Groveport Messenger - August 27th, 2023

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PAGE 10 - GROVEPORT MESSENGER - August 27, 2023 DestinationOutlets.com 800-213-9083 8000 Factory Shops Blvd. Jeffersonville, OH 43128 Aqua Ohio Proposes Another Rate Increase Less than a year after its last rate increase, water utility Aqua Ohio is again asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to increase water and sewer rates for more than 80,000 of its residential consumers in Ohio. If the PUCO approves Aqua’s request, its residential consumers will see another increase in their monthly bills from Aqua starting in 2024. Get involved by making your voice heard at the PUCO: In Person: Monday, August 28, 2023, at 6 p.m. - Ohio History Connection, Cardinal Classroom, 800 East 17th Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43211 Online: Click on “File a Public Comment” at bit.ly/aqua-rate-case-23 and bit.ly/aqua-ww-rate-case-23 By Mail: Send a letter referencing Aqua Ohio and PUCO Case 22-1094 and 22-1096 to: Public Utilities Commission of Ohio 180 E. Broad Street, 11th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 For more information visit: occ.ohio.gov/aqua-ohio-2023 OFFICE OF THE OHIO CONSUMERS' COUNSEL Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel www.occ.ohio.gov DOWNLOAD OUR MEMBERSHIP APP AD-AQUA-081523 www.columbusmessenger.com Visit historic cemetery By Rick Palsgrove Groveport Editor Step into the past and visit the historic Hendren Cemetery as the Groveport Cemetery Committee will open the gate to the cemetery for visitors on Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon. Hendren Cemetery is located in Groveport on the west side of State Route 317, about a half mile north of Main Street/Groveport Road and about a quarter mile south of the railroad tracks. Its gravel driveway on State Route 317 is protected by a locked gate most of the time because of the cemetery’s isolated nature. To enter Hendren Cemetery go southbound on State Route 317 and turn right at the cemetery’s gate. Do not turn left from northbound State Route 317. Groveport Cemetery Committee members will be on hand on Sept. 9 to answer questions about Hendren Cemetery. “We wanted to open up the cemetery so people can see the improvements made there,” said Groveport Cemetery Committee member and city councilman Shawn Cleary. Those buried in the Hendren Cemetery were early pioneers in Madison Township and Groveport. Their familiar last names are reflected in the area roads such as Hendron and Swisher roads. “They are the namesakes of Groveport,” said Cleary. “This is where it all started. There’s a lot of history in this beautiful cemetery.” Hendren Cemetery history We can only imagine what it was like the day in 1801 when loved ones held the funeral and burial of Joseph Flemington in what was the first grave in what would become the Hendren Cemetery. The mourners must have picked the spot because at that time it was serene and beautiful - a grassy knoll surrounded by trees and meadows in pastoral Madison Township. According to the historian George Bareis, Flemington’s grave is believed to be the oldest marked and recorded grave in Madison Township. Hendren Cemetery fell into disrepair over its more than 200-year-old history with many of its 35 gravestones scattered in the nearby brush, some of them broken and others eroded by time. Some of the graves showed signs of collapsing. The city of Groveport annexed the land that included the Hendren Cemetery in 1987. Then, beginning in 1998, city public works employees retrieved the gravestones, spread topsoil over the collapsing graves, seeded it with grass, and regularly mowed the site. In a 2005 interview, former Public Works Director Dennis Moore said the cemetery was originally marked by four oak trees at its corners and the 35 graves were arranged in three rows. The dates on the gravestones range from 1801 to 1876. Other restoration efforts at Hendren Cemetery included: the addition of a boul- Messenger photo by Rick Palsgrove Hendren Cemetery in Groveport. der with a bronze plaque containing all 35 names of those who are buried there, resetting some of the gravestones, and fencing. Today warehouses and State Route 317 border the small, rural Hendren Cemetery, but the cemetery is not diminished by these developments and it remains a place of peace and honor as trees and fields buffer the site from the modern world. (Note that the spelling of the name of the cemetery, “Hendren,” is based on references in Bareis’ book, “A History of Madison Township: Including Groveport and Canal Winchester, Franklin County, Ohio.” The cemetery has also been referred to as the Hendren-Barnhart Cemetery.) Groveport Cemetery A similar “open house” will be held at Groveport Cemetery, located on Wirt Road adjacent to Heritage Park and established in 1809, later this fall, according to Cleary. Last March a car crashed through this cemetery’s wrought iron fence and damaged several gravestones. Cleary said new replacement gravestones will be put in place in the spring of 2024. “The damaged gravestones will not be destroyed or discarded,” said Cleary. “We gathered up as many of the pieces and fragments of the broken gravestones as we could and they will be respectfully and honorably buried in the cemetery.” The Groveport Cemetery Committee also put forth before Groveport City Council a proposed ordinance to legislatively codify the cemetery rules. The committee wishes to strictly enforce the rules governing grave decorations in the historic cemetery. “The rules have been in place for many years, but some people are not following them,” said Cleary. “We need everybody to abide by the rules so the cemetery can be properly maintained. We want to maintain the integrity of the cemetery and keep it as nice as we can. Cemetery rules are posted at the cemetery gates and throughout the cemetery. The rules are also online at www.groveport.org/452/Cemetery. Earlier this year, the Groveport Cemetery Committee purchased software to create a digital map of grave locations in the Groveport Cemetery. Cleary said the project is about 75 percent complete. The digital map will make it easier for people to find burial sites and to explore history. “We encourage people to visit and walk around the Groveport Cemetery,” said Cleary. “It’s a beautiful place full of history.”
www.columbusmessenger.com Another suggestion for Wirt & Main Messenger photo by Rick Palsgrove The angled intersection of where Wirt Road meets Main Street near Groveport Elementary School has raised safety concerns. By Rick Palsgrove Groveport Editor The angular intersection of Main Street and Wirt Road continues to be a puzzle that both city of Groveport officials and residents are trying to solve regarding the safety issues there for pedestrians and traffic. Citizens have expressed concerns about the safety of students passing through the intersection’s crosswalk on their way to and from Groveport Elementary and Middle School Central. Others have noted that the busy intersection’s unique shape is believed to contribute to driver visibility problems as Wirt Road connects with Main Street at about a 40 degree angle. The most recent recommendation for improving the intersection came from Front Street resident Joellen Stebelton, who spoke at Groveport City Council’s Aug. 14 meeting. She suggested the traffic signal at Main and Front streets be removed and replaced with a stop sign only on Front Street at Main Street. Then, she suggested that a traffic signal be placed at the Main and Wirt intersection and a new crosswalk extended across Main Street to the east side of Wirt Road. She believes her idea fixes several issues. “Front Street has become a thru street,” said Stebelton. “People ignore the ‘no right turn on red’ signs on Front Street at Main and speed on Front Street. There is a serious uptick in cars flying by trying to beat the red light.” Stebelton added that recently she was almost hit by a vehicle while in the crosswalk at Front and Main streets and on the Fourth of July she saw a family of three almost struck by vehicle while in the crosswalk. “That is thinking outside the box,” Councilwoman Jean Ann Hilbert said of Stebelton’s suggestion. Groveport City Administrator B.J. King took a copy of Stebelton’s proposal and said city officials would review it. He added that currently there are no plans for a redesign of the intersection and that officials continue to discuss the possible shortterm and long-term fixes for the unique intersection. Past ideas for Main and Wirt Hilbert previously suggested the city institute a ‘no left turn’ from Wirt Road on to Main Street because it is difficult to maneuver a left turn there. Last year Groveport City Engineer Steve Farst noted that eliminating left turns from Wirt to Main and Main to Wirt should be studied carefully because its consequences could cause traffic problems elsewhere at other intersections in the area as drivers try to find a way around such a restriction. There is a building on the southwest corner of the intersection that makes it difficult for drivers on Wirt Road to see oncoming traffic on Main Street, so vehicles pull into the crosswalk on Wirt Road so they can see to make right or left turns on to Main Street. Years ago, city officials once considered redesigning the angled intersection of Main and Wirt. That proposal was to close Wirt at Main and instead create a right angle intersection of Wirt Road and Front Street. However, the idea was dropped for various reasons. Wirt Road was created after the Ohio and Erie Canal ceased operations in the early 20th century. The canal came through downtown Groveport at an angle from the northeast to the southwest. When the canal was abandoned, buildings were built on Main Street west of the canal route. Wirt Road sits where the canal towpath ran along side the canal and, because of this, the road maintains the same angled junction with Main Street as the canal route once did. Franklin County hopes to widen Rohr Road By Linda Dillman Staff Writer The Franklin County Engineers Office is hoping widening Rohr Road to three lanes from Bixby Road to a curve near Shook Road will bring the road into alignment with previous improvements. Following a 2019 study connected with new warehouse development, an eastbound left turn lane onto Creekside Parkway was deemed necessary. The new turn lane, along with subsequent road improvements west of a bridge crossing the railroad added to a growing list of improvements. A 2021 study of the entire Rohr Road corridor could result in more changes to the landscape if the county engineer’s office is successful in securing Ohio Public Works Commission funding for the majority of the $4.5 million project. The city of Obetz plans to participate in the project, along with a $1.3 million contribution from a developer. If funding is secured during the upcoming round of OPWC grants, construction could begin as early as April 2026. Franklin County Engineer’s Office Communications Director Carla Marable said the 2021 study evaluated the corridor as a whole and recommended corridor-wide improvements rather than rely on piece meal improvements on a development by development basis. “The results of this corridor study recommended a three-lane section was beneficial to allow for a two-way left-turn lane or dedicated left-turn lanes to facilitate safe access off and on this highspeed and high truck percentage roadway,” said Marable. A public meeting was held on Aug. 9 in the Hamilton Township Community Center to present details of the road widening project–850 feet west of Bixby Road to 100 feet short of Shook Road– to public officials and property owners within the affected area. Plans include widening Rohr Road to three lanes at the Rohr Road and Bixby Road intersection then tapering the road back down to two lanes over the railroad bridge. The road widens back out to three lanes from Creekside Parkway east before tapering back down to two lanes to match the existing condition at the Rohr Road and Shook Road intersection. The existing roadway would be completely replaced. Turn lanes, sealing and patching the existing bridge deck, storm sewer replacement, installation of curbs and gutters, crosswalks and ADA curb ramps are also included in the project. Engineers propose to maintain one eastbound lane on Rohr Road during the majority of construction. While engineers hoped to include lighting, a shared use path and bridge widening to accommodate the path, the cost was deemed too high to earn a favorable OPWC grant rating. “Over the last several weeks, we have determined that the construction budget of the project was growing beyond the proposed grant funding criteria,” said Marable. “We are still proposing crosswalks and ADA curb ramps at Rohr Road/Bixby Road and Rohr Road/Creekside Parkway intersections in order to accommodate a future path connection in this area.” According to Marable, if the county is not successful with their OPWC application this fall, they will try again next year. If the application is turned down again in 2024, it will be put on hold until the engineer’s office can identify viable funding alternatives. August 27, 2023 - GROVEPORT MESSENGER - PAGE 11 180 Days of Success I am thrilled to report that my first 180 days as your State Senator has tremendous momentum. My first sponsored bill SB21 was signed into law on June 30, 2023, by Governor Mike DeWine. My other sponsored bills SB54 (New African Immigrant Commission), SB 79 (Highschool Dropout Prevention and Recovery), and SB93 (Doula Services), are other bills were also passed through the final version of the state's $86.1 billion operating budget (HB33) on the 4th of July. I advocated to prioritize education, health care, housing and food security by investing resources in Senate District 3 that will positively impact mothers and babies, immigrant communities, children, and racialand ethnic minorities. The Ohio General Assembly delivered a remarkable state budget that combined record tax cuts for Ohio families and businesses, a record increase in spending on k- 12 public education, and expanded school options for Ohio families. This powerhouse package will promote increased prosperity and opportunities for all Ohioans. This 180 days of success demonstrates my commitment to improving the quality of life for hard-working Ohioans in the 3rd Senate District and across the state. When it comes to public service-RESULTS MATTER! So let's work together. Subscribe and follow me on social media for updates. SB21 Joint Sponsors- Senator Michele Reynolds and Senator Rob McColley with Senate President Matt Huffman Paid Advertisement
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Groveport Messenger - August 27th, 2023

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