Saturday, February 06, 1999
$13.6 million asked for road, water projects
BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Communities in Hamilton County could receive more than $13.6 million in state grants and loans to help pay for road, bridge and water improvements if the state approves a local recommendation for funding.
Seven communities, including the city of Cincinnati and the county itself, are asking the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) to begin funding 13 projects in the coming year that will carry a total construction cost of more than $25 million. Communities must pay for part of the project cost.
The 13 projects and seven communities were chosen from among more than 70 projects and communities that applied for the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP) grants.
The District 2 Integrating Committee, made up of local officials who assess the projects and recommend the ones for funding to the Ohio Public Works Commission, made their recommendations Friday morning.
The integrating committee recommendations generally have been accepted and approved by OPWC in years past. Funding for the projects also come from the Local Transportation Improvement Program (LTIP) which is money generated by the state gasoline tax.
If approved by OPWC, the money should become available by July.
The 13 projects include five city of Cincinnati projects for $4.2 million in SCIP and LTIP grants. North College Hill has been recommended for a grant for more than $446,000, Deer Park for a $129,000 grant and Norwood for a grant for almost $111,000.
Two water works projects for Wyoming and Lockland have been recommended for low-interest loans for $2.89 million and $2.11 million respectively.
Hamilton County is in line to have three projects funded with $3.27 million in LTIP money, including Delhi Pike widening and rehabilitation, Loveland-Madeira Road improvements and a bridge replacement on Blue Rock Road.
The county worked with the city of Loveland and Symmes Township, as well as their business communities and chamber of commerce, in applying for the grant for Loveland-Madeira Road.
Officials in those communities called it a cooperative effort in applying for the state funding.
“We need this road desperately,” said Loveland Councilwoman Paulette Leeper of the Loveland-Madeira Road project. “We worked together in an unprecedented fashion. We dug deep into our own pocket to come up with a match.”
The estimated cost of the project is $1.6 million and the communities and county are looking for $800,000 grant to fund the project.
“It's kind of novel, and it's obviously a benefit to all jurisdictions,” said Mark Fitzgerald, Loveland city manager. “I think it's a real good partnership because everybody who's to benefit is stepping up to the plate and kicking in.”
Mr. Fitzgerald said the road is undersized for the amount of traffic it handles daily, and the work will involve replacing a bridge and widening the road.
“Traffic is over-capacity for what that road can handle,” said Mr. Fitzgerald.
Since the program began, Hamilton County communities have been awarded more than $160 million in SCIP and LTIP grants and loans.
This is the 13th round of funding for SCIP projects. The program began when voters state-wide approved Issue 2 in 1987, which authorized the state to raise the money through the issuance of bonds.
Each year, about $120 million in SCIP money and $60 million in LTIP money is generated and distributed throughout the state, funding hundreds of programs.
Last year, said Mike Miller, of OPWC, 440 SCIP projects and 183 LTIP projects were funded in Ohio.
The District 10 Integrating Committee, representing an area which includes Clermont, Warren, Butler and Clinton counties, is recommending that about 20 projects totaling more than $10 million in SCIP and LTIP grants and loans be approved by OPWC.
The work includes road improvements, storm sewer work and water-line work.
head GRANTS REQUESTED
These Hamilton County projects were approved by the District 2 Integrating Committee Friday:
• City of Cincinnati: Hopple Street improvement, asking $415,000 grant.
• Cincinnati: Paddock Road improvements, $1 million grant.
• Cincinnati: Mehring Way work, $1.475 million grant.
• Cincinnati: Queen City Avenue widening and improvement, $1.237 million grant.
• Cincinnati: Lafayette Avenue landslide correction and road improvement, $480,000 grant.
• Wyoming: Water treatment plant work, $2.89 million loan.
• Lockland: Water supply and treatment facility improvement, $2.1 million loan.
• North College Hill: Ellen Avenue and Marilyn Lane reconstruction, $446,000 grant.
• Deer Park: Blue Ash Road improvement, $129,000 grant.
• Norwood: Highland and Orchard Avenue resurfacing, $110,000 grant.
• Hamilton County: Delhi Pike widening and rehabilitation, $1.87 million grant.
• Hamilton County: Blue Rock Road bridge relocation, $600,000 grant.
• Hamilton County: Loveland-Madeira Road improvement, $800,000 grant.
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