By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
JEFFERSON — Ashtabula County has made the first cut in the application process for Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funds that will be used remedy a long-standing roadblock to economic development in Austinburg Township.
Ashtabula County is seeking $125,200 from ARC to match local and state money to eliminate a devil’s strip and build infrastructure at the end of GH Drive. Doing so will open up a 15-acre tract of land for development.
Albert Dispenza, director of Ashtabula County Department of Planning, told commissioners Tuesday that his department is in the process of submitting a full application to the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, which is the conduit for the state ARC money. Full applications are called for after proposed projects clear an initial review.
The roadway was plotted back in 1994, but development in the area resulted in a “devil’s strip” that has stalled extension. The county has not had the money to extend the drive and infrastructure needed to access land along Interstate 90 that is ripe for development.
The project has been estimated at $199,000, with about $48,000 of it coming from the Ohio Public Works Commission in its 2010 round of funding. Local money will make up the balance of the match. The Ohio Department of Transportation would be the basic agency for the project.
In other action Tuesday, commissioners:
n Authorized the sale of an obsolete, 1983 Mack single-axle dump truck, to Denmark Township Trustees. The truck, which had been used by the County Highway Department, was replaced by a new vehicle. It will fetch $4,000 for the county.
n Adopted a Courthouse Incident Response Plan to aid in communication and response in the event of an emergency. The plan was created for the safety of county employees, customers and facilities; it addresses actions to be taken to help prevent an incident from becoming a disaster.
Courthouse Safety Team members will provide training during a risk management meeting. Safety coordinator Crystal Sircelj presented the plan to commissioners.
Commissioners will not hold an agenda meeting today.
