ASHLAND — Ashland City Council has authorized a study of the existing sanitary sewer collection system along the west side of US 250 between U.S. 40 and Interstate 71.
At Council’s Tuesday meeting, members unanimously approved legislation allowing Mayor Matt Miller to hire an engineering firm for less than $56,469 to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing system and to provide preliminary engineering for an alternative future sanitary sewer trunk line to service the corridor.
The portion of U.S. 250 to be evaluated includes OhioHealth’s $14.3 million health center near the intersection with George Road. OhioHealth broke ground on the project in November 2019.
Additionally, Miller said apartments could be coming to the corridor.
“We don’t want anyone to feel alarmed out there. We have no reason to think we can’t accommodate all the projects that are underway, but as more activity occurs, we want to be ready,” Miller said.
When council members asked about whether or not there was concern that the analysis could come back negatively, the mayor assured them that was not the case. This is an active effort to better understand the current state of the sanitary sewer system and its potential needs for further growth along 250, the mayor said.
In the area to be assessed, there are two lift stations. Both were installed in the mid-1980s, and the mayor said the city is aware they are affected to some extent during heavy rain.
He wondered if updates to those two existing lift stations could add capacity by addressing the infiltration.
The U.S. 250 Corridor Sanitary Sewer Study Project could answer that and other questions.
Wells Road Extension
Ashland City Council also unanimously passed legislation allowing the mayor and service safety director to go out to bid for the Wells Road extension project.
More than $600,000 in grants have already been secured for the $1.2 million project, which would extend Wells Road to U.S. 250.
“That will open up a whole lot more acreage,” Miller said.
Read our coverage of last council meeting, where the extension was also discussed.
Other items:
— Miller responded to the concerns about parking that had surfaced recently during an Ashland Main Street meeting, where early survey results were shared. Parking was the top priority fix needed in downtown, according to the results.
He shared that there are plans for “significant improvements” planned for existing parking lots, including the one off Claremont near downtown, and that a conversation has been held with Ashland City Police about potentially bringing back a parking enforcement officer.
He said could be more to come.
— Several council members shared messages from Ashland residents.
Council president and first ward councilman Steve Workman brought up concerns he’s heard about “donation dropboxes” and how they may not “fit with the overall cleanup of the city.”
At-large councilman Dan Lawson reported a complaint from a college student about a city sidewalk.
Second ward representative Robert Valentine mentioned a resident’s request for Park Street in Ashland to be among streets to pave this upcoming year.
Fourth ward councilwoman Angela Woodward praised Ashland City School District’s school resource officer Jarvis Landry for his efforts connecting with students, specifically through his new hulk gloves.
