PATA History Pages

Diley Road Widening Plan possibly changes

Service Committee Public Meeting

PICKERINGTON CONSIDERS NEW PLAN TO EASE IMPACT OF WIDER DILEY ROAD
Published: Tuesday, May 25, 2004
NEWS 06B
By Kirk D. Richards
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Pickerington could change plans to widen Diley Road, saving one of five houses now slated for demolition, a project coordinator told 35 people who attended a meeting last night.

However, the couple who live in that house already plan to move and took the property off the market, thinking the city would buy it.


"I understand we have some people in limbo, and I apologize for that,'' Councilman Ted Hackworth said in the meeting in Pickerington City Hall.

The council will decide which plan will be used.

The city wants to widen Diley from two lanes to five at a cost of $13 million to ease traffic. However, some Diley Road residents consider it a residential street and fear that increased traffic will decrease property values. Others don't want to be forced out of their homes.

The alternative discussed last night -- moving the centerline of the widened road to the west to have less impact on the eastern side of the street -- would cut into property owned by developers, and city officials have not yet discussed it with them, said project coordinator Kevin Grathwol of Stilson Consulting Group engineers.

"I'm all for going west,'' one resident said at the meeting.

"That's because you're east,'' responded a woman in the crowd. "I'm not.''

Construction could begin in fall 2005.

After the meeting, Diane Shankland of Diley Road was pleased that city officials listened.

"I don't want a five-lane road in front of my house,'' she said. "The road is going to cut off so much of people's yards.''

Teresa Meno, also of Diley Road, was concerned about safety.

"What's going to stop cars from flying into our back yards?'' she said.

No proposal will please everyone, Grathwol said. "We're looking for a project that minimizes impact, not eliminates it.''

krichards@dispatch.com

Diley Road Widening

The Columbus Dispatch