South Russell Village Council voted to authorize the mayor and village staff to submit scoping documents to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) to program a 5-foot pedestrian pathway along Bell Road between State Route 306 and Spring Drive, with associated crosswalks at Spring Drive, the school and the intersection at State Route 306.

The committee that developed the schematic told council the scoping step will allow NOACA and ODOT to provide early feedback and put the project into the regional program while the village refines engineering details and potential right-of-way or easement needs.

Supporters told council the project is intended to improve safety and connectivity between neighborhoods, the park and the school. Carrie Sloss, co-chair of the Bicycle and Safety Revenue Committee, described the committee's recommendation as "a pedestrian path on Bell between Spring Drive and 306'a 5-foot asphalt path," and said the group prefers a single-side alignment with separate access to crossings rather than a route that crosses Bell Road multiple times.

Residents urged council to proceed. Michelle Alexander, a resident who identified herself as a candidate for council, said the path would increase safety and local access to the park and village center and could be a keystone for later connections. Several residents raised concerns about which side of the road the path would be placed, driveway impacts, maintenance responsibility and whether a 5-foot width is sufficient if bicycles or class 1/2 e-bikes use the facility.

Engineers on the record described trade-offs among surface types (compacted stone aggregate versus asphalt), maintenance frequency and year-round usability; they said stone surfaces require more frequent replenishment while asphalt has higher upfront cost and longer service life. Staff stated the grant is an $800,000 award that typically requires a 20% local match, meaning the total project could be roughly $1,000,000 depending on scope and easement needs. Staff also said scoping-level plans could be completed by winter and that engineering details, surveys and utility coordination would follow if council endorses the schematic.

Councilman Canton moved to authorize the mayor and village staff to complete and submit NOACA scoping documentation for a 5-foot pedestrian pathway from State Route 306 to Spring Drive with crosswalks at Spring Drive, the school and the 306 intersection. The motion carried on a voice vote.

This vote authorizes early planning and agency engagement; it does not authorize construction or expenditures beyond routine staff time. Council members and residents said they expect additional engineering study to define exact alignment, identify utility or drainage impacts, clarify right-of-way and construction-easement needs, and produce an estimated construction cost for later council review.

Next steps described at the meeting include: preparing an alignment map and schematic to submit to NOACA/ODOT, conducting field survey and engineering design work to resolve drainage and sanitary conflicts, and returning to council with estimates and proposed easements before any construction bidding.

Why this matters: the scoping step preserves $800,000 of regional funding currently available to the village, allows early feedback from funding/transportation agencies, and starts a sequence of engineering and public engagement steps that would be necessary before a construction contract could be awarded.