The mayor and his administraƟon have hidden the truth and spread misinformaƟon about the Edgewood Project.
The name implies it is solely about Edgewood. Actually, it’s about implementing a plan to reconstruct, not only Edgewood, but East High, Stevens, and New Gambier as well.
Edgewood requires improvements, partly due to neglect. Those improvements must be made, but they are being used by the mayor as an excuse to implement his unnecessary, ineffective and costly (about $19,000,000) traffic plan to connect Edgewood Road to Coshocton Ave.
The mayor says he encourages public involvement, but he conceived the Project behind closed doors without public input.
The only public hearing regarding the Project prior to the introduction of it at the city council meeting in February was in 2018! Public scrutiny of the Project wouldn’t be happening now if the Resolution had passed as an “emergency,” as the mayor intended, keeping it off the November ballot.
The mayor recently discussed the importance of Edgewood as an east-side, north-south connector.
However, in 2019 he didn’t think it was even needed! Regarding a study initiated by Starr, the Mount Vernon News reported, “Drivers who use residential streets to get from the south side of Mount Vernon to the retail area east on Coshocton Road do not save any appreciable amount of time over those who use state routes.”
On March 11, 2024, councilman Severns emphasized Resolution 2024-23 was “limited” to authorizing “a contract to design” the reconstruction of Edgewood.
He stated, “The Resolution is not approving any facet of construction.” The mayor, however, acknowledges the Resolution “includes…performing construction from Ohio 229 to East High Street…”
At that same time, addressing public demands for details about the Project, Service Director Salyers said, “If you want those detailed drawings … they’re not there yet…”
More than a year before, however, the administration submitted drawings for the Project to ODOT.
The city didn’t acknowledge the drawings existed. They were obtained through a public records request. Finally, in an effort to stem opposition to the Project, an email purportedly from Engineer Ball suggested, “proposed changes to the insertion of E. High St, Steven St, and New Gambier Rd could be eliminated” from the Project.
The mayor and his administration have engaged in blatant misinformation and deception.
It’s time to end the administration’s continuing secrecy and lies concerning the “Edgewood Road Project”/Resolution 2024-23. Please, vote “NO.”
Gary Koester
Mount Vernon, Ohio