Dispatch article from this morning...
Tensions between Delaware County's rural residents and the Ohio Department of Transportation over the future of U.S. Route 23 are running high.
Last month, residents opposed to ODOT constructing a freeway through rural Delaware County to solve traffic congestion on Route 23 released a draft document from ODOT that suggested the agency was finalizing a study that favored upgrading the current route over building a new highway, according to the "No Route 23 Connect" website at nohwy.com.
That option, known as the "C1 concept," would add additional through lanes and modify or create 11 new interchanges on existing Route 23.
But Breanna Badanes, ODOT spokesperson for central Ohio, denied that ODOT was anywhere close to making a decision on a favored option, and insisted this is still an ongoing process.
"Information was released indicating that ODOT was finalizing a recommendation for the C1 concept [the no highway option] and we’re just not to that point yet," she said. "The document referred to was in draft form."
The Dispatch attempted to reach the administrator of the nohwy.com website, which features video of farmland and a tractor working in a field, but did not receive a response.
The advocacy group released another statement last week, refuting the transportation agency's attempts to downplay the likelihood ODOT would choose the C1 concept for further study and eventually act upon.
"I would ask folks be patient," ODOT's Badanes said in response. "You see those colored swaths on the page, and I think your first reaction is, 'That could impact me,' and we’re just not to that point where we know which concept we’re choosing, let alone which areas are going to be impacted."
U.S. Route 23: The document in question
Nohwy.com published a 19-page draft of a preliminary feasibility study prepared by the consulting group, ms consultants, inc., in November 2021 on its website on Jan. 31, 2022.
The document, labeled a draft, recommended ODOT pursue the C1 concept for "further study," stating that the proposed option would provide the greatest benefit to the region and would eliminate congestion on Route 23.
But Badanes said the draft only represented the consulting team's technical analysis with the information it had back in November.
"That document prematurely included a conclusion, but it hadn’t been reviewed or commented on by ODOT," she added. "It was a draft — it was all the information we had at that time, but that’s going to change multiple times as this process continues and as we continue to get more information."
Hundreds of Delaware County residents attended an Ohio Department of Transportation meeting on a Route 23 Connector project under consideration to connect Waldo with U.S. 270 on Columbus' northern outerbelt in order to reduce congestion on Route 23 through Delaware County.
There are five other concepts that ODOT is pursuing, according to the Route 23 Connect website.
The first two of those concepts would connect Route 23 to U.S. Route 33, Interstate 270 and/or U.S. Route 42 on the western side of Delaware County. Three concepts would connect Route 23 to Interstate 71, Interstate 270 and/or U.S. Route 36/State Route 37 on the eastern side of the county.
All five options, outside of the C1 concept, would affect some contingent of Delaware County's largely rural population, a good portion of whom are farmers.
What would be a potential highway's impact on Delaware County?
Project managers from the Ohio Department of Transportation held a public meeting last month at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Exposition Center to discuss ways to decrease congestion on U.S. Route 23 by potentially building a new highway between Waldo and Interstate 270 or Interstate 71 or U.S. Route 33.
Christy Lehner has had a really tough year.
The 45-year-old married into a farming family 18 years ago, the Lehners, who have operated a popular pumpkin farm for 30 years, a wedding venue for another 20 years and still farm field corn and soybeans across nearly 500 acres of land in Radnor Township, Delaware County.
Her husband died last fall, but in her grief the mother of three took solace in the fact that her family's business, and financial security, was assured — until Lehner learned ODOT was proposing two options to improve Route 23 by constructing a freeway in western Delaware County.
"Basically if a highway came right through our property we wouldn’t just lose our home, but also our businesses," she said.
The possibility has been a constant stressor in the back of Lehner's mind, but she tries not to dwell too much on the uncertain future.
"There are too many things to worry about right now," Lehner said. "We pray, and we're trying to not worry about it as much as possible, but I'm hoping that people speaking out will help."
From ODOT's perspective, Badanes wants Delaware County residents to know that this will be a lengthy process, and while the draft recommending the C1 concept was published by nohwy.com, it is still subject to change.
"It's like serving a cake before you mix in all the ingredients," she said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation held a public meeting last month at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Exposition Center to present plans to potentially build a new connector highway between Waldo and Interstate 270 or Interstate 71 or U,S. Route 33 to relieve congestion on U.S. Route 23.
The transportation agency recognizes that residents are anxious to hear what the final decision will be, but Badanes stressed it will be several more months, if not a year, before ODOT reaches that point.
"We want to make sure we do it it right, get all the information we need and hear from the public," she said. "We're still in the middle of a public comment period — and that feedback is going to be really important."
Public comments can be submitted to ODOT through their Route 23 Connect website at:publicinput.com/23connect, through Feb. 28.
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"The leaked document" that my "no-hwy neighbors" posted for fixing US 23...
https://www.nohwy.com/_files/ugd/8fcddb_2df554cdfc414565852c126af83d109d.pdf
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