Crocker-Stearns work starts soon
By Jeff Gallatin
Westshore
Published Feb. 7, 2007

A capacity crowd at North Olmsted’s Community Cabin was told the Crocker-Stearns Road Extension project construction is about to start, paving the way to completion of the multi-million dollar connector project after nearly four decades of discussion and planning.

More than 200 people at the Jan. 31 meeting found out that the project work begins in earnest this week when many of the trees scheduled to be taken down in the estimated $13.29 million project start coming down. Construction is scheduled to begin in March, with a scheduled completion date of September 2009.

A wide variety of public and private officials involved in the project were in attendance, including several representatives from the Cuyahoga County Engineers office, Mayors Dennis Clough of Westlake and Thomas O’Grady of North Olmsted and city council members Nan Baker of Westlake plus Paul Barker, Nicole Dailey Jones, Michael Gareau Jr., Paul Miller and Ron Tallon of North Olmsted. In addition, other directors and officials were present from both cities as well as representatives from Fabrizi Trucking and Paving Co., the firm constructing the extension of Crocker-Stearns Road going from Center Ridge to Lorain roads. Stearns will also be widened from Lorain to Interstate 480 in both cities.

Mike Dever of the county engineer’s office moderated the session as audience members asked a variety of questions about the project with the public officials also presenting some basic information about the project.

Traffic concerns were present as a number of the questions posed by audience members were about possible problems there.

Project officials said they will be starting the North Olmsted work first and hope to have the initial portion of the work done within a year. Two-way traffic between Lorain and I-480 will be maintained at all times during the construction work. Officials also advised audience members to have patience because of potential traffic delays during the work.

Other members asked about making sure they had adequate access to driveways and their streets would be maintained. One angry resident reiterated a request he had made previously for a traffic light by Dorchester, saying he had not received adequate replies from North Olmsted officials about getting one.

O’Grady said the man had gotten answers, but not the replies he wanted. The mayor said he had inquired about getting the light when he was a city council member but found it couldn’t be done. He also said the city would have police officers enforcing traffic regulations and speed limits for the duration of the project.

Some audience members had concerns about drainage work or problems stemming from the work, while others were worried about the impact on land and properties in the area and how it would impact various homes and businesses up and down the construction area.

Other audience members inquired about possible effects of the work and completion of the project. The officials noted North Olmsted has set another public meeting for 7 p.m. Feb. 19 in the cafetorium in North Olmsted High School on Burns Road for a design and redevelopment strategy session about the project. The meeting will have a presentation on the preliminary recommendations for land use and development of the Stearns Road corridor, design of Lorain/Stearns Road intersection as well as beautification of  the Stearns Road extension. There also will be an opportunity for public input as well as a question and answer session. All the information will be used as officials  develop the design and redevelopment plan for the corridor.

North Olmsted City Planner Kim Wenger said later that unlike the Jan. 31 pre-construction meeting, the Feb. 19 meeting will focus on land use, design and development of the North Olmsted portion of the corridor. She emphasized the recommendations are preliminary and that the plan has not been completed yet.

“Once the plan is finalized, the city will move forward with implementation, which will likely include some rezoning of property in the corridor,” Wenger said.

O’Grady said later all the communities and officials involved have put a lot of work into the project and will continue to do so.

“Everybody involved has invested considerable thought into what will go on before, during and after completion of the work,” O’Grady said.