Council approves East Waterloo storm-sewer contract, accepts two easements

Canal Winchester City Council on Sept. 15 authorized a contract and emergency declaration to replace the storm sewer on East Waterloo Street and accepted two property easements tied to that project. The council voted to move related resolutions to full council and then adopted the ordinance to contract for construction.

City staff said the work is tied to easements from Lynch Investment Properties LLC and Tremecore Development Ltd., which were presented to council for acceptance and moved forward for full-council consideration. Construction Services Director Bill Sims recommended awarding the construction contract after staff and the city’s engineer reviewed bids.

Sims told council that five bids were submitted for the storm-sewer replacement and that the bids varied across pay items. “We had 5 bids submitted for the project…we were satisfied that the bid is correct,” Sims said, describing how the engineer’s estimate sat in the middle of the range and staff reviewed the numbers independently with the engineering firm (EMH&T). He said differences in cost were driven in part by quantities of large-diameter storm manholes. Sims recommended awarding the contract to Dan Burke Incorporated and the council adopted an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute the contract and declaring an emergency.

Council then voted to accept related easements. Clerk reads of the two resolutions on easements identified the properties involved: Lynch Investment Properties LLC (68 East Waterloo Street) and Tremecore Development Ltd. (Emma’s Meadow, alongside Long Alley). City Administrator Matt Peebles explained the Lynch easement would capture and correct where an existing tile runs through a yard; the Tremecore easement runs alongside the alley and is intended to facilitate the work.

Sims outlined a construction timeline: bids were opened Sept. 5; staff expect the contractor could mobilize as early as Nov. 1. He estimated roughly 30 days of storm-sewer construction, with the goal of placing either temporary or permanent pavement by Christmas if weather and long lead times for concrete structures allow. “We are going to complete the storm sewer and get temporary pavement down…by Christmas time in the year,” Sims said. He added the city included contingency quantities in the contract to allow for temporary asphalt to get through winter if final pavement cannot be placed.

On traffic and staging, Sims said crews will work in the alley and in the roadway between Chloe Spa and Trine Street, that much of the work will be in the middle of the road, and traffic will be controlled with flaggers in alternating one-lane configurations. He also said portions of the field adjacent to the work are expected to remain undisturbed; limited easements will allow work along property edges but not full disturbance of private fields.

The council record shows motions to move the two easement resolutions to full council were made and seconded, and the ordinance authorizing the contract was moved, seconded and adopted by roll-call vote.

The project remains subject to the contractor schedule, material lead times and weather; the council approved the contract authorization and accepted the easements that would allow crews to proceed when the contractor mobilizes.

Notes: The ordinance and easement resolutions on the Sept. 15 agenda were identified as Resolution 25-048 (Lynch Investment Properties LLC), Resolution 25-049 (Tremecore Development Ltd.) and Ordinance 25-023 (contract authorization for the East Waterloo Street storm sewer replacement project).