Lorain County adopts Mason Lateral 1 and Mason Main ditch restoration; work to be coordinated with private owners

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners adopted a stormwater project to restore Mason Lateral 1 and Mason Main ditches in LaGrange Township, approving the plan and declaring the work necessary for public health and welfare. The restoration will remove excess sediment, clear vegetation and repair flow lines; the county's stormwater district will fund the construction and no special assessments will be levied on property owners.

The project combines two efforts that began separately: a 2021 effort to address flooding near Webster Road and a later LaGrange Township request to clean Mason Main farther east. Don, a stormwater district representative, told the commissioners the district and the county prosecutor worked with the Balmert family to draft an agreement that will allow the family to self-perform the portion of ditch work across their properties while coordinating with the county contractor. "We were able to draft an agreement, where they're going to self perform the work," Don said.

County documents presented at the hearing describe removing sediment, restoring side slopes, clearing trees and reestablishing a flow line from a culvert on Webster Road north about 545 feet and continuing through several parcels to the Mason Main confluence. The Mason Main restoration includes roughly 2,690 linear feet of ditch east of Whitehead Road; LaGrange Township is expected to self-perform that portion or contract it out if the township decides bidding is more cost effective. The engineer's estimate for the Mason Lateral portion is $134,862, a per-linear-foot figure the county described as comparatively low; the township received a $12,000 community grant plus a county recommendation to set aside another $10,000, leaving $22,000 available for the township's scope.

Members of the public and local officials voiced concerns about trees and elevations during and after the work. Tom Zivcek, a Webster Road resident, said he had planted trees on the bank and worried that removing too many trees or altering elevations could leave his yard lower than a neighbor's and cause flooding: "I don't want my yard flooding." Don and engineering staff said they have walked the site with residents, identified trees that can be saved, will provide the property owner and contractor with the same plans and elevations, and will provide surveying and inspection during construction to avoid unintended grade changes.

The board closed the public hearing and then adopted a resolution to add the ditches to the general plan of drainage, declare the project necessary, and state that special assessments will not be levied to pay project costs. After a five-day objection period the county plans to advertise for bids on the lateral portion; the stormwater district will fund the awarded contract. Commissioners recorded unanimous approval on the adoption vote.

The project team said work could be advertised for bids early next week, with contract award likely in November and construction beginning late November or December depending on contractor schedules; the work may extend into the new year.

The hearing record also notes that no part of the ditch is under a maintenance contract with USDA, the Ohio Department of Agriculture or NRCS, which the county said should avoid conflicts with federal or state conservation maintenance agreements.