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| Messenger photo by Rick Palsgrove |
| The golf cart suspension bridge at The Links at Groveport golf course was damaged by flood waters from Little Walnut Creek this spring and is now slated for repairs. |
The village of Groveport will contract with Shaw & Holter to repair the golf cart suspension bridge over Little Walnut Creek at the The Links at Groveport golf course.
Groveport Village Council approved the $26,200 contract at its May 12 meeting.
A heavy spring flood on Little Walnut Creek a few weeks ago badly damaged the 28-year-old, 120 foot bridge. In normal times, the bridge sits high above the creek, but in wet times Little Walnut Creek canquickly rise to a high level spilling out of its narrow channel and swamping the bridge and surrounding landscape.
Golf Director Tom Walker said the flood bent and broke some of the bridge’s vertical suspenders that hold the bridge decking. He said the bridge deck was also warped in places by the flood.
Repairs to the bridge are expected to take two weeks to complete.
Because of the damage, Walker said the course has been temporarily re-routed to allow for 18 hole play since several holes cannot be reached directly without the bridge.
Council’s other options for the bridge were to either put in a new bridge at an estimated cost of $400,000; or permanently re-route the golf course so the bridge would not be needed at an estimated cost of $50,000. In light of these numbers, council chose the less expensive repair option.
Income tax revenues set new record
Village Administrator Jon Crusey said the village set another new record for income tax revenues in April.
"We’re doing very well," Crusey told council.
The village’s income tax revenue for April was $1.54 million, which is $283,944 over April 2007.
"For the year, income tax collections are up $1.2 million over the same period last year and $1.09 million ahead of the 2008 budgeted projection," Crusey wrote in his report to council.
Year to date income tax revenue for 2008 is $5.4 million. The projected year to date figure for 2008 is $4.4 million. The year to date figure for this time last year was $4.2 million.
Twenty percent of the income tax revenues are put in the village’s capital improvement fund and around 40 percent of the additional income tax collections will be shared with Groveport Madison Local Schools in accordance with revenue sharing requirements, reported Crusey.
Bike path update
Council approved an ordinance to accept the transfer of two reserves of land from the Stonehenge Land Company in the Elmont Place subdivision. The land will be used for part of the village’s proposed bicycle path that will connect Groveport with Three Creeks Park. One reserve is situated just south of the intersection of Venison Way and Elmont Place and the other is a strip of land just west of Venison Way on the north side of Elmont Place.
Construction bids for the proposed 7,000 foot, 10 foot wide asphalt bicycle path project are expected to be opened on May 30.
The proposed route of the bike path extends north from Front Street straight to the Elmont Place subdivision following the right of way of the former Rarey Road, which once ran from Front Street to Blacklick Creek before being abandoned by Franklin County in 1929. Once the proposed bicycle path reaches Elmont Place it would curve through the transferred reserves in the subdivision to reach Groveport’s Cruiser Park (the soccer park). From there the bicycle path would proceed through Cruiser Park and then cross both old and new Bixby Roads to reach Three Creeks Park.
Village officials are optimistic that construction of the bicycle path could begin in the late spring or summer of 2008. The project would require a 45 day construction window.
Canal lands annexed
Council approved an ordinance to annex 42.8 acres of former Ohio and Erie Canal lands and adjoining railroad right of way that extend from Hamilton Road east to Rager Road.
Village officials noted the annexation allows Groveport to touch borders with Canal Winchester at Rager Road and block the city of Columbus from annexing land down between the two communities and growing to the south. It also allows property owners east of Groveport, located north and south of the proposed annexation, to annex to Groveport without having to include adjoining property owners.
