Traffic fix still needed at Chestnut Commons

The traffic congestion at Chestnut Commons won't go away on its own. Indeed, the problem could become even worse if Elyria City Council, as appears likely, gives the green light to a development plan that would lead to the construction of an Aldi grocery store and a Sheetz gas station east of state Route 57 between Chestnut Ridge Road and U.S. Route 20. Council had been poised to approve the plan at a meeting Feb. 21, but instead kicked it back to the Community Development and Finance committees after residents complained about the traffic problems. The idea was to get more clarity about what steps would be taken to address those concerns, but unfortunately a definitive long-term plan didn't fully materialize when the committees met Monday. There was discussion of a planned access road south of Chestnut Ridge. A traffic light at that road would allow drivers to enter and exit the new development, which would be known as Eaton Point, by making right-hand turns from and onto northbound Route 57. The access road would be located just north of the area where Aldi and Sheetz would be constructed and be funded through a tax-increment-financing agreement. Councilman Maurice Corbin III, R-3rd Ward, who represents the area, told us Wednesday that he didn't believe the access road would make much of a difference when it came to dealing with the existing congestion. Perhaps, but the road could make it easier to come and go from the new stores. Another access road, Reaser Pointe Crossing, which runs from East Broad Street to the Walmart parking lot, also was intended to alleviate congestion. Disappointingly, the road isn't being used nearly as much as some had hoped. Councilman Phil Tollett, D-at-large, said that it was supposed to handle between 9,000 and 10,000 vehicles a day, but typically sees only around 2,000. Another potential fix discussed was eliminating left turns at the Route 57 and Chestnut Ridge intersection and adding so-called "Michigan left" turns. Roundabouts, always a fan favorite, and adding lanes also came up. Aside from the access road, however, the other potential fixes don't appear to be on the immediate horizon. More likely, they would be part of a possible second phase of the development that would add a residential area and additional retail stores. That's at least three to five years away based on the timeline under discussion. Nevertheless, the committees voted to send the plan back to the full Council. Given that all but one member of Council sits on one of the two committees, the vote Monday was probably a pretty good indication of what will happen next. Only two Council members, Brenda Davis, D-2nd Ward, and Donna Mitchell, D-6th Ward, voted against the plan. Ironically, Corbin is the odd Council member out. Since he isn't on either committee, he couldn't vote Monday. He told us Wednesday that he would vote against the development plan when it comes before Council. His planed vote, Corbin said, is based on concerns his constituents raised about the congestion and is not a reflection of any opposition from him to further development. "I'm not opposed to that at all," he said. "I just wish someone had said here's what we're going to do about the traffic." As do we, but the majority of Council's apparent desire to move forward is understandable. It's hard to say no to development and the jobs and tax revenue that accompany it. The 6,000-square-foot Sheetz is expected to have a payroll of around $720,000 for its full- and part-time workers, while the 21,000-square-foot Aldi is expected to have a payroll of around $600,000 for its full- and part-time workers. Elyria is still dealing with the loss of employers such as Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, which moved to Avon, and football-equipment maker Riddell, which moved to North Ridgeville. The city needs new employers, even if they are a grocery store and a gas station, both of which are valuable in their own right to residents. Development is important, but so is fixing the traffic problems that motorists and residents have been complaining about for years. Council needs to find the right balance between the two. If Council does approve the development plan, the city must push hard to fix the traffic woes sooner rather than later. There's enough idling going on around Chestnut Commons already.