Route 224 island plan draws crowd of critics

Most of those opposed talked about safety and access concerns.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Installation of islands along a portion of U.S. Route 224 would leave travelers stranded in a sea of danger and congestion, say some who oppose the plan.
About 60 people packed village council chambers Tuesday for a public forum/workshop on the proposal by Poland Town One Streetscapes to placed the raised boulevards along Route 224 from Interstate 680 to state Route 170.
Most attending indicated they oppose the plan because of safety or access.
When an emergency vehicle travels the road to reach a scene, either that emergency vehicle or the others traveling pull into the center lane to allow the emergency vehicle's passage, said Connie Coloutes, who owns a business along the road.
Ryan Wolfgang, a manager at Walgreens in front of which one of the islands is proposed, also opposes the idea.
"224 is a very busy, busy road, probably one of the most traveled in Ohio," he said. "All it's going to do is end up causing a wreck in my opinion."
Streetscapes points to aesthetics as a reason it's seeking the islands. Each island, or boulevard, would feature greenery and landscaping to soften the road's appearance.
Each raised strip would be 12 feet wide with varied length and width.
Larry Warren, Streetscapes president, said group members were at the public forum to hear people's concerns.
"We think it's a good idea, we think it's good for traffic and it's good for business," he said.
No actions
Village council hasn't taken any action on the proposal. The village planning commission heard Streetscapes' proposal but neither approved nor rejected the concept, said J. Michael Thompson, commission chairman.
The planning commission meets at 7 p.m. March 27 in council chambers and will likely discuss it further.
Not everyone who attended the session is against the island idea, however.
Frank Krygowski of Ohio Avenue believes the plan deserves more study. The islands would act as traffic-calming devices, he said.
"A wide expanse of pavement gives the signal to drivers that, 'I can go as fast as I want,'" Krygowski said.
A more narrow visual corridor would make people slow down, he said.
The islands also would make it easier for pedestrians who want to cross Route 224. They could cross two lanes of traffic, stop at the island and then cross the other two.
Susan Bryant of Massachusetts Avenue, however, is among those against the proposal. If Streetscapes wants to improve the appearance of the road, she suggested small trees and flower boxes along the sides of the road.
Fred Marchese of Beechwood Trail presented council with petitions that he said bore signatures of 300 to 400 people, residents and business people, who oppose the islands proposal.
Ted McCoy of Hamilton Avenue said he couldn't figure any benefit in the proposal.
"This is about as ridiculous as I can think of to put cement out on 224," McCoy said. "Just park some junk cars out there and leave them there. It makes as much sense."