By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
The city of Groveport is wrapping up its street repairs for this year and is now planning road projects for next year and beyond.
Groveport City Administrator Marsha Hall said the proposed 2016 capital improvement plan includes pursuing Ohio Public Works Commission funding for: the Hendron Road improvements from Main Street to Glendening Drive (which includes a new water main at Main Street and one from Hendron Road to Lowery Court); and the $692,000 phase one of the west Bixby Road pavement rehabilitation from near Falk Court to Madison Christian School. The second and third phases of the west Bixby Road project will be in future years.
The city also plans to spend $350,000 in 2016 to repave Cherry Street east of West Street, College Street south of Main Street, Walnut Street south of Main Street; to re-stripe the city’s portion of Saltzgaber Road and Commerce Center Drive; and to crack seal streets in the Founders Bend, Elmont Place, Newport, Westport subdivisions.
“We’ll continue to chip away at this every year,” said Groveport City Engineer Steve Farst of the street repaving projects.
The Wirt Road pedestrian/sidewalk improvements from Heritage Park to Main Street are also planned to be completed in 2016.
Other future projects include: in 2017 – $625,000 for new water mains for Seymour, Crescent, and Delane streets; $100,000 for water services replacement for Front Street; in 2018 – $354,000 for Higgins Boulevard pavement reconstruction; $720,000 for north Center Street reconstruction; $385,000 to widen Groveport Road at the Groveport Park entrance; and $588,000 for water main improvements on Elm, Center, and West streets west of College Street.
Proposed projects yet to be scheduled include: State Route 317, Saltzgaber Road, Pontius Road intersection improvements; Groveport Road reconstruction from Swisher Road to State Route 317; Hamilton Road pedestrian improvement from the railroad crossing to Cruiser Park; Rohr Road/State Route 317 intersection improvements; and Toy Road pavement rehabilitation from Centerpoint Parkway to Swisher Road.
Other Groveport news
•Finance Director Jeff Green said the city’s income tax revenue is up 37 percent from this same time last year.
“It’s tracking really well for the rest of the year,” said Green. “Most of our companies in town are expanding, it’s looking really good.”
Green said the city’s income tax revenue accounts for 97 percent of the city’s budget.
•Hall said the city is considering prohibiting parking on both sides of Madison Street from the rear exit of the post office to Main Street in response to traffic issues in the area.
“We believe ultimately that is the safest solution,” said Hall.
Hall said, in her discussions with the Groveport postmaster about the situation, that the postmaster agreed a permanent solution is needed for the parking problems at the post office.
