvement fund plan.
Groveport City Council is considering legislation to update the plan, which includes proposed street, water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, and parks projects.
Even when approved, the plan is flexible.
“The plan can be changed if we need to in case of an emergency,” said Councilwoman Jean Ann Hilbert.
According to the plan, street projects and their costs proposed for 2019 include: East Bixby Road (from near Ebright Road to U.S. 33) pavement rehabilitation, $348,000, funded by local and street maintenance funds; curb ramp upgrades on Main Street at Mohr and Lesleh avenues, $34,000, funded by local funds; and the traffic signal upgrade at Groveport Madison High School at State Route 317 and Firehouse Lane, $531,000, funded by a $316,223 grant, a $120,176 loan, $82,000 from other sources, and $57,600 in local funds.
Groveport City Administrator Marsha Hall said that, regarding potential improvements to Toy Road, costs and plans are still being finalized as well as efforts to apply for a grant.
The $450,000 annual street maintenance fund for 2019 will include resurfacing work on Main Street from College Street to Front Street (which was reconstructed in 1989-90) and on Main Street from Front Street east (which was reconstructed in 2003) to a point near the Groveport Recreation Center. Other streets to be included for work in 2019 are still to be determined.
Not included in the street maintenance fund work are repairs to the city’s alleys.
Resident Wayne White told Groveport City Council at its Aug. 20 committee meeting that the city’s alleys need repairs, especially north of Main Street. He said there are numerous potholes in the alleys and water ponds in the alleys after heavy rains.
Hall advised council that, if council wants to free up money to repair alleys, it would require shifting money from other road projects involving more heavily traveled streets.
Public Works Superintendent Dennis Moore noted that in 1998-99 the city paved all the city’s alleys with two inches of asphalt. He said pothole repairs are made in the alleys as needed.
Other 2019 projects listed in the proposed five year capital improvement fund plan are: $75,000 for generators for the sanitary sewer at Elmont and at Bixford; $50,000 for sanitary sewer force main replacements; a total of $304,000 for several various stormwater improvements and maintenance; $75,000 for neighborhood park improvements; and $180,000 for the 860 to 920 foot Bixford Green shared-use path to connect the Bixford Green subdivision to the Blacklick Creek Greenways Trail in Three Creeks Metro Park (the city has applied for an Ohio NatureWorks grant to help fund this construction). There are no water projects slated for 2019.
Hall said the plan also provides $40,000 to update the city’s five year Master Park Plan. She said the update will have an emphasis on Groveport Park.
Council will vote on the updated five year capital improvement plan at an upcoming meeting.
