FR to widen intersection

FORT RECOVERY — The village is moving forward with plans to improve traffic flow at one of its busiest intersections.
Fort Recovery Village Council on Monday agreed to contract with engineering firm Choice One for survey work and construction plans at a cost of nearly $12,000 for the widening of the intersection at Elm and Butler streets (Ohio 49 and 119).
It also got updates on projects at the wastewater treatment plant and Community Park.
The contract with Choice One is for $11,979 and includes survey work for the village to get rights of way and easements necessary to widen three corners of the intersection. The other corner at Monument Park has already been widened.
Village administrator Randy Diller has been in contact with property owners of the Shell gas station at the southeast corner, Fort Recovery Car Wash at the southwest and a residence at the northwest about the changes. They are willing to work with the village, he said.
The council has also discussed the possibility of changing the intersection, which is currently a two-way stop with through traffic on Butler Street, to a four-way stop or a stoplight. Those options are contingent on a traffic study Ohio Department of Transportation has scheduled for March.
Regardless of those results, Diller believes widening the intersection will make a big difference.
“No matter what else we do to that intersection from a signal standpoint, this really will solve a majority of the problems,” he said. “Even if we left the traffic flow like it is now, it will help … because trucks turning right will be able to turn even if there’s somebody coming from the other direction because they don’t need to cross middle lines.”
The village hopes to have the widening work done before ODOT is scheduled to pave Ohio 49 (Elm Street) in August.

Design is being finished for upgrades on two lagoons at the wastewater treatment plant, Diller said. He hopes to have cost estimates in the coming month.
He also will discuss plans for a possible expansion at Perham Egg with Dale Hart of parent company Cooper Farms.  A Perham expansion would require construction of a third lagoon to allow for more water capacity.
Diller also told board members Rod Thobe, Dave Garman, Al Post, Dave Kaup, Cliff Wendel and Dave Bretz bid packages are out for a new parking lot at Community Park. The lot, which will add more than 50 spaces, is estimated to cost $141,000 and bids will be opened at 10 a.m. March 12.
In other business, the board:
•Approved on third and final reading a pair of $5 license registration taxes, which will be paid when residents renew driver’s licenses and registrations.
•Heard Diller say he plans to advertise for a part-time grant administrator within the next two weeks. The position will initially be less than 25 hours per week.
•Reviewed the annual report that shows a balance of $2.51 million at the close of 2014. That’s up $535,000 from the previous year.
•Got reminders from Diller about a tax incentive review council meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, the Fort Recovery Chamber of Commerce awards banquet at 6 p.m. Sunday at Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School and a public hearing on annexation and zoning at 6:30 p.m. March 23.