The full construction of Sawmill Parkway is on the horizon after Delaware City Council on Monday approved preparations for the final phase of the project.
As part of the meeting, council approved a resolution for City Manager Tom Homan to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Delaware County Transportation Improvement District (TID) for the construction of Phase G of Sawmill Parkway. Phase G represents the last remaining segment of the parkway to be constructed and spans 0.87 miles in length.
Included in Phase G is the construction of a roundabout at the future intersection of Sawmill Parkway and South Section Line Road. The Phase G project will be broken down into two parts, referred to as Phase G1 and Phase G2. Phase G1 is scheduled to begin late next month or early August and is expected to be completed in December, while Phase G2 will begin in a future year.
With the Delaware County TID providing $500,000 towards construction costs for Phase G1, the city will be required to contribute its own $500,000 share towards Phase G2. The total cost of Phase G1 is estimated to be $4.95 million, while the overall cost of both phases is estimated to be $17.9 million.
By working with the Delaware County TID, City Engineer Bill Ferrigno said during the meeting that the city’s cost burden will be pushed to a later date when the construction of Phase G2 is slated to begin.
In addition to the agreement with the Delaware County TID, a resolution declaring the city’s intent to appropriate property and multiple easements, totaling approximately 18 acres, necessary for the construction of Phase G was also approved. Phase G1 includes stormwater drainage facilities that will extend alongside the full length of the future Phase G2 roadway, making it necessary for the city to obtain the right of way and easement for the entire project from the current terminus of Sawmill Parkway to South Section Line Road.
To purchase rights of way and easements, the city has performed appraisal reports on all the affected properties, established fair market value estimates (FMVE) for the value of all proposed rights of way and easements based on the market value determined by the appraisals, and extended offers to property owners to purchase the required rights of way and easements.
According to documents for the resolution, should agreements not be reached with the property owners, “it would be necessary for the city to secure the rights of way and easements through the appropriation process, whereby an appropriation petition with quick-take provision is filed with the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas to grant the city immediate possession.”
With the passage of the resolution on Monday, the city is required per the Ohio Revised Code to notify the affected property owners of the city’s intentions to appropriate the necessary land should a purchase agreement not be reached in a timely manner. A total of 30 days must pass from the time an offer to purchase is made before the city can file an appropriation petition with the court.
Documents for the resolution state the total FMVE for the rights of way and easements needed for the project is $813,154.
