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Cuyahoga Falls council to vote against proposal for area improvements
By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal
Published on Friday, Jun 20, 2008
CUYAHOGA FALLS: It appears Cochran Road residents will keep their rural setting for now.
City Council is expected to vote against a proposal that would seek funds to improve utilities and the road when it comes up for a vote next week.
Without the council's vote, the city can't apply for the state funding that would pay for half of the $2.5 million project. Under the terms of the grant, the city would have paid 20 percent and residents would be assessed the remaining 30 percent of the tab.
Mayor Don Robart said if the city was even able to win the grant, work on the project would not have started until 2010.
Robart wanted the improvements to the road and utilities in hopes of attracting more jobs to the area which is zoned industrial.
But Cochran Road residents, most of whom have lived in their homes for more than 30 years, like the area just the way it is.
Robart told Cochran Road residents this week that even if the city had been able to secure the grant, he would have dumped the project unless another funding source could be found to offset the residents' portion — not including costs from the county for new sewer hookups.
''I know that doesn't solve all your problems and for some of you, maybe it's a small olive branch, but we will not go forward if it's going to cost you money,'' Robart told the residents.
Some of the residents asked for Robart's promise in writing, but others said money isn't the issue.
Ward 5 Councilwoman Diana Colavecchio, who represents the residents, said it's really an issue of protecting and preserving the nature of their rural area.
''If this was done at no cost to them, they wouldn't want it,'' she said.
Council members decided to kill the proposal when they meet again on Monday.
Robart said a ''no'' vote on the resolution by council would kill the city's chances of securing the grant.
He said he would abide by the council's decision.
''But obviously in today's economic times, jobs are where it's at, and that's what we're looking at, creation of jobs,'' he said.
Robart said the improvements would actually make the existing residential properties along the road more valuable and attractive for development.
The situation reminded him of a similar proposal years ago to improve Hudson Drive.
''We had an opportunity with the state to redo Hudson Drive at no cost to the residents,'' he said. ''On Friday, council was on board and we had the votes.''
But Robart said over the weekend before the vote a resident gathered signatures to protest the project. Council backed the residents and voted the project down.
''Today most of those residents are dead and Hudson Drive looks like crap,'' Robart said. ''We need to work for the long-term future of the community and do what's right for the community.''
CUYAHOGA FALLS: It appears Cochran Road residents will keep their rural setting for now.
Get the full article here.
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