Why Didn't I Know About That?

Concord Township

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Recently, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), which works with communities in Northeast Ohio in furthering infrastructure projects, has identified the Connector Road Project (Capital Parkway Extension) in Concord Township to be added to its Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) worth approximately $3.2 million in funds toward the Concord project. These funds will be come available beginning in July 2013 through 2014. GREAT NEWS!

The Connector Road Project relates to infrastructure improvements to be made along the State Route 44 Corridor near the intersection with interstate 90. This Corridor has seen increasing growth from residential and commercial developments in recent years. The University Hospital Health Center and TriPoint Hospital of Lake Health System employ over 1,300 employees as well as patients and visitors now using the Corridor. We have new residential units being built even through our tough economy.

There has been a 45% increase in population in Concord Township over the past 15 years! Chardon and other Geauga County communitiess which are among the fastest growing counties in the region, are also using SR 44 on their way to SR 90. Action is coming.

Concord Township is Excited about the State Route 44 Corridor Improvements

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:37:00 +0000

Traffic has been a concern for residents and those who travel State Route 44, Route 2 and Route 90 where they intersect in Concord. Since the opening of two major medical facilities, Lake Health's TriPoint Hospital and University Hospital's Concord Health Center, over 1,300 individuals visit the area daily. Housing and business markets have established the need for improvements to the infrastructure.

A major by-product of the safety improvements will be the establishment of the Capital Parkway extension. This will open up considerable opportunities for commercial development with added intersections on the West side of the State Route 44 Corridor. The Township has embarked upon a very focused approach to encourage interested developers in the creation of a lifestyle, multi-use, commercial Town Center at the corners of Capital Parkway and Auburn Road. Please contact the Township office with your questions or interest in developing this area (440) 354-7500. Ask for Jack Nettis, Administrator & Economic Development Director.

Concord Township
jnettis@concordtwp.com

ODOT Economic Development Roundtable at Lakeland College

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:51:00 +0000

Yesterday I attended the ODOT Roundtable meeting where we discussed the 2010/2011 ODOT Business Plan, how ODOT is contributing to our economic growth and the attentees' expectation as we move forward with regard to transportation issues that are affecting District 12 (Lake, Geauga and Cuyahoga counties).

We discussed many issues with ODOT engineers, planners and administrators with representatives attending from LeRoy, Concord, Gates Mills, Mentor, Painesville Township, Cleveland and more. I am going to post the information I learned from the roundtable in more than one post so stay tuned.

The Basics: District 12 is regarded as "different" than any of the other districts in Ohio by ODOT officials. Our area comprises multi-modal transportation systems more completely than some other districts and we are growing, changing and full of challenges. Our representatives seem to have a greater degree of communication with their associates at ODOT and a main complaint is that the communication often gets diluted as it moves up the chain to Columbus. All in all, our representatives feel that ODOT has significantly changed and progressed and try to accommodate District 12 for our betterment.

STAY TUNED IN. My next post will show you how you can get a piece of the action.

Let's Have A Conversation...

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Many of you have been following the progress of road construction and alteration by the Ohio Department of Transportation with respect to the Vrooman Road Bridge and the Route 44 -Auburn Road Interchange and the proposed road connecting Auburn and Crile.

ODOT is coming to town! I have been asked to gather input regarding transportation issues which are most important to you; our business community. This information will be reported to them and they will discuss how it relates to their 2010 - 2011 Business Plan.

Please email me at robin@concordleroycoc.com or please post on our Blog and questions, concerns and priorities you may have regarding this very important issue.

Thank you,

Robin L Brower
Executive Director
Concord Leroy Area Chamber of Commerce
http://www.concordleroycoc.com/

GET INVOLVED! GET THE WORD OUT!

US CHAMBER LAUNCHES Free Enterprise America

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:37:00 +0000

US CHAMBER FREE ENTERPRISE AMERICA

Vrooman Road Bridge Replacement

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:49:00 +0000

Vrooman Road bridge replacement plan has some neighbors angry about truck trafficPosted by Karen Farkas/Plain Dealer Reporter March 01, 2009 07:00AMCategories: Real Time NewsThomas Ondrey/The Plain DealerThe Vrooman Road bridge over the Grand River is scheduled for replacement in 2012.LEROY TOWNSHIP -- Plans to replace the oft-flooded Vrooman Road bridge with a $23 million high-level span over the Grand River valley have as many twists as the steep hairpin road.Irate residents. American Indian burial grounds. Ecological issues, since the Grand River is a state scenic river. And ongoing questions as to why a freeway interchange was even built there in the first place.After 40 years of debate about what to do, a new bridge is expected to be built in 2012, said Bruce Landeg, chief deputy engineer in Lake County."Our mission is to design roads and bridges safe for the public, and this is one that floods and is unsafe for traffic," he said. "We are at odds with those residents, but we feel we are doing the right thing."Vrooman Road's two lanes narrow as it heads north from its Interstate 90 interchange. The road descends into the valley, goes over the Grand River, then climbs a ravine to Ohio 84. It will be replaced by a 1,900-foot-long bridge 80 feet above the river.Planning is under way to determine where the bridge will end in Perry Township -- at Madison Avenue or Lane Road, Landeg said. But bridge piers will not affect the area by the river, and the north end of the bridge will be elevated over any areas that may have American Indian remains.Vrooman Road resident Debra Daiello, who lives south of the river, said she and her neighbors do not think a new bridge is needed and will fight until the first shovel of dirt is turned. They have a Web site and signs in their front yards opposing the project."We are not going to just roll over and say, 'Do what you want,' " she said.They don't want hundreds of trucks a day traveling through their neighborhood, and a high-level bridge might desecrate documented American Indian burial grounds, they said. The county should leave their road alone, they say, and build a new road and bridge to the east, through a right of way on Lake Metroparks land used for high-voltage power lines.Landeg said that is not an option. "For us to build a new road through park land is far more expensive and invasive to the wetlands and environment," he said.He said residents have known since the early 1960s, after the I-90 interchange was built, that trucks should be able to use Vrooman to travel north to Lake County businesses, although he has no idea why the interchange was built."It is virtually unheard of to have a county road off an interstate," said Landeg.Daiello said it is believed a politician involved in the freeway construction demanded an exit at Vrooman Road instead of Ohio 86, several miles west, because his parents lived on Vrooman.Development has bypassed the interchange, where the only business is a gas station. Trucks exit I-90 at Ohio 44 or Ohio 528 to go north because they cannot navigate Vrooman's steep grades and curves. The narrow bridge over the river, built in 1952, has a load limit of 16 tons.Chuck Crow/Plain Dealer fileSpring floods closed the Vrooman Road bridge in 2007.The river floods the road near the bridge about 30 days a year. But the bridge did survive the devastating flood on July 28, 2006, that destroyed two Lake County bridges over streams that feed into the Grand River.Those who live in the 18 homes on Vrooman Road relish their rural lifestyle. The road is bordered to the east by land owned by the park district.In 1968, local and county officials proposed joining Ohio 2 where it ends at U.S. 20 in Perry Township to I-90 via Vrooman Road, but the idea never went forward. They then focused on replacing the bridge. Plans that were developed in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s never proceeded because of reasons that included lack of money, disputes over how high the bridge should be and concerns that the north end of the proposed bridge would disturb the burial grounds and mounds."Today's Vrooman Road bridge project is the feasible heir," Landeg said of the project, which will be financed primarily with federal money. "Given this history, the residents along Vrooman Road knew about this or should have known about these improvements for a very, very long time."Chief Tecumseh Brown-Eagle, chairman of the Erie Indian Moundbuilders Tribal Nation, whose ancestors lived along the Grand River, said he has met with county engineers and residents."We sympathize with the residents but are pro-development," he said. However, he said the bridge should avoid any gravesites near Ohio 84 and Lane Road. Engineers should study using the right of way under the power lines, although that route could include undiscovered burial sites in the Lake Metroparks property, he said."They should explore all opportunities," Brown-Eagle said.Leroy Township Trustee Linda Burhenne said a new bridge is badly needed."I absolutely feel for the folks who live up there because it will change the quality of their lives if it goes through as planned," she said. "But realistically, between I-90 and Ohio 84 it is a pretty major route. If you do it, you have to do it right."The reality is it is not our bridge and not our road."
Posted by Alaina Maloney, CLACC Secretary at 1:13 PM

What does Regionalism mean to you as a business?

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:12:00 +0000

Regionalism in the case of the Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI) means that our leaders in Northeast Ohio are looking at doing things differently to compete more successfully in the global economy.

They are looking at things like:

Fiscal disparities between communities
Internal competition for businesses and people
Government fragmentation
Wasteful infrastructure spending
and more...

On May 1, 2009 I attended a well-attended meeting regarding the RPI. There were many sectors of the community represented:

Interested business leaders
Chamber of commerce
Township government
City managers
Mayors
Civic leaders
State Representatives
Ohio Representatives
Non-profit organization leaders
Sewer and water district representatives
Lake County planners
Summit County representatives
School superintendents
and more....

What were they discussing? PHASE 2 OF A MAJOR INITIATIVE that will affect us all and in addition to business is slated to affect the unconstitutional school funding issues we all seem to detest.

If you want more detailed information please go to www.neo.rpi.org

Please let me know your thoughts. We all want to know.

In addition, we need your opinion on a new initiative for a 16 county area in Ohio

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Hare you heard about the Regional Prosperity Initiative? Are you aware of what this may mean to your community? I'm going to bring you information and invite your questions.

Good Morning.

noreply@blogger.com (Robin L. Brower) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Today our Blog is ready for the world to see. We will be hosting a "Learn about it" meeting soon. Please let me know if you would prefer to save time and have webinar's available regarding issues you want to explore. We understand that in these trying economic times your day is scheduled tightly. Would you be interested in having some of the networking and learning events conducted on-line?