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CCCRD related NEWS
ITEMS:
Read a Wilmington News Journal
column on the bypass (click
here) ; read a letter to the Wilmington News Journal
Editor (click
here) .
Wilmington
News Journal letters to the editor provide some different views
and aspects relative to the Wilmington bypass. The dates
relate to when the letters appeared in the
WNJ:
04/02/05
(click
here)
04/06/05 (click here)
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What are the Wilmington Mayor's thoughts on the
Wilmington bypass? What is the need? What is
the solution?
Read "Bypass Critical to Downtown"
Wilmington News Journal, Monday, February 21, 2005. Please:
(click here)
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The following are
recent site UPDATES:
4/25/2007 -- Updated/Revised "About Us" page
(officers) -- (click here)
3/7/2007 -- Updated
-- meeting info -- (click here)
2/1/2007 -- Updated "Contacts List" -- (click here)
1/28/2007 -- Added "Access Point Detail" page -- (click here)
1/15/2007 -- Added "MEMBER" page &
membership info -- (click
here)
10/16/2006 -- Revised
-- Nov. 13 public meeting info -- (click
here)
10/5/2006 -- Added
-- commissioner's Oct. 4 meeting
info -- (click
here)
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From: WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL,
By Guest Columnist: Cynthia Merchant
ODOT’S
BYPASS ANALYSIS OVERLOOKS BETTER ALTERNATIVE ROUTE
The Ohio
Department of Transportation is deliberately focused on a single
corridor for the proposed Wilmington bypass to the exclusion of
other feasible route alternatives. Specifically, ODOT’s narrow
planning approach overlooks the possibility of a direct route
between the Wilmington Airpark and I-71, an alternative that is more
cost-effective and less disruptive to landowners than ODOT’s
preferred east-west bypass.
I am a
member of Clinton County Citizens for Responsible Development
(CCCRD), a group of Clinton County residents working to ensure
appropriate planning, analysis, and public input with respect to the
proposed bypass.
CCCRD
contends that a direct north-south connector between the Airpark and
I-71 would be far less expensive than ODOT’s preferred corridor and
would minimize the effect on private landowners, while also
satisfying ODOT’s objective of reducing truck traffic through
downtown Wilmington.
ODOT is
presenting a false choice between “no action” (that is, no bypass)
and its preferred corridor, an east-west bypass running immediately
north of Wilmington.
Although
ODOT recently stated publicly that it has no preferred route for the
bypass, ODOT public records obtained by CCCRD tell another
story.
An email
written by ODOT and obtained by CCCRD shows that in 2003, ODOT
decided to focus its bypass planning efforts on its preferred
alternative and the no-build alternative to the exclusion of other
alternatives. According to ODOT’s planning contractor, the
planning documentation would “only discuss the Preferred Alternative
and No-Action/Build Alternative in detail.”
According to Chris Walker, a Dayton environmental lawyer
assisting CCCRD, ODOT’s narrow approach is contrary to federal law
and the Department’s own Project Development Policy.
“The
bypass project will result in significant environmental and social
impacts,” says Walker. “For a project such as this, federal
law requires a thorough environmental analysis that compares a full
range of feasible alternatives. That would also be
consistent with sensible project planning.”
ODOT
claims to have ruled out other routes because the County
Commissioners rejected them in 1999. Ironically,
however, ODOT’s current proposed bypass corridor is very similar to
one of the routes previously rejected by the County Commission in
1999.
ODOT
also claims the Airpark-to-I-71 route has been studied in the past
and found to be inadequate. CCCRD disputes that claim.
CCCRD member Bob Powell, a retired Air Force officer and math
instructor at Wilmington College, participated in an exhaustive
review of public records at the offices of the Clinton County
Commissioners, the Clinton County Engineer, and ODOT.
“We
turned every page they gave us, going back before 1990,” reports
Powell. “We could find only one study that addressed a direct
connection between the Airpark and I-71, and that was done by the
Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission in 1994. It appears
from the public records that ODOT has never issued a written study
of that route.”
Powell
points out that the direct route evaluated in 1994 was part of a
bypass option called “Alternative K,” which also included a 20-mile
southern loop south of Wilmington. The 1994 study found that
Alternative K was three times more expensive that an east-west
bypass because the southern loop in Alternative K would require
about 20 miles of new paving. However, the same study
concluded that the cost of a north-south connector, on its own, was
actually less than the east-west alternative.
“At the
very least, ODOT doesn’t seem to have gone over the past work very
carefully,” says Powell. “That’s one reason why we are urging
that they give the direct connection a good look.”
CCCRD
intends to meet with ODOT and the Federal Highway Administration
later this month to discuss its concerns with the bypass planning
process and to urge thorough consideration of feasible alternatives
for routing the bypass.
The
public will have another opportunity to be heard on this issue at a
public meeting to be hosted by ODOT on May 4 at the Roberts’
Center.
If
implemented, the Wilmington bypass will have a profound impact on
our community. It will not just affect our driving
patterns. It will permanently affect our community’s patterns
of residential and commercial growth. It is critically
important that this project be done right, if it is to be done at
all. The public deserves an open planning process where
all feasible routing alternatives are carefully considered.
(back to page top)
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WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL
"Letter
to the Editor", (printed 5/03/05)
Dear Editor,
Subject:
Wilmington / SR 73 bypass
This coming Wednesday
is the time for the Clinton County community to step forward with
the community’s opinion concerning the Ohio Department of
Transportation (ODOT) proposal for the SR 73 Wilmington bypass. On Wednesday, May 4, ODOT
will hold a public information meeting on the bypass “refined
alternative” at the Roberts Convention Center (I-71 and US 68). ODOT intends to inform the
public on the details of ODOT’s “refined alternative” proposal. The ODOT “refined
alternative” bypass route is contained in the preferred alternative
(bypass) corridor, which is a zone running east and west along the
northern outer edge of Wilmington. The zone begins on existing
SR 73 near Mitchell Rd., goes east to just beyond the Elk’s golf
course then turns south and ends at the intersection on SR 73 and
Airborne Rd.
The citizens of
Clinton County need to pay close attention here because the quality
of living future for Clinton County is at stake. The preferred alternative
corridor (or zone above) is the only area ODOT is considering for
their “refined alternative” bypass. Since the “refined
alternative” is contained within the that corridor, the only way to
access the bypass to and from I-71 is by using SR 73 west, US 68
north, or SR 72 and US 22 / SR 3 east. Basically, that translates
to having a four (4) lane, super highway type bypass out in the
middle of nowhere (from a highway system standpoint). The only way to use or
access the ODOT “refined alternative” bypass in conjunction with
I-71 is by traveling on existing two (2) lane, already dangerous
highways. Further
translation: More and more interstate type “big” trucks on all our
local US and state highways.
Why is ODOT not
looking at other corridors for possible alternatives for the
bypass? ODOT’s answer:
“Because the “refined alternative” is what the Clinton County
elected officials want”.
Why are the Clinton County elected officials not “open” to
discussions relative to possible alternative corridors for the
bypass? County
Commissioner’s answer:
“Because ODOT is in charge of the bypass project”.
There seems to be something amiss here. Why is ODOT not
considering viable alternatives outside the preferred alternative
corridor? Why is ODOT
proceeding to cater to Wilmington’s problem of “too many trucks
downtown” and completely ignoring SAFETY and traffic congestion
issues on the two (2) lane highways between I-71 and
Wilmington? Another
question: “ODOT, what about a north / south bypass corridor from SR
73 / Airborne Rd. straight north to I-71 with a DIRECT connection at
I-71? A north / south
bypass has a real potential for relieving Clinton County highways
between Wilmington and I-71 of approximately 4000 interstate trucks
in a twenty-four (24) hour period (average). Where is a thorough and
complete (and current) planning process required by ODOT standard
procedures? A complete
planning process typically requires a thorough study of ALL viable
solutions to any given problem.
Al Coleman (back to page
top)
Wilmington
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WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL
"Letter
to the Editor", (printed 4/02/05)
March
25, 2005
“Maintain Integrity of Downtown”
Editor,
News Journal:
I have
questions and am seeking answers in regard to recent articles in the
News Journal concerning the proposed Wilmington by-pass.
First of
all, I’m understanding Mayor Raizk to say that his main goal is to
take the truck traffic out of downtown Wilmington. My question: “Is there a
risk that a lot of the other local traffic will also be taken out of
the downtown area on the currently proposed
by-pass
route to the east side of Wilmington? Does that encourage the
‘revitalization' of the downtown area? What do the downtown
businesses think about this proposal?"
Next,
I’m reading that ODOT is increasing the projected cost of the
by-pass by 30 million dollars to address safety issues. My question: “Does that
additional 30 million also include upgrading routes 73W and 68N to
4-lanes as connectors from the by-pass to the interstate
(I-71)? If not,
how can additional
funds for ‘increased safety’ be justified if there are still only 2
lanes for approximately 4 miles to handle heavy truck traffic from
the 4-lane by-pass to the interstate on already admittedly two of
the highest accident routes in the county?”
Finally,
it seems more “feasible” to get the truck traffic out of downtown
Wilmington by creating a 4-lane north-south “spur” directly from the
interstate (I-71 near the existing
route
134 overpass) to the east side of Wilmington. It appears this would be the
safest, most efficient, and now most cost-effective way to
accomplish this goal without possibly being detrimental to the
revitalization of the downtown area. I’ve read that “the trucks
approaching Wilmington from the south and west would not use a
north-south spur but would continue to use routes 73 and 68 and go through downtown
Wilmington to get to the east side.” My question: “Has anyone
officially surveyed the trucking companies most frequently involved
to find out what they have to say about this issue?”
Answers,
please ?
In
closing, I must add that the proposed by-pass does not directly
impact my property. I’m
just interested in what is best for the future development of the
area while maintaining the integrity of downtown
Wilmington.
Linda
Coleman (back to page top)
Wilmington
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WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL
"Letter to the Editor", (printed 4/06/05)
“Citizens' interests not being served by proposed bypass
route”
Editor, News Journal:
Linda Coleman's recent letter [4/2/05] dealing with the
bypass was lucid and directly on point. As a private citizen,
whose family is directly impacted by existing "options," I join in
her opinions.
Why is it no official is listening to Clinton County citizens
for Responsible Development [CCCRD] and like-minded individuals such
as Ms. Coleman? There is an abject failure of openness and
receptivity to citizen opinions, complaints, and demands.
All of a sudden, and additional $30 million appears as a cost
add-on? Who believes that is the final add-on? We
deserve direct explanations, we deserve transparent, open government
and we deserve real consideration of a direct north-south route, as
Ms. Coleman succinctly put it. That is so obviously
common-sense, one can only speculate why the current debate is even
taking place.
What and whose interests are being served by the present
option being promoted so avidly by our government? Not the
interests of most of the citizenry, in my opinion.
Joseph H. Dennis (back to page
top)
Wilmington
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