The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
BREAKING OUT
City moving forward with capital projects
The city of Avon is on the cusp of a breakout year with a number of capital projects completed in 2016-2017 and more to come in the near future.
Fresh into his second term as mayor, Bryan K. Jensen is envisioning Avon as a forward-thinking city on a mission, harnessing its geographical role in drawing business and industry to the area through strategic planning and taking advantage of the highway interchanges.
In managing the needs of a growing population and maintaining a home-town feel, the city is taking advantage of opportunities to develop collaborative uses for city land in partnership with Lorain County Metro Parks along with developing new programs.
Improvements to the exterior of the Avon Aquatic Center got underway in 2017 with the start of the Every Child’s Playground.
The project, funded through a $42,500 grant from the Lorain County Public Health District and a number of community sponsors, aims to provide a space where kids of all abilities can play together.
“What we’ve tried to do is make an area where every person and child can go to regardless of what their abilities may be,” Jensen said. “And we wanted to make it where from a senior to a toddler, they can all go there and be a part of what’s going on over there.”
The mayor even got some positive feedback from his granddaughter.
“She came to see me and she started crying when we had to leave. That means we’re doing something right over there when kids are enjoying it,” he said.
Much of the equipment has been installed and the city is looking at expanding the area to include an area targeted to kids between ages 5 and 9, with many local sponsors already stepping up.
Building off the idea, the city rolled out the Avon History Walk in late 2017 in collaboration with the Avon Historical Society and the Landmark Preservation Commission, installing 14 display stations in the wooded area around the Aquatic Center.
Jensen noted the collaborative project is part of a growing emphasis to protect different parts of the city, pointing to the city’s acquisition of the Jameson Homestead and a piece of land at Riegelsberger Road and Jaycox Road to be turned into a park to combat flooding issues.
“We constantly look at that. Because that’s the only way, when people will look at Avon and say they want Avon to stop growing,” Jensen said. “People have a right to develop their property. So we can’t stop that. We always tell people ... if you don’t own it, you can’t control it.
“So if the Metro Parks and ourselves can get together and buy a piece of the property throughout, it’s never going to be anything but a park then.”
Jensen praised the foresight of Avon City Council in sharing his vision for moving the city forward and managing growth responsibly.
“I can’t do anything without the support of Council and Council has to see that vision. And I think they’ve been very supportive of saying, ‘we want to keep some of the small-town feel, but we realize the city’s going to change just like where anybody’s ever grown up.‘ They go back to that place again and it’s changed. So how can we change it?”
In 2017 the city completed the much anticipated $1.1 million roundabout project at Mills Road and State Route 83 in partnership with North Ridgeville and funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission.
According to the city’s 2017 Community Financial Report, in 2016, the city completed approximately $3 million in capital infrastructure projects including the re-location of the Chester Road and Route 611 intersection with funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The project aligned the road with Recreation Lane, and the widening along with new traffic signals has impacted traffic safety.
In addition, the city replaced more than 9,000 water meters in 2016 in an initiative to assist residents and the city in providing more accurate water readings.
Jensen said the city is expected to move forward with repaving projects on Detroit Road and parts of Jaycox Road with more projects in development. The mayor added the city has had preliminary discussions about adding a second roundabout at Nagel Road and Detroit Road following the success of the Mills/83 roundabout in improving the flow of traffic.