By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
Several streets in the village of Urbancrest are slated to receive aesthetic improvements.
At its June 9 meeting, council unanimously approved a resolution which allows the village to enter into a shared cost agreement with the Franklin County Engineer’s Office to resurface three heavily traveled roadways.
According to Mayor Joseph Barnes Sr., the county will contribute approximately $212,000 and the village will contribute about $53,000 toward the resurfacing project for Augustus Drive and Central and First avenues. Barnes said it has been more than five years since these roads have seen any improvements and they are showing their “wear and tear.”
“There are some potholes on these roads and I’m pretty sure we have spent the same amount to fix those potholes as we are spending to resurface them,” he said.
He expects the road improvement project to be undertaken in the summer with the project lasting several weeks. He added he does not believe there will be road closures during this process.
The funding opportunity comes from the county’s small government infrastructure improvement funds.
During the discussion regarding road evaluations (to determine which roads are in greater need of repair and resurfacing) councilwoman Alicia Wiggins requested they ask the county about flooding issues on Augustus Drive.
Wiggins said it seems like every time it rains, the roadway collects enough water to create flooding conditions.
“Can we have them look at this issue (when they are here in the village)?” she asked.
Barnes said they will ask the county about the problem but added that the village often experiences flooding conditions. He said some of the flooding stems from allowing the city of Grove City to access a release value through the village’s storm system to carry excessive water levels.
Councilwoman Shawn Moore asked whether they needed to have their storm and sewer system inspected. Barnes said he did not believe it was necessary as it is regularly inspected by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Instead, he requested they ask neighbors not to blow their lawn clippings into the roadway.
In other news, Barnes announced that street commissioner Edward Banks resigned upon moving out of the village. Jerome Johnson will fill Banks’s appointed term, which expires Dec. 31, 2020.
The village has also implemented new rules in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Attendees of the council meeting will have their temperatures taken at the door and will be asked a series of questions regarding travel and contact with a known patient. Face coverings are also required to enter the council chambers; seating is limited in order to physically distance.
