MOUNT VERNON — In spite of difficulties dealing with Lowe’s, the city plans to move forward with the proposed crossover road between Coshocton Avenue and Yauger Road this month.
“We had set March 1 as the deadline for deciding whether we would go ahead with the crossover project this year,” Mount Vernon Mayor Richard K. Mavis told the News. “We have worked through some issues with the hospital and will enter into an agreement with them soon.”
The crossover will use the existing Coshocton Avenue entrance to the hospital. Upon reaching the top of the hill of the entrance road to the hospital, a right turn will take the driver to a new road that goes to Yauger Road. For the most part, that new access road will pass through property owned by Knox Community Hospital and will have two exits. The big hold- up for the project has been over use of a small portion of property owned by Lowe’s.
“We’ve tried to communicate with (Lowe’s),” Mavis explained. “Most recently they’ve said that now this issue has been assigned to a different person at corporate headquarters after we have been working with the same person for the last year. We have not been able to get any response from them since then.”
The issue revolves around a retaining wall the city believes needs to be built on the Lowe’s property. The city believes the wall is made necessary by the steep slope of the ground where the road will pass through the Lowe’s property. Mavis said the only real response by Lowe’s to the city was a demand that the wall be maintained by the city in perpetuity.
“If we do not get any response from them we will introduce legislation in the March 14 City Council meeting to take the property by eminent domain,” Mavis said. “We will not let them stop this project. We’ve sent them plans and drawings and done everything that they’ve asked but we just can’t get any response from them.”
Mavis said the city hopes to get the project out to bid by the end of the month. All the surveying for the project has been done as well as required legal descriptions and specifications for bidders.
“We have made the decision that we are ready to go,” Mavis added. “The hospital has been very good to work with. Lowe’s has always been a little slow and I don’t think they take it seriously.”
Mavis also reported the city has noticed a recent proliferation of satellite dish antennas being installed in yards around town. This, he said, is illegal.
“That is a violation of city ordinance,” he said. “We consider a satellite dish mounted in a yard as an accessory building and it requires a permit. It looks like the companies doing this type of installation are not familiar with our ordinance. Now if it is mounted on the building’s roof or mounted on the house it does not need a permit.”
Mavis said the city would be sending out letters to people with dishes mounted in their yards advising them of the need to either move it or get the required permit. Mavis said the dish companies and/or their contractors should have been aware of this requirement and those with dishes in their yards should contact the company about moving it.
