Bexley wants public input on proposed College Avenue project
The city of Bexley will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, to discuss potential
improvements for College Avenue.
Bexley City Council gave service director Bill Harvey permission last month to seek funding for the project through the Ohio Public Works Commission.
Harvey requested up to $30,000 to prepare a grant application. He spent $10,000 to hire Koch Engineering to prepare the OPWC request, which is due by Sept. 8.
Harvey said he was almost certain College Avenue would be the project for which the city requests OPWC funding.
"College is definitely bubbling to the top," Harvey said. "It looks like the street that will most likely be approved based on the criteria the OPWC puts in."
According to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, criteria used by the OPWC to judge grants include physical condition of the road, number of crashes, public safety, congestion and compliance with pedestrian and bike plans.
Harvey said the city is asking residents to attend the public meeting to provide input on the proposed project. The city needs to hear any concerns before the OPWC request is filed, he said.
He said the city would ask anyone affected by the project to submit a letter of support, because community support is used by the OPWC to help judge grant applications.
He believes College Avenue fits OPWC criteria because it is a heavily used street in need of upgrades.
Water lines also are an issue. Harvey said a College Avenue water line needs to be repaired, expanded or replaced.
The city will meet with Capital University before making a final decision. If Capital plans to add dormitories, it might make sense to replace the water line, Harvey said.
City leaders have not determined how much money the city could receive from the OPWC, he said, and whether Bexley should apply for a loan and a grant. Cities that apply for grants receive more points from the OPWC committee if the city contributes some of its own money to the project. A loan would have to be repaid.
Bexley received an OPWC grant last year for work on Sheridan and Francis avenues that started this summer. The city received a grant of about $2.8-million and a $940,000 interest-free loan.
Bexley City Council gave service director Bill Harvey permission last month to seek funding for the project through the Ohio Public Works Commission.
Harvey requested up to $30,000 to prepare a grant application. He spent $10,000 to hire Koch Engineering to prepare the OPWC request, which is due by Sept. 8.
Harvey said he was almost certain College Avenue would be the project for which the city requests OPWC funding.
"College is definitely bubbling to the top," Harvey said. "It looks like the street that will most likely be approved based on the criteria the OPWC puts in."
According to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, criteria used by the OPWC to judge grants include physical condition of the road, number of crashes, public safety, congestion and compliance with pedestrian and bike plans.
Harvey said the city is asking residents to attend the public meeting to provide input on the proposed project. The city needs to hear any concerns before the OPWC request is filed, he said.
He said the city would ask anyone affected by the project to submit a letter of support, because community support is used by the OPWC to help judge grant applications.
He believes College Avenue fits OPWC criteria because it is a heavily used street in need of upgrades.
Water lines also are an issue. Harvey said a College Avenue water line needs to be repaired, expanded or replaced.
The city will meet with Capital University before making a final decision. If Capital plans to add dormitories, it might make sense to replace the water line, Harvey said.
City leaders have not determined how much money the city could receive from the OPWC, he said, and whether Bexley should apply for a loan and a grant. Cities that apply for grants receive more points from the OPWC committee if the city contributes some of its own money to the project. A loan would have to be repaid.
Bexley received an OPWC grant last year for work on Sheridan and Francis avenues that started this summer. The city received a grant of about $2.8-million and a $940,000 interest-free loan.
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