ThisWeek CW 06/23/2011
Canal Winchester and Columbus are moving ahead with joint surveying in connection with work on Gender Road.
Canal Winchester city engineer Steve Farst told city council’s service committee on June 20 that phase 2 of Gender Road improvements are under way.
“We’re working to provide (public works director Matthew Peoples’) office with surveys for acreage and warranty deed purchase negotiations,” Farst said. “We have a kick-off meeting with the Ohio Department of Transportation on Wednesday (June 22) because more than half of the funding is coming from the state.”
Canal Winchester will be the lead for design and coordination of the project, he said. Negotiations are under way for Columbus to perform construction management.
“This is an extremely necessary project,” committee chair Rick Deeds said. “I’m glad we’re spearheading it.”
A purchase of .08 acres of land at the corner of Winchester Pike and Gender Road is being planned, according to Peoples, for part of phase 2 of the Gender Road project, which may include a similar purchase by Columbus on the other side of the intersection. He said the finance committee will review the plan before it is sent on to the full council for approval.
Peoples reported that the bicycle path at the crossing between Walgreens and O’Charley’s on Gender Road is being rerouted because automobile traffic is currently using the bicycle path illegally as a right-turn lane. This causes a safety issue, which will be corrected by inserting a 90-degree bend, moving the bike path into the grass and away from the right lane of traffic, he said.
Urban forester Dick Miller said new adirondack trees will be planted in the median of Gender Road on Friday, July 24, followed by mulching and planting of annuals. The street tree advisory board will develop a plan for additional tree planting along Gender Road, he said.
Miller said wood borers have been identified in several trees in Canal Winchester, but at this point no emerald ash borers have been found. The trees must be treated, according to Miller, but there are no current plans to remove any trees.
Shawn Starcher, city division of streets manager, said his department requires the lease purchase of a new 1-ton truck for year-round duty, primarily for plowing and salting smaller roads and cul-de-sacs, as well as moving mulch and wood-chipping duties.
The lease purchase is the preferred option for the city, according to Starcher, and the $70,700 agreement with Ricart Ford Inc., through American Financial Network Inc. is for three years at an interest rate of 3.8 percent.
“Our big Kodiak truck is mainly for plowing, but this new truck can be used all 12 months and we can prolong the replacement of the big truck,” Peoples said. “The big trucks are over $100,000 to replace so we’ll delay that cost.”
Peoples also told the committee that the city will seek bids to expand fencing around the public works building.
The next service committee meeting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Monday, July 18, at Town Hall, 10 N. High St.