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Council approves ODOT agreement to install fast EV chargers uptown; debate over siting continues
Summary
Council authorized a local project agreement with ODOT to install six fast electric-vehicle chargers funded by a $905,000 grant; councilors and staff debated whether to place four chargers in Lot 52 (surface lot) or at adjacent Park Place to avoid conflicts with the farmers market and to preserve long-term redevelopment options.
Oxford City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a local project agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation to install electric-vehicle (EV) fast chargers in uptown Oxford. The council vote followed extensive discussion about the chargers’ precise location and potential impacts on future redevelopment of the municipal surface lot known as Lot 52.
City staff said the project is funded by a $905,000 ODOT grant that will bring fast chargers to two locations: four chargers at the uptown surface lot (Lot 52, sometimes referenced as Lot 53) and two chargers at the municipal building parking lot. City staff recommended that the city “local lift” the project — administer and manage the construction — which staff estimated would save about $90,000 over the grant’s value. Staff also said there is no local cash match required because ODOT is using toll-revenue credits to cover the local match.
Several councilors welcomed the chargers and emphasized economic-development benefits, saying fast chargers attract travelers to town and encourage them to spend time and money in uptown businesses. One councilor described personal visits to towns where downtown chargers prompted surprise stops at local restaurants and shops.
Other councilors raised concerns that siting four chargers in Lot 52 could complicate future redevelopment of that surface lot and that the lot is used for the farmers market on Saturday mornings (approximately 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), creating a potential conflict for charger access. Staff said the charging system has been designed to be fed from a transformer located at the northeast corner of the surface lot and that the recommended design locates four chargers along the south side of the island in Lot 52; changing the location would require redesign and could affect feasibility because of distance from the transformer.
Council discussion noted options such as placing chargers on Park Place East/West or other adjacent public right-of-way locations that would keep redevelopment options open. Staff advised council that moving the chargers would require a redesign and potentially affect the grant schedule. A councilor observed that chargers can be moved, but another staff member cautioned that relocation would involve additional design and construction cost and that the transformer location constrains siting.
The resolution authorizing the local project agreement passed by voice vote.
