2011 Street Repairs
Batsey Drive - entire street
Christel Avenue - 2306 Christel Ave. only
Creek View Drive - Batsey Drive to Marshall Road
Ellen Drive - Wildwood Road to Manchester Road
Elwood Street - Verity Parkway to Wilbraham Road
Florence Street - Sherman Street to McGee Avenue
Highland Stree - Roosevelt Boulevard to Selden Avenue
Main Street - First Avenue to 11th Avenue
McKnight Drive - entire street
Shafor Street - University Boulevard to Central Avenue
Wilbraham Road - Wrenn Street to Germantown Road
*Source: City of Middletown
MIDDLETOWN — Nearly $1.1 million in street repairs are planned for city streets this year, but homeowners will have to foot the bill for any concrete work.
City Council will consider legislation regarding possible assessments to 450 property owners along the 10 streets slated for improvements at its April 19 meeting.
The city will be requiring homeowners to repair any defective driveway aprons, curbs, sidewalks and gutters as part of Middletown’s 2011 Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter Program.
Residents can choose to hire someone to make repairs or leave the work to a company hired by the city.
The repairs would then be collected as a lump sum or through a five-year property tax assessment, said Public Works Director Dave Duritsch.
The costs vary by property and are determined based on the amount of concrete damage.
While some homeowners may incur no costs, prices escalate to as much as $4,995 per property, Duritsch said.
Concrete work must be completed before the city can begin repaving.
Duritsch said pavement work will likely begin in July and end in October 2011.
Jason Tarter, who lives on a corner lot at 109 Batsey Drive, is among property owners less than thrilled about the pending repair costs.
He said any necessary repairs are the city’s responsibility.
“All I’d like to see them do is blacktop the road. They take enough taxes for that,” he said.
“I think this is their job, myself,” he said of the plethora of spray-painted “Xs” along his driveway and curb to mark the repairs he’ll have to make.
Residents welcome pending street repairs
Two days after moving back to Middletown from New York City, Paul Clifton said he’ll be glad to see the city fix his street — Creek View Drive — “as long as it doesn’t end up looking like (Interstate) 75” in the process.
Creek View Drive is among the streets slated for repair in $1.1 million citywide project, which will include paving, water line, storm water and concrete repair work where needed. But, if there is defective concrete along a property, the homeowner will be assessed for that work.
It’s estimated the concrete repairs will cost a total of $343,278; however, Public Works Director Dave Duritsch said homeowners can choose to make the repairs themselves or be assessed the cost for the city to complete the work through property taxes.
Even though Shirley Jones said “money is tight” right now, she is glad the city will be making repairs on Creek View Drive where she lives.
“We have a couple of big holes here,” she said, pointing to several potholes filled with water near the end of her driveway. “(The city) has patched it a few times since we’ve been here but more is needed.”
Several white “X” spray paint marks delineate where Jones will need to make repairs on her driveway apron.
She’s debating whether it will be cheaper to have the city do the work, but either way she said she agrees “it needs to be done.”
Jones said she also has family on Ellen Drive, where repairs also are scheduled. “That street is in much worse shape” than her own, she said.
City Council must approve a “resolution of necessity” for designated homeowners to be assessed concrete costs.
Members will consider the legislation at the April 19 meeting. If passed as an emergency, notices would be sent to property owners this month.
A list of affected owners and the estimated costs for the repairs can be found in the April 5 City Council Workbook online at cityofmiddletown.org or by requesting a copy of the legislation at (513) 425-7719.
Fortunately for Clifton, he lucked out with the driveway as no spray paint stains his family’s property. Clifton said he’s proud of the concrete work, and remembers pouring each block of cement with his father when he was 12.
But as for the road, Clifton said, “Creek View has been due for six or seven years.”
Cost breakdown
Of the estimated $1.1 million it will cost Middletown to complete the road repairs, $650,000 will be covered through an Ohio Public Works Commission grant. The remaining $450,000 will be paid through Middletown’s city, storm water and water capital improvement programs, Duritsch said.
These costs will include milling and filling about three inches of concrete for most roadways.
Any handicap ramps will be replaced to Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Duritsch also said the water line on Ellen Drive will be replaced.
The $343,278 estimated to be assessed for concrete work is not included in the project totals, according to the city.
Time frame for repairs
How soon the city will begin work will depend on City Council.
Duritsch presented the legislation as an emergency resolution in order to more quickly send notices to residents about the assessments, thereby speeding up the construction process.
However, a potential conflict of interest for Mayor Larry Mulligan and Councilman Josh Laubach may require the resolution be passed as a second reading, which would not allow the city to send out notices until May.
City officials expect to receive a ruling on the issue by the Ohio Ethics Commission by the April 19 meeting.
Mulligan, who lives on Main Street, will be assessed an estimated $987.08 and Laubach, who has property abutting Fleming Road, will be assessed an estimated $486.88 for concrete work, according to city records.
Duritsch said the repairs to sidewalks, curbs and gutters are scheduled to be “substantially completed” prior to paving work.
The city should begin repaving streets in July and complete the project around October 2011.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.
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