WILMINGTON — To better control stormwater ponding, a $190,900 contract was approved Wednesday for a portion of Wayne Road near the Lakewood Subdivision.
After the Wilmington bypass was built, a portion of the existing State Route 73 West roadway and right-of-way was turned over to Clinton County and it became a county-held road rather than a state route, Clinton County Commissioner Mike Curry said after Wednesday’s commissioners session.
Clinton County Engineer Jeff Linkous said the pipes in the area had been put in at various times while the road was a state route and drainage there was “never really engineered.”
“We’re hoping that this will help the drainage of that ditch, though it may not solve all drainage issues there,” the county engineer said.
Clinton County Commissioners agreed to contract with Jim Clark & Sons Excavating out of Lebanon for the work.
The Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) provided a $115,000 grant toward the infrastructure project; the Ohio Department of Transportation agreed to help with $30,000; and the remainder of the cost is coming from the Clinton County Engineer’s budget, said Linkous.
The project consists of new storm drainage pipe and ditching, Linkous added.
The water problem was concentrated along the fronts of properties, mostly residential and two churches.
The new system will be 1,000 feet long on the south side of Wayne Road and about 500 feet long on the north side, according to an OPWC document.
Wednesday turned out to be a day for commissioners to conduct business regarding flooding or identified flood plains: They also authorized a public review notice on two Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects that will take place in designated 100-year flood plain areas.
As decided earlier this year by commissioners, the county will use $28,000 in CDBG grant funds to help the Village of Sabina clear out roughly 7,000 feet of Wilson Creek along the north and east sides of town. Clearing debris from Wilson Creek should improve the creek’s flow and thus reduce flooding.
In a second CDBG-funded project, the Village of Blanchester will get $40,000 to install 10 fire hydrants in a residential neighborhood at the southern end of town. Currently, tanker trucks are used for firefighting in the Fairground Acres area.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768 or on Twitter @GHuffenberger.
