After 15 years, contractor given six days to pave Dudley Circle
Developer Jason Wills signed a contract with the Village of Richwood in 2006 regarding a plan to complete work in the Dudley Circle housing project.
Fifteen years later, Dudley Circle residents are still waiting to have a paved street to drive on. Monday night, council decided that if Phase 1 of the project is not completed by the May 31 scheduled deadline, then council will take over the project.
Last summer, council invited Wills to a meeting in which he submitted a plan to complete work such as preparing the drive, hooking up the homes to the village drains, grading the street and installing the blacktop. Each month a portion of the work was scheduled to be done.
Council has received notice that some residents of Dudley Circle have contacted an attorney.
Councilman Reddy Brown presented a proposal from Park Enterprise Construction to lay blacktop on Dudley Circle. To help save the village money, the company proposed doing some additional work on Edgewood Drive, where there are several holes in the pavement.
The $21,000 price quote included grinding down the pavement, leveling the asphalt and resurfacing, all while they are there finishing the surface of Dudley Circle.
Council discussed how many other streets within the village are in worse conditions than Edgewood Drive. With the heavy construction equipment traveling on Edgewood to Dudley Circle, the street has suffered wear and tear.
Councilwoman Lauri Elliot Shea was not in favor of spending the extra money when other streets in the village need attention. She suggested that Wills get his project done by the deadline and then the village can prioritize where the most need is. Councilman Von Beal agreed.
A motion was made to honor the agreement with Wills and if the project is not completed by the May 31 deadline, council will take over the project.
Council members voting against the motion were Donny Ridgeway, Reddy Brown and Pat Morse. Council voting in favor of taking over the project after deadline were Lauri Elliot Shea, George Showalter and Von Beal.
In the case of a tie, the mayor has the deciding vote. Mayor Scott Jerew broke the tie voting for council to take over the project June 1.
Members then decided to hold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 1 at 7 p.m. at the administration office to discuss the next order of business in the Dudley Circle project.
A West Bomford Street residents asked council about installing a street light in the vicinity of the 260 block of the street. There is not a light at that end of the street and the police have been called for vandalism and mischief taking place. Mayor Jerew said he would contact Ohio Edison to see about installing a light there.
She also asked council about a huge tree on her neighbor’s property that over the years, the tree roots have caused damage to her fence.
She had boards that were damaged, coming out of the ground from the growing tree roots. When asking her neighbor about possibly removing the tree, she was told that if the tree comes down, then if she had homeowners insurance, it should pay for it.
Zoning Inspector Marion Bump was contacted regarding a permit to put in a new fence. She had to remove all the boards, replace the posts and install a new fence. Bump suggested she contact the village tree commission committee for their opinion. The village has no say on trees on private property, but they suggested that the resident contact an arborist to look at the tree to determine if it was a hazard. That way if the tree does come down, she would have notation about the condition of the tree.
Councilman Pat Morse reported to council that while driving through Richwood Park, he noticed a woman placing rocks from the rip wrap around the lake into the trunk of her car. When approached by Morse, he asked what she was doing and she remarked she was making a rock garden at her home and needed rocks. Morse told her that those rocks were property of the village and that they were not to be taken away. The police were notified.
It was also reported that the annual Bluegill Fishing Tournament will be held on Saturday, June 5 at Richwood Lake. Pre-registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. for children preschool to 15 years of age. Fishing will be held from 9 a.m. to noon.
In other business, council:
•Heard that people visiting the park are not picking up their trash, so a request has been made to include more trash receptacles be placed around the park and to remind guests to pick up after themselves
•Was informed that a letter to former village clerk Timothy Goodwin was returned as not claimed. Village Solicitor Alison Boggs will send another letter to Goodwin asking him to contact the village. Should that not work, then legal action may be taken.
•Was told that the residence at 17 Lynn St. was boarded up for safety reasons for the Union County Landbank;
•Heard that a gift from Marge Gamble was made to the village for the lighthouse project, the opera house project and the purchase of a bench for the walking path. Council accepted the donation with gratitude.
The next regular meeting of council will be held Monday, June 14 at 7 p.m.