Elyria finalizes $2 million of street resurfacing

Editor's Note: this article has been updated to fully reflect the 5th Ward resurfacing list. ELYRIA — The Elyria City Council's Utilities Committee finalized its 2024 street resurfacing list on Monday. Each of City Council's seven ward representatives was afforded $285,714 from the city's total streets budget of $2 million. That money is provided through the city's 0.5 percent income tax, commonly referred to as "Issue 6" money based on a levy passed with a portion earmarked for street repairs. "We wish we could do every single street in our wards that needs to be done," Utilities Chair and Councilwoman Donna Mitchell, D-6th Ward, said. "But we only have so much money so we work hard to pick the best streets or worst streets, in this case — that needed to be done. I just want the resident to know that without Issue 6, we wouldn't be able to do this." This was the second meeting concerning the repairs. The first meeting left Council members confused and frustrated as to why certain streets they felt needed work were left off the list drawn up by the Engineering Department. Mitchell said the department worked with Council members to solidify a list, which was finalized Monday. "Thank you for putting up with us and trying to get this to the point where we can be here today with a list that may need minor tweaking, if anything," Assistant City Engineer Kathryn McKillips said. Ward 1 Streets to be resurfaced are: Baldwin Avenue (from 803 Baldwin Ave. to Abbe Road) — Split with Ward 3 Garford Avenue (from Yale Avenue to Colgate Avenue) Fairlawn Avenue (from East Broad Street to Cambridge Avenue) Fairlawn Avenue (from Harvard Avenue to East Heights Boulevard) Eastern Heights Boulevard (from Park Avenue to Garford Avenue) Henry Street (from Eastern Heights Boulevard to Broad Street) Sugar Lane (from 630 Sugar Lane to 650 Sugar Lane) Those streets were projected to cost $284,418. Councilman Andrew Lipian, I-1st Ward, was unable to attend the meeting in person due to an ongoing health issue, but provided his final list to Council. Ward 2 Streets to be resurfaced are: Clinton Avenue (along railroad tracks to Bell Avenue) Jackson Avenue (from Bond Street to Foster Avenue) Adams Street (from Bond Street to High Street, two blocks) Fremont Street (from West River Road to Huron Street) Morgan Street (from Adams Street to the railroad tracks) Those streets were projected to cost $270,697 and Councilwoman Brenda Davis, D-2nd Ward, conceded the remainder of her money to Councilman Jack Cerra, D-7th Ward. Ward 3 Streets to be resurfaced are: Baldwin Avenue (from 803 Baldwin Ave. to Abbe Road) — Split with Ward 1 Garford Avenue (from Vassar Avenue to Colgate Avenue) California Drive and Defiance Street intersection Hampton Drive (the 500 block) Nebraska Drive Songbird Lane and Sandpiper Avenue intersection 239 Ashland Ave. (concrete repairs) Bryan Court and Ashland Avenue intersection Sonesta Avenue (from Auburn Street to Hampton Drive) Those streets were projected to cost $292,601, but McKillips told Councilwoman Mary Siwierka, D-3rd Ward, that the cost could be reduced on certain projects. Ward 4 Streets to be resurfaced are: Randall Road (from Rosalee Avenue to Nash Avenue) Nash Avenue (from Randall Road to Berkshire Road) Nash Avenue (From Randall Road to Rosalee Avenue) Stafford Drive (from Whitman Boulevard to 533 Stafford) Concrete repairs on Naples Drive (from Loyola Drive toward Antioch Road until money expended) Councilman Kenny Oswald, D-4th Ward, added Stafford as a late addition and said it left him with $47,860. He told McKillips he wanted the remainder of his money used for concrete repairs on Naples Drive. Ward 5 Streets to be resurfaced are: Eighth Street (from Middle Avenue to East Avenue) 14th Street (from West Avenue to Bank Street) Mussey Court (from West Avenue to the Black River) South Maple Street Cedar Street (from Broad Street to the railroad tracks) Homesite Court Those streets were projected to cost $281,209, and Councilman Brad Armstrong, I-5th Ward, granted the remainder of his money to Ward 7. Armstrong added 14th Street in lieu of Ninth Street, which he had originally planned to have redone, because he said there was separate work upcoming on Ninth Street. Ward 6 Streets to be resurfaced are: Woodford Avenue (from Gateway Boulevard to Garden Street) Spruce Street (from Woodland Avenue to Lake Avenue) Woodland Avenue (from 700 Woodland Ave. to Lake Avenue) Courtland Street and Woodland Avenue intersection to High Street Those streets were projected to cost $283,997. Ward 7 Streets to be resurfaced are: Longfellow Street (from Sycamore Street to state Route 57) Sandalwood Drive (from Abbe Road to Thornwood Boulevard) Hawthorne Street (from Sycamore Street to state Route 57) Longfellow Street (from Sycamore Street to Poplar Street) Wilder Avenue (from Georgetown to 851 Wilder Ave. or farther as money allows) Because other Council members granted money to Ward 7 and one of Cerra's roads was not fully defined in the meeting, The Chronicle does not have a final estimate on how much resurfacing in the 7th Ward will cost. Cerra thanked Davis and Armstrong on behalf of 7th Ward residents for granting him additional funds. He also told McKillips that the Engineering Department could use any funds left over from his ward wherever it thought they were most needed. Additionally, McKillips said that state and federal money would provide for resurfacing of Furnace Street from Lake Avenue to West River Road and Midway Boulevard from Tillotson Street to West River Road. Murray Ridge Road will be resurfaced through a Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) project in 2026, and Mitchell asked the Engineering Department to try and patch the most damaged portions of Murray Ridge Road in the meantime. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.