MOUNT VERNON — Officials from the City of Mount Vernon hosted two visitors from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) earlier this month to focus attention on how Mount Vernon is positioning itself to meet the needs and challenges of a growing city – and a growing region – in the years to come.
Mayor Matthew Starr, Engineer Brian Ball and Assistant Engineer Quentin Platt escorted Parag Agrawal, chief mobility and infrastructure officer and senior director of programming at MORPC, and Jessica Kuenzli, MORPC’s chief regional planning officer and senior director of planning, to five local sites.
Those sites included the Knox County Airport, the Central Ohio Industrial Park on the south side of the City, the Arch Avenue Park river corridor, Central Ohio Farmers Co-op on Lewis Street, and the nearby State Route 13 corridor.
“While Mount Vernon officials are obviously focused on providing local services to residents, businesses and anyone visiting the City 24/7/365, we also have to acknowledge that Mount Vernon is part of the most vibrant and growing region in Ohio,” Starr said. “Just as the decisions we make may affect all of Knox County as well as MORPC’s 15- county membership area, MORPC and other regional leaders have a lot to offer us.
“It’s a two-way relationship that’s very much worth our while to cultivate. We cannot operate in a vacuum.”
With Knox County, particularly the southern half of the County, poised for growth as Intel and subsidiary businesses take shape in Licking County, the Knox County Airport is going to see increased activity – and increased needs for funding to handle air traffic.
Also on the south end of town, truck traffic into and out of the Industrial Park has long been a source of complaints from nearby residents.
During the recent tour, City officials discussed with the MORPC representatives what can be done to improve the traffic flow there.
“The City of Mount Vernon is working to develop the City’s infrastructure and create new economic development opportunities for the City’s residents,” Agrawal said. “From improvements to the Knox County Airport to developing better local and regional connections, Mount Vernon is in the forefront of the best land use and economic development practices.
“MORPC looks forward to working with the community residents to enhance their quality of life.”
Several improvements are in the works for the west side of Mount Vernon; all are needed, while some are designed to be transformative.
To that end, the City and MORPC officials reviewed the measures being developed to protect residents from the Kokosing River, discussed how a revamped State Route 13 corridor will better channel truck traffic through the City, and considered the possibilities with a rail line that extends to the Central Ohio Farmers Co-op at 600 Lewis Street.
More rail traffic, of course, could mean less wear and tear on the City’s streets.
“There are incredibly exciting things happening in Mount Vernon and we greatly appreciate Mayor Starr inviting us out to take a tour,” Kuenzli said. “Of particular interest for me was the work that is being done along the river and the great potential for the community.
“Knowing everything that Mount Vernon is working on helps up keep opportunities top of mind that may help to support this work and strengthen our Central Ohio region.”
“This ‘Planes, Trains, Automobiles and River Corridors Tour’ was by no means a ‘one-and-done’ gesture,” Starr said. “Our relationships with MORPC and other regional and statewide organizations go back years, and will only be strengthened going forward.
“There’s too much at stake for everyone involved. With everything this City has planned, we can’t do it alone.”