This morning, during their Board meeting, the Franklin County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution approving the hire of Columbus engineering and design firm DLZ Inc. for the Leonard Park water project in Mifflin Township.
Franklin County remains fully committed to helping bring clean, quality water to un-served and underserved areas throughout our community. “Working collaboratively with Mifflin Township and our department of Sanitary Engineering, we are able to advance work on the Leonard Park project, which will improve the quality of life for hundreds of our residents,’ said Board President John O’Grady.
Stephen Renner, Director of the County’s department of Sanitary Engineering estimates the design phase will take six to eight months, and online bidding for general contractors should follow in January 2014. Construction on the long-awaited water project is expected to start in spring 2014. Renner anticipates that the 120 homes in Leonard Park should be able to connect to the water main by the end of 2014.
“In the 21st century, in a world-class community such as ours, every resident and child should have safe, clean water to drink and use daily,” said Commissioner Paula Brooks.
The Mifflin Township Board of Trustees is reimbursing Franklin County the full $350,000 for the engineering and design cost of the water project, and the county is picking up the construction cost of $3.15 million.
“Getting water to residents in the unincorporated area of Mifflin Township is one of the hallmarks of my career as a trustee,” said Joseph Spanovich, Mifflin Township Trustee chairman and trustee since 1986. “It’s unimaginable in this day and age that anyone should be without water.”
Leonard Park is a neighborhood in Mifflin Township in Franklin County bordered by Agler and Stelzer roads. Residents have seen a diminishing source of well water throughout the years primarily because of the construction of Interstates 270 and 670.
“Leonard Park residents cannot get good flow or quality of water from their wells,” said Director Renner. “They draw less than two gallons of water per minute which is extremely inefficient.” “Improving the quality of water for our Leonard Park neighbors is important for their quality of life as well as another method of protecting our fragile environment,” said Commissioner Marilyn Brown.
Leonard Park is part of the unincorporated area of Mifflin Township which is approximately 3.9 square miles with a population of less than 5,000. For more information on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, go to
www.FranklinCountyOhio.gov/Commissioners.