Busy year ahead for Chagrin Falls improvement projects

“We have a huge variety of projects.”

It’s not just paving streets, Mr. Jamieson continued, but rather addressing much-needed improvements to curbs, sidewalks, sanitary and storm sewers, water lines, park paths, trails, and stormwater management, among other areas.

Renovations to the police and fire stations are also on tap for this year.

“We are not just favoring one thing or another,” he added. “We have all have forms of upgrades.”

Typically, the village normally spends around $1 million annually in work, with this year larger than normal, Mr. Jamieson said. Many projects were put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic and carried over to the following year.

Mr. Jamieson also said that several of the projects that were awarded last year are being completed this year, while others will begin in 2022 and carry over into 2023.

The village received signifiant grant funding for projects, Mr. Jamieson continued, as well as utilized funding from the American Rescue Plan Act Funding through the federal government.

They received two installments of Rescue Plan Act Funding, for a total of just over $400,000.

Among the larger projects under way involve the water connections and construction on Water Street, in the village’s historic district, as well as a similar project where there are connections on Chagrin Boulevard, for a total of $561,000.

Mr. Jamieson noted that while Water Street is not a heavy trafficked street, the project has had a large impact on residents.

“We are moving connections to a newer waterline and abandoning a 100 year old plus waterline there,” he explained. This project also involved lining the sanitary sewer to prevent inflow and infiltration into the existing system as well as the installation of new curbing along the street.

The Water Street project, which began in February, is expected to be complete by Memorial Day, he said.

Another significant project this year involve phased improvements to the Waste Water Treatment plant on Meadow Lane. The first phase, amounting to approximately $1.5 million, is nearly complete, with the second phase, totaling $6 million, planned to extend over the next several years.

The elements of this project involve replacing 50-year-old original pumps, controls and systems at the plant, as well as making physical changes to several structures to allow a greater flow through the plant and to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows into the Chagrin River.

Funding is through various components, including a portion from Geauga County as they are a partner in ownership and operating of the plant with negotiations under way; grant funding in the amount of $3.5 million, which has been awarded, as well as an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water loan in the amount of $2.5 million.

Other major projects involve renovations to the police and fire stations, amounting to $1.75 million.

The police renovations are fully funded by the village, Mr. Jamieson noted, with the fire department funded by multiple sources, including the private suburban fire company, as well as possible grant money. The department also has commitments from the six surrounding communities it serves to provide their ambulance billing revenue from this year toward the project, Mr. Jamieson said.

The final component is fund-raising.

The project involves adding a second floor over a portion of the existing police station on West Washington Street, to be used as additional space for the fire department. The new space will include additional dormitories and separate facilities for male and female firefighters, as well as renovations to the kitchen and day room area, among other improvements.

The project is expected to be complete next year, Mr. Jamieson said.

Much activity is also under way in the center of town, with the completion of the first phase of the Riverside Park path refurbishment, which included the reconstruction of the entire area and the realignment near the playground. This project cost is $146,500, of which $98,000 in grant fudging was obtained.

The final phase of the Triangle Park sidewalk replacement is also under way at a cost of $80,000. This multi-year project involves the replacement of the existing, paver bricks.

The village is also in the process of beginning the Vincent Street Slope Stabilization, with an overall project cost of $2.25 million. Grant funding is being sought through the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as the state of Ohio.

In making its way through the historic district with projects, the village is also in the planning stages for improvements to Maple Street, a multi-year project involving waterline and sanitary sewer replacement, as well as curb replacement and street repaving, among other upgrades for, a total of $2.28 million. Grant funding is being pursued.

“These are all pretty large, once-in-a-lifetime upgrades, and it won’t stop this year,” Mr. Jamieson said. “We have been very successful in obtaining grants for a lot of the projects.”