The following information was presented to city council on November 12 in order to determine their intent to move forward with the US 36/OH 229 Outer Belt project.
November 12, 2019
Dennis Swingle
1101 E Chestnut St
Mt Vernon, Ohio
740-398-7906
Upper Gilchrist Road Outer Belt Proposal:
- Around thirty years ago a petition and proposal was presented to the city regarding the need for an outer-belt (traffic bypass) in the neighborhood of Eastern Star Road. At that time sufficient land was available so that five different routes were available to implement even the lowest cost approach. In fact, one landowner, located at the very north end of Eastern Star Road, offered his home to the city so that the lowest cost road could go thru his property. He only ask that the city pay him a fair price for his property. At that time Mr. Baker’s housing development had not yet been constructed, nothing was in the WAY for a clear shot thru to Rt US 36.
Mr. Dennis Swingle spoke at the October 28th city council meeting in support of Mayor Mavis’s proposed outer belt which appeared in an article in The Mt Vernon News. Councilman Mike Hillier interrupted Mr. Swingle to say he spoke with the land owner on three separate occasions who said “he does not intend in any way shape or form to have a road across his property, there is no deal and will be no deal”, so the proposed outer belt cannot be built unless the city moves to take the land needed by eminent domain.
In the interest of supporting the article on the Mayor’s concept for the US 36 / ST 229 connector we need to contact city council and show our support for this proposal.
Our support is important for the following reasons:
- The need to protect the residential neighborhood areas in the east end of Mt Vernon
- Remove unnecessary traffic from the largest connected residential neighborhoods in the east end.
- Remove commercial traffic from this residential neighborhood.
- Protect property values in our residential neighborhoods.