Residents want to block traffic from part of Toy Road

ThisWeek CW 09/04/2014

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2014/08/29/residents-want-to-block-traffic-from-part-of-toy-road.html

A group of Groveport residents has petitioned city officials in Groveport and Obetz, along with the Franklin County Engineer’s office, to block a portion of Toy Road as a solution to what they see as a growing issue with truck traffic.

A letter from Toy Road residents Andy and Laurie Lyles was delivered Aug. 25 to Groveport city administrator Marsha Hall, Mayor Lance Westcamp and city council members.

In it, the Lyles stated they have submitted a request and petition to the county commissioners and county engineer “to have a permanent barricade installed between 3320 Toy Road and Centerpoint Parkway.”

This would effectively block all truck and warehouse worker traffic from heading east on Toy Road to get to Groveport Road, either via Swisher or Saltzgaber roads.

The petition contained 51 signatures representing 33 households in the neighborhood.

As warehouse space and business has grown around the Center Point Industrial Park in recent years, Groveport officials have tried to send all traffic west on Toy Road toward Alum Creek Drive by erecting additional signs and communicating with the warehouses.

“We have installed all the signage we were able to and our police have gone out to meet with the workers and monitor traffic, so we’ve done everything we’ve been asked to do so far,” Hall said at city council’s Aug. 25 meeting.

She said she and City Engineer Steve Farst have met with the county engineer.

“His general concept was that he did not want to close the road, but I want council to have a chance to decide for themselves if they want to go against the engineer’s advice or not,” Hall said.

The Lyles and other residents have complained about trucks hitting their mailboxes and leaving large tire gouges in their yards because the road is too narrow road and was never meant for semi-truck traffic.

“I think the problem is that the trucks are just using their GPS and so they don’t pay attention to the signs,” Westcamp said. “This might be mostly an inbound traffic problem more than guys leaving the warehouses.”

In the Aug. 25 letter, the Lyles presented a suggestion supported by Obetz City Administrator E. Rod Davisson, that the two communities consider working together to connect Toy Road directly to Green Pointe Drive.

“I think you might remember that I’d come to council in the past to ask that we participate in a traffic study, and one suggestion was that Toy Road connect to Green Pointe,” Hall said. “We haven’t been able to do anything with that study because of funding.”

She said if residents want the connecting road, “it will require some planning and will be a long-term process.”

Council agreed to put the issue on the agenda for their next Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15.