Plain City is gearing up for construction on Gay Street similar to last year’s Maple Street project.
Monday night, the Village hosted an “open house” informational meeting about the Gay Street Improvement Project to inform residents and solicit feedback.
Village Administrator Nathan Cahall said the project will entail a “complete reconstruction” of the street from Bigelow Avenue to West Avenue.
While the road will be repaved, “this is actually a water and sewer project that happens to have pavement on it,” he said.
According to Cahall, the project will be funded by the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC). The Village expects to receive funds near July 1.
Cahall said construction will likely begin between mid-July and the end of the month, with a goal of completion by the end of the year.
Gay Street is currently a two-way street with on-street parking. Cahall said the project will make the street one-way, with traffic traveling north to south, but still allow for on-street parking.
Once complete, Randy VanTilburg with engineering consulting firm the Mannik and Smith Group, said the street width will total 20 feet – a 12-foot driving lane and 8 feet for parking. He said this is comparable to Maple Street, which now features two 11-foot lanes.
Cahall said the design accomplishes two goals village staff and engineers have for the project: increase safety and complete the project at a minimal cost.
To ensure safety, Cahall said staff wanted to prevent the street from becoming a “drag strip.”
He said on-street parking will encourage drivers to slow down near parked vehicles.
Additionally, the project will create what Cahall called “bump-outs,” or visual cues to decrease speed. He said they are essentially a “grass version of curbed sidewalks” which make the road appear to narrow.
VanTilburg said the bump-outs aren’t likely to reduce the number of on-street parking spaces, because most will be near intersections where parking is illegal.
Aside from the finished product, Cahall said he wanted to prepare residents for how they may be impacted during construction.
He said Gay Street will likely be closed block by block as the construction progresses.
However, Cahall said access on side alleys will be maintained. He said the village will work with residents who may have mobility issues to ensure they still have parking areas near their residences.
Although closure dates are not yet set in stone, he said the Village will work to communicate with residents and prepare them before they are affected.
“Your street – it’ll be rough at times,” Cahall said, “It’ll look like World War III… but in about two weeks, it’ll come together.”
Cahall said he also wanted to prepare residents for the possibility their home is connected to a lead service line.
If Village staff discovers a lead service line, he said the resident will be alerted and asked for permission to take a water sample inside their home.
In the case lead levels are beyond what is considered acceptable by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cahall said residents will have two options to replace the line.
They can either contract with a plumber or receive an estimate from Plain City staff to complete the work. If replaced by Village staff, Cahall said there will be a “reimbursement agreement” in which the cost is added to the resident’s water bill.
He specified Plain City staff will only bring the new water service line to the foundational wall of the house, due to liability issues, so residents would then need a contractor to install internal plumbing.
Cahall also advised residents they may be on boil alerts temporarily during construction, but would be notified by Village staff as they arose.
Throughout the project, he said Village staff will be engaged with residents and keep an open line of communication.
“I see tonight as the start of a conversation,” Cahall said, while encouraging homeowners to contact him or VanTilburg, via email at rvantilburg@manniksmithgorup.com, with any questions or concerns.