Wadsworth likely moving forward with waterline project

WADSWORTH — Roughly 3,000 feet of waterline along Valley View Drive and Baker Street will likely be replaced in the coming months. Wadsworth City Council voted Tuesday to move legislation to a second of three readings authorizing bids for the work with costs expected to total more than $900,000. In addition to replacement of the 65-year-old cast iron water main, the project includes $72,000 in sewer line repairs and $22,000 for repairs to storm sewer lines and catch basins. Roughly $75,000 in street slab repairs were included in earlier plans as part of an original $1.1 million total project cost, but that aspect of the work has been taken out completely and will be revisited in the future. City Public Service Director Robert Patrick said that many trees in the work area will need to be removed but that new ones will be installed in their place. "There's a number of the trees that are problematic, even if they look nice," he said. "They're all about the same size but there's many issues with them. Many of them need removed just based on age and the condition of sidewalks. They definitely need to be removed to carry this project out." There is currently $800,000 budgeted for the work. Half of that total would be borrowed with the remainder coming through $294,730 in cash and a $106,270 Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) zero-percent interest loan. Work is set to stretch down Valley View Drive starting at West Street before extending north and south on Baker Street and continuing on Valley View up to High Street. Officials had hoped to carry out the project this summer to have it completed by the start of school in the fall but talks then centered on a possible delay due to economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new waterline must be installed by mid-2021 in order to maintain OPWC funding. In other news Council moved a proposed annexation of 81.9 acres of land on Reimer Road from Wadsworth Township to a third and final reading. Girard-based Universal Development has informed city officials it would use the land for a gated community marketed toward "empty nesters." Company president Ron Anderson told Council that home density on the site would be three units to an acre and the community would maintain its own streets while making use of public sewer and water utilities. A zoning change that will allow United Methodist Church, 195 Broad St., to construct a new storage facility for Boy Scouts was unanimously approved by council, switching two city lots at 221 Broad St. from R4 residential to C1 commercial status. Changes will go into effect in 30 days. The lots make up a parking area across the street and directly to the east of the church. Before that parking lot was constructed, the location was home to Wadsworth's Methodist parsonage house and has since been designated a historic landmark. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330)721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.