Land purchases related to road work throughout Delaware County gained the approval of county commissioners on Monday.
Commissioners approved two sale contracts in relation to the South Old State Road widening project in Orange Township. The first involved the purchase of a parcel of land from Christopher Kopena of Lewis Center in the amount of $1,100. The Kopena property is 0.015 acres.
The second purchase was in the amount of $420,018 from Robert M. Sanders of Hebron, Ohio. The Sanders property is 0.927 acres and includes an existing house on the lot.
Chief Deputy Engineer Rob Riley said both purchases will be funded through the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
“This project is funded at 80 percent through MORPC-attributable federal funds,” he told commissioners. “These purchases would be covered under that.”
South Old State Road is a north-south connector that links U.S. 36 to Polaris Parkway (State Route 750). It also provides access to the Alum Creek Reservoir recreational areas. The total cost of the project is estimated at $17.2 million, $12.7 million of which will come from Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission funds, according to the county engineer’s website.
Commissioners approved two land purchases as part of the Sawmill Parkway extension project. A contract worth $18,000 with RS 42 North, LLC, and GML Holding, LLC, got the nod from the board, as did a deal in the amount of $106,163 with Sawmill-Delaware Investments LLC.
The commission’s agreement with RS 42 North is for a 0.343-acre parcel of land that will be used as a right of way. The contract with Sawmill-Delaware Investments is for 2.831 acres of land that will be used for a right of way.
The Sawmill Parkway project is scheduled to be completed in October 2016. Riley said the work in 2016 will concentrate on the area of Sawmill Parkway near U.S. 42 as well as the four roundabouts that will be located along the route between Hyatts Road and Bunty Station Road. The roundabouts will be located at Clark Shaw Road, Bean-Oller Road, Ford Road and Bunty Station Road. A new traffic signal will be installed at the junction of Sawmill and U.S. 42.
The purchase of rights of way for the Home and Steitz roads project in Liberty Township also gained the approval of commissioners on Monday. The board agreed to a sale contract with Glenn E. Miller of Powell in the amount of $10,502, and approved a contract with Jeanne and Brad Conrad of Powell in the amount of $17,500.
The county’s deal with Miller includes 0.034 acres for a right of way and 0.008 acres for use as a temporary easement. The agreement with the Conrads is for a 0.029-acre piece of land for a right of way.
“We have a couple of more remaining but, by and large, we’re just about done with the right of way acquisition on this project,” Riley told commissioners.
During their Nov. 23 meeting, commissioners approved a contract with Double Z Construction Co. of Columbus for improvements that will be performed at the junction of Home and Steitz roads. The total amount of the contract is $2,299,652.08. Work will begin in the spring of 2016 and should be completed by October of next year.
Riley told commissioners that the county will receive about $480,000 for the project through a grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission. He said another $500,000 has been secured from developers that have built subdivisions near the intersection of Home and Steitz roads.
