Friday, July 25, 2003
The project would improve access to a scenic area.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- An effort to improve a park area in Salem Township is stalled over the state's objection to a grant proposal.
Columbiana County officials are seeking an $85,000 state grant that will help pay for paving two parking lots along Eagleton Road near the Lisbon-to-Leetonia Greenway Trail.
The Ohio Public Works Commission is holding up the grant award because it says the money can't be used for just any type of parking lot, Bob Durbin, deputy county engineer, explained Tuesday.
State officials say the parking lots being paved must provide direct access to nature areas, and that isn't spelled out in the original grant proposal.
The county believes the project would meet the state's nature access criteria. It would provide a better place to park for people visiting the nearby Greenway Trail, a historical covered bridge and Eagleton's Glen, which is a Salem-owned patch of woods through which Little Beaver Creek flows.
Right now, visitors to the area must use a rutted, muddy lot, if they want to park close by. A second lot, surfaced with gravel, is available, but it's farther away.
The county is trying to reword the grant proposal so that it better fits the state's requirements for awarding the money, Durbin said. "It's a matter of terminology," he added.
County officials had hoped work would start in mid-August. The delay in getting the grant approved is likely to push the project back to September, Durbin said.
Sandstone wall
Besides paving the parking lot, the county also plans to construct a nearly 4-foot-high wall along one edge of the parking lot closest to the covered bridge, which is open only to pedestrian traffic.
The wall will be made from hewn sandstone blocks that the county has collected over the years when old bridge abutments have been replaced.
The intent of the wall is to enhance the beauty of the area and to prevent four-wheel-drive vehicles from entering an off-limits dirt path next to Little Beaver Creek.
In addition to the $85,000 the county is asking the state to contribute to the project, the county itself is preparing to put in another $15,000.
The county's share will come from its road and bridge fund, which gets its revenue from a gasoline tax and license plate fees.
leigh@vindy.com