Sidewalk project still in the works

April 23, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By DENISE DICK

Even if the village can’t reach agreement with property owners along U.S. Route 224, officials plan a sidewalk along the road.

In 2008, the village received a federal transportation- enhancement grant through the Ohio Department of Transportation to install sidewalks along Route 224 from the U.S. Post Office to Sunrise Assisted Living. Eastgate Regional Council of Governments administered the grant.

The village has spent about $10,000 in engineering, preparing for the project.

For several weeks, Mayor Tim Sicafuse has been negotiating with two property owners, trying to acquire the property.

The owners of one of the properties, Drs. Ronald and Lynn Mikolich, agreed to donate the portion of their property for the sidewalk.

The other, who lives in Lima, Ohio, sought reimbursement.

An appraisal put the value of the properties from both owners at about $60,000, said Joe Mazur, council president.

“There’s no way,” Mazur said.

The village can’t afford to pay that, he said. The project is estimated at about $73,000 with the village’s portion about $30,600.

“Council authorized me to get another appraisal,” Sicafuse said.

Village officials hope that the property owner will agree to a tax write-off for the value of the land needed for the project — between 7 feet and 8 feet.

The grant requires construction to occur this year.

“If we can’t get the land, I think we’ll still put in sidewalks from Sunrise to Audubon [Road],” the mayor said.

The grant couldn’t be used in that case, but Sicafuse believes the street department could do the work for about $5,000.