WEATHERSFIELD State loan is still an option

One resident continues to seek a solution to truck traffic on her street.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- Weathersfield Township failed to receive a state Issue 2 grant in the latest round of awards.
However, to pay for the $157,000 upgrading of Niles-Carver Road, the township can take out an interest-free loan for 10 years through a fund set up by the Issue 2 program.
Township Administrator David Pugh told trustees Tuesday the township can take the loan and improve not only from Salt Springs Road to Ohltown-McDonald Road, but also to the railroad tracks if it successfully submits the remainder of the project for Issue 2 funding next year. The tracks are on the north end of Niles-Carver Road, at the Weathersfield Township line.
"If we get that [the grant next year] we can get all of the road done," Pugh said.
Loan and bids
Trustees designated Pugh to submit the application for a loan and award contracts on the project. Bids on the work will likely be sought for next spring, unless MS Consultants of Youngstown, which is doing the design work on the project, recommends that bids for portions of the work be sought before the end of the year so work can start in early spring.
The upgrade will include paving, a new berm and new culverts, Pugh said.
Engineering is being done now so work can begin next year, Pugh said. Funding for the engineering would come from the loan. He added that a large amount of the drainage system will also have to be redone, but he could not provide details.
Pugh also said that he and trustees are looking into another source of funding to provide sidewalks for the project.
Trustee chairman James Price noted that between 8,000 and 9,000 cars travel Niles-Carver Road every day.
A letter from Trumbull County Engineer John Latell regarding a petition signed by about 40 residents of West Liberty Street, and given to the Trumbull County commissioners Sept. 2, said the county could not do anything about two of three items on the petition. It can't prevent use of West Liberty by any commercial vehicles or restrict their times of usage.
Darlene Keith, who said she passed the petition, asked trustees to arrange a meeting of county and state officials.
"Someone's going to get killed on that street," she said.
Latell detailed the history of the problems on West Liberty Street and said that "No through truck" signs were posted on the street at the trustees' request. Legal action by a company that was the primary user of the street at the time resulted in a court order to remove the postings.