By Amanda Ensinger
Staff Writer
After months of negotiating, Franklin Township has reached an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on the West Broad Street maintenance agreement.
“We worked with ODOT to redefine our contract and have came up with an agreement that is fair for both sides,” said Jim Stevens, road superintendent for Franklin Township at a recent board meeting. “They will soon be widening this road as well, so this agreement is essential to begin that project.”
According to Stevens, the township will be responsible for mowing grass in the medians, removing snow and ice from the sidewalks and cleaning up the right-of-way.
The township previously had worked with ODOT on planting trees and flowers in the medians in front of Hollywood Casino on Georgesville Road. However, according to Stevens there was never a maintenance agreement, so eventually the property became overgrown.
“The plants that were planted there were not able to sustain the salt and died,” Stevens said. “Eventually all the plants were taken out and only grass is there today.”
Stevens said the new project will extend from West Broad Street and Interstate 270 to Wilson Road and will include widening of the road as well.
In other news, the township is celebrating the completion of the Havenwood Apartment paving project. The project includes the repaving of Westport Road via a grant the township received.
The $2 million project also includes rebuilding Lincoln Park Court and Nationwide Boulevard, as well as adding sidewalks to the area.
“All of these updates were located within the Havenwood Apartments community and have helped residents better access school buses and COTA transportation,” Stevens said. “The project is now completely finished and is a great addition to our community and the residents who live in this area.”
The total cost for this project was $2.1 million and the grant the Franklin Township received was for $2 million, leaving some funding Franklin Township covered.
The township also gave an update on potentially have one trash hauler in the township.
According to Franklin Township Administrator Mark Potts, the trustees are reviewing the bid options SWACO presented and determining if the township will be a part of the consortium.
“The trustees are looking at the cost to residents if we join the consortium and hope to make a decision in the coming months,” Potts said. “Our hope is by joining this consortium we will be able to give residents a better deal on their trash collection.”
The township has no trash agreement, so residents are responsible for coordinating their own trash collection. As a result, there is no unified collection of trash in the township so multiple haulers pick up several different days a week throughout the community.
The township could mandate that all residents participate in the program in an effort to bring one trash hauler to the township. Other communities that could be a part of the consortium include the village of Brice, Clinton Township, Madison Township, Pleasant Township, Sharon Township and Truro Township.
