By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
The city of Groveport plans to demolish its former water plant to make room for a new building to be used for its park maintenance and transportation departments.
The old water plant, located at 5101 S. Hamilton Road, has been replaced by the new water plant at the same site.
Groveport City Administrator Marsha Hall said the proposed new building, which will sit where the old water plant now stands, will house offices and possibly a storage area for equipment. It will not house vehicles.
Regarding the size of the new building, Hall said, “Final decisions are unknown at this point, but we’re looking at about the same footprint as the new water treatment plant.”
Hall said the new building is needed because the transportation department is currently using a conference room at the recreation center, the parks/facilities department is sharing space with public works, and the facilities/parks department head is using an office at the golf course.
“This will enable public works to build an additional bay for their vehicles, instead of their previous request to build an addition to the public works building,” said Hall.
Hall said the old garage sheds at the water plant site will be torn down.
“They are in terrible disrepair right now, and equipment has been and is being removed from them,” said Hall.
Hall said the estimated cost to demolish the old water plant and the garage sheds is unknown at this time.
“We put $100,000 in the budget as a placeholder just because of the possibility of bad soils or asbestos,” said Hall. “This would include not only demolition, but also all clean-up of the site in preparation for construction. That said, we expect the total prep cost to be much lower than the $100,000.”
She added the estimated cost for the proposed new building has not been determined yet.
Hall said the new building will not create any conflict with the EPA at the water plant site.
“The EPA’s requirement is security for the water plant, which we will still have,” said Hall.
Projects receive OPWC funding
The city received Ohio Public Works Commission funding for the Hendron Road project (slated for 2017) and the West Bixby Road project (scheduled for 2016).
According to Groveport City Engineer Steve Farst, the Hendron Road reconstruction project includes full-depth road reconstruction of Hendron Road between Main Street and Glendening Drive/Marlowa Drive. Construction includes storm sewerage, curb and gutter, street lighting, a shared-use 8-foot asphalt path on west side of street, sidewalk on east side of street, improved drive approaches, and improved crosswalks and pedestrian devices at the Glendening intersection. It also includes construction of a 12-inch water main that will replace an older 8-inch water main from Main Street to Glendening Drive. North of Glendening Drive, a sidewalk will be constructed on the east side of the street and extend north to Cherry Blossom Drive.
The Franklin County Public Works District 3 Integrating Committee recommended to the Ohio Public Works Commission to fund the estimated $2.1 million project with a grant of $446,713, a loan with zero percent interest of $1.3 million, and Franklin County’s expected contribution of about $240,000.
According to Farst, the West Bixby Road reconstruction project will be between Bixby Ridge Drive East, east to a point in front of the Madison Christian School. The total project length is about 2,360 feet.
The project will include full-depth reconstruction of the failing existing roadway pavement section and shoulders. Roadside drainage swales will be re-graded as necessary for drainage improvement. A shared-use asphalt path is included in this project along the project corridor on south side of the road, to connect to existing sidewalks on Bixby Ridge Drive East and to provide pedestrian and off road bicycle accommodation between existing residences and the school campus.
The Franklin County Public Works District 3 Integrating Committee recommended to the Ohio Public Works Commission, to fund the estimated $741,565 project with a grant award of $407,065 and a zero percent interest loan of $254,500.
