5/17/2012 - South Side Leader
     

SPRINGFIELD — Plans for improvements to a stretch of Canton Road in Springfield and Lakemore are changing, and the project is being held up for a variety of reasons.

Joseph Paradise, deputy director of engineering services for the Summit County Engineer’s Office, attended the May 10 Springfield Board of Trustees meeting to announce the original plans prepared in June 2008 are “being updated to consider changes made to the project scope of work since that time.”

Those changes include eliminating the planned improvements between Arcadia Road and Meadow Drive located just inside the borders of Lakemore Village north into Springfield to East Waterloo Road from the county project. Instead, they will be included in an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) sponsored project that includes improvements to the state Route 224/state Route 91 (Canton Road) intersection.

The Arcadia Road and Meadow Drive work involves realigning the two to remove the offset at the intersection with Canton Road.

Paradise said ODOT still is in the planning stages of the intersection project, and it is not likely to start until next spring at the earliest.

The original plans to widen Canton Road between Sanitarium Road and Brittany Boulevard in Lakemore to four lanes will remain intact, according to Paradise.

Also, a proposed 8-foot-wide asphalt sidewalk on Canton Road between Sanitarium Road and the Tri-County Plaza and a 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk between the plaza north to Arcadia Road and Meadow Drive will be placed on the west side of Canton Road, according to Paradise.

Paradise added that reducing the existing roadway profile on Canton Road near Ocepek Pottery to improve site distance and safety for motorists also is not likely to get done because “the money is not there.”

Other areas of work to be decided upon include where four lanes will come together with a fifth lane at Brittany Boulevard to improve water runoff, with discussion on which side to take property from to turn a stretch of the road from four 10-foot lanes into five 12-foot lanes continuing, said Paradise.

Paradise stated engineers are focusing on minimizing costs and inconvenience to area businesses in planning for the improvements.

“Everything is dependent on determining the costs [of the work] and finding federal funds for the project, but we do expect to be waiting on the ODOT intersection work,” said Paradise. “This work is not fully funded, and we will have to scramble to get more money.”

Plans to install a traffic light on Canton Road at Springfield Lake Drive are on schedule, with the work guaranteed through $100,000 in funds set aside for the project, according to Paradise. He also said that work is likely to be completed in October.

Paradise stated a public hearing on the project would take place before work begins.

In other business at the meeting, trustees presented one $1,000 Time Warner Cable franchise fee scholarship each to Springfield High School students Bridget Castle, Robert Large and John McMullen. According to trustees, Castle plans to study speech and hearing science at The Ohio State University; Large plans to study broadcast journalism at Bowling Green State University; and McMullen plans to attend Stark State College to begin his studies to become an oncology pharmacist.

Also at the meeting, trustees approved:

• a $16,507 purchase order representing the 2 percent share of the Time Warner Cable first quarter franchise fee;

• for the Fire Department, the purchase of six mattress sets from Wayside Furniture at a cost of $2,016, two truck tires from Wingfoot Commercial at a cost of $1,041, four squad coats at a cost of $1,200, as well as approval to apply for a Department of Homeland Security grant;

• for the Police Department, the purchase of two Tasers and holsters, 100 training cartridges, 50 duty cartridges and other equipment at a total cost of $5,292, with Lakemore to be billed 20 percent of the costs not including the Tasers ($732); and $2,212 in training/duty ammunition from Kiesler Police Supply, with Lakemore to be billed 20 percent of the total ($442); and

• a list of roads to be chipped and sealed, including: Delaware and Hillstock avenues; Farmdale, Kurtz, Mallard, Toepfer and Shadybrook roads; Gregory, McCarty, Nichols and Overlook drives; Garden Place; and Park Street. A concrete panel replacement will take place in Connecticut Court Estates.

The next trustees’ meeting is set for May 24 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2459 Canfield Road.

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