Village marks towering feat

If you want to see one of Madison Village government’s major accomplishments this year, just drive by the Interstate 90/Route 528 interchange and take a look at the landmark water tower.

You’ll notice that part of the famous carousel design on the tower is covered with white paint, which at first glance might seem insignificant to uninformed passers-by.

But that white paint actually is marking the start of transforming the water tower into a welcome area for tourists and a destination symbol for the Grand River Valley region.

About 60 percent of the tower has been repainted, Madison Village Administrator Dwayne Bailey said on Nov. 30.

“But (the contractors) can’t paint when it gets below a certain temperature,” he said, adding that with winter approaching, the contractors decided to put the project on hold and will finish it in the spring.

When the paint job is completed, it will conclude the first phase of a project to expand the water tower’s traditional role as simply an iconic landmark. Instead, plans call for the tower and its adjacent property to serve as a stop-off point, where visitors can view informational postings about the Grand River Valley, wineries, waterways, parks and other attractions in the region.

A ceremony was held on Oct. 15 to kick off Phase 1 of restoring the 128-foot tall, 90-year-old tower. About two dozen people gathered at the site for the event, where it was announced a fundraising drive secured enough money to paint the tower as well as perform rust mitigation and an antifungal treatment on the structure.

“We definitely got the most difficult part taken care of,” Bailey said, noting that the tower was starting to deteriorate quickly.

The village and the Lake County Visitors Bureau have been working together since 2017 to restore the tower and save it from demolition. Several other community groups, including the Madison Community Improvement Corp. and Madison Merchants, also played a pivotal role in raising substantial amounts of money to ensure the water tower’s survival.

Bailey said another 2018 highlight for Madison Village was the outstanding

performance by new Police Chief Troy McIntosh.

McIntosh was appointed as chief in late December and is wrapping up his first full year of heading the department.

“He hit the ground running and hasn’t slowed down,” Bailey said.

McIntosh expanded the Police Department’s staff earlier this year with the hiring of a full-time patrol officer. That increased the village’s number of full-time patrol officers to five. Although that group recently dropped to four with the unexpected death of Officer Michael Huffman in November, McIntosh said he intends to fill Huffman’s slot with another full-time patrol officer.

In regarding to 2019 goals, the village will continue to focus its efforts on transferring its water and sewer utilities to the Lake County Department of Utilities.

Before the transfer occurs, Madison must fulfill certain requirements, according to the Department of Utilities. For wastewater, a connection to the county system must be made. This includes the installation of roughly 3,500 feet of sanitary sewer, an upgrade of the existing Hubbard Road lift station, a force main improvement and the purchase of capacity at the county’s Madison Wastewater Treatment Plant.

To help pay for these improvements, the village has applied for two loans, totaling $7.2 million, from the

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

“Ohio EPA is reviewing the requests,” said agency spokeswoman Dina Pierce.

When the transfer of utilities is completed, Madison’s 1,400 residential and business customers will see noticeable decreases in their water and sewer bills, said Lake County Sanitary Engineer Randy Rothlisberger, in a previous News-Herald story.

He said water bills could be reduced by as much as half. Sewer bills could be reduced by 10 percent to 15 percent.

Bailey also cited environmental benefits of the agreement, since it will allow Madison to retire an aging wastewater treatment plant that discharges into an atrisk watershed.

Also in 2019, the village will partner with Lake County to rebuild and widen Dayton Road between South Ridge and River roads.

“The road is pretty old and narrow, “Bailey said. “We’ll bring it up to modern standards for width and back the aprons off a bit.”

Bids for the project will be sought in the spring, he added.

Village government leaders also are looking forward to the opening of two new hotels near the I-90/Route 528 interchange in 2019.

The Holiday Inn Express and Suites, at 181 Water Tower Drive, is expected to hold its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Feb. 13. Hampton Inn, located just east of the Holiday Inn, is slated to open in May, but Bailey senses that the launch date could take place sooner.

“They’ve really been working quickly (on Hampton Inn),” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see them beat that (projected May opening).”

BILL DEBUS — THE NEWS-HERALD A new coat of white paint covers a portion of the Madison water tower, which is viewed on Dec. 3 looking south on Route 528 toward Interstate 90, near McDonald’s. The paint is being applied to the structure in the first phase of a project to turn the tower site into a welcome area for tourists. With winter approaching, the paint project recently was put on hold and will be completed in the spring.