BELLVILLE — It cost more than twice as much as Richland County offered. But two land parcels have been acquired needed for a wastewater improvement plan near the I-71/Ohio 97 interchange.
The Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved spending $9,226 for two parcels near the existing lift station near the intersection of Ohio 97 and Bellville-Johnsville Road, an acquisition needed for a $4.2 million project aimed at spurring economic growth along the corridor.
Commissioners on Aug. 22 had offered $1,500 for a 1.235-acre parcel and $2,300 for a 0.557-acre parcel. Both parcels are in a floodplain and are not developable, according to county administrator Andrew Keller.
Those offers represented “fair market value” based upon appraisals on the land done by Belcastro Valuation Services, LLC, based in Westerville.
On Thursday, at Keller’s recommendation, commissioners accepted counteroffers from the two property owners.
Commissioners agree to pay $4,770 for the 1.2-acre parcel owned by the South Side Development Company and $4,456 for the 0.557-acre parcel owned by David Reznik.
(Above are photos and maps showing the locations and surroundings of two parcels of land acquired by Richland County on Thursday to help facilitate a wastewater improvement project in the I-71/Ohio 97 area. The 1.2-acre property seen in the three images on the left was owned by Southside Development. The 0.557-acre parcel in the three images on the right was owned by David Reznik.)
The wastewater improvement project will be paid for using American Rescue Plan Act funds. That means federal guidelines had to be followed in the land acquisition process, Keller said.
“Obviously, we have to stay within certain parameters, but we were satisfied that their counteroffers were reasonable and within what the market could justify,” Keller said.
The administrator said the parcels are on each side of the current underground lift station. A new lift will be constructed station near Kochheiser Road.
Officials have said the project is needed for expected economic development along the Ohio 97 corridor, including the planned $22 million YMCA of North Central Ohio Sports Complex, a 100,000-square foot site on 35 acres on the south side of the state highway near Kochheiser Road.
Keller said the acquisition allows for access during the improvement construction process and will also allow ongoing access for ongoing maintenance at the site.
The actual agreement to do the project was approved by commissioners in September 2022.
It was an addendum to a 1981 agreement between Richland County and the Village of Bellville that had the county-owned sewer system handling the sites near the interstate and sending it through the village’s wastewater treatment facilities.
The area was not incorporated into the village until 1995. The now plan calls for the sewage system, built by Richland County in 1980, to be improved and then transferred to the village’s control.
“We want to provide the village with something that is easily maintainable for years to come,” Keller said.
