Environmental concerns delay Lordstown Bike Trail

By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- Construction of the Lordstown Bike Trail has been put on the far back burner because of environmental engineering costs that include a concern for endangered species.
Ron Barnhart, Lordstown planning and zoning administrator, informed the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District of the pullback during Wednesday's MVSD board meeting.
Barnhart said the village is not abandoning the project. A portion of the trail would run through the northern section of MVSD property.
The cost of engineering has increased from an estimated $100,000 to $1 million, partially because the trail can't infringe on land that might be inhabited by the Indiana bat or Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake.
The village would pay 40 percent of the engineering work, thus the community would be responsible for $400,000 of the cost.
Other associated costs include acquiring easement agreements and drilling holes to protect artifacts such as Indian arrowheads.
Mayor Michael A. Chaffee said the project has been frustrating because of the increased costs.
"It kind of has killed the project for now," Chaffee said.
Where it would go
The 6.1-mile trail would follow state Route 45 from the center of the village down Salt Springs Road, where it will eventually tie into the Western Reserve Greenway Trail, part of which will be constructed in Niles.
When completed, the Western Reserve Greenway Trail would run for 100 miles along abandoned railroad lines in Mahoning, Columbiana, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, from Lake Erie to the Ohio River.
Portions have been opened over the past few years.
Chaffee said other communities involved in the project have managed to keep engineering costs down because the trail runs along abandoned railroad tracks.
In Lordstown, the trail would run through undisturbed land, thus the increased environmental concerns.
Also, the mayor explained, the village has other projects such as constructing sanitary sewers on the east end of the village.
Roof repairs
In other MVSD business, the estimated cost to repair the district's "head house" roof has increased from $1.17 million to $1.48 million.
Tom Holloway, district chief engineer, said the facility houses chemicals, chemical mixing equipment and two settling tanks.
It is the largest building the MVSD owns, he said.
Holloway told the board that the project will be advertised for bids. If the bids come in at the higher estimate, the district will most likely seek an increase in the rate structure to pay the difference.
yovich@vindy.com