Oregon: Grant sought for Navarre Ave. improvements

By Press Staff Writer
Oregon City Council has passed an ordinance authorizing the administration to apply for an Ohio Public Works Commission grant for safety improvements on Navarre Avenue.
Paul Roman, director of public service, told council the project area stretches from Isaac Streets Drive to just west of Coy Road.
The project includes a median barrier and two new traffic lights – one at Harbor Drive and one at the entrance to the Kroger Store. A third traffic light will be relocated from the entrance to the Big Lots store and the Ralphie’s restaurant, which are located in the 3000 block of Navarre, to the Kingston Court apartments entrance, Roman told council.
The traffic light intersections will be widened to accommodate U-turns and have crosswalks for pedestrians and pedestrian signals.
The projected cost is $6.9 million.
“The project is fully designed and we are in the right-of-way acquisition phase,” Roman said.
The city has already secured $5 million in grant funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation from its safety grant program and another $600,000 from ODOT from its urban paving program.
The city is applying for $592,000 from the OPWC for the project.
“If we are successful with that then our total cost for the project will be just under $700,000,” Roman said, adding the city probably would not have to seek a bond to pay for its share.
In other business, councilman Terry Reeves, announced he will hold a hearing Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. in council chambers to discuss whether the city should renew its refuse collection contract with Republic Services or open the bidding process to other haulers.