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Local preservation group seeks city help to save historic bridge; mayor says demolition paused
Summary
A citizen-led group asked Waterville council for help with grant applications and to coordinate with ODOT as it presses to preserve a historic bridge; the mayor said he had secured a reprieve from demolition and a committee is working with state officials.
A citizen group seeking to save a local historic bridge urged the City of Waterville on Sept. 22 to help apply for grant funding and to coordinate preservation plans with state agencies, saying federal reimbursement rules and grant programs could make restoration far cheaper than demolition.
"If ODOT is planning on spending $4,000,000 next April to knock the thing down, then, we could save the taxpayers money," said Dave Webber, who identified himself as working with a new public-charity group focused on preserving the bridge. Webber told council the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) estimated demolition at about $4,050,000 and that his group's preliminary estimate for preservation work is roughly $600,000. He said a federal rule could reimburse preservation at 100% if the structure is a national landmark, subject to a cap tied to demolition cost.
Webber asked Waterville to submit a Clean Ohio grant application because the fund requires municipal or environmental-organization sponsorship and a restricted appraisal. He said the application deadline was imminent: "It has to be submitted by Friday."
Mayor Timothy G. Pedro told the audience the city has obtained a reprieve from demolition after the mayor contacted Governor Mike DeWine and that a committee, including city and Save-the-Bridge members, is now working on the issue. "We got a reprieve to hold any demolition to the bridge," the mayor said, and he listed members of the committee.
City staff and councilors said multiple parallel efforts are underway, including the city’s land-use plan and discussions with grant coordinators and the historical society. John (city staff) told the meeting the Clean Ohio fund likely would not meet the project’s needs based on prior submissions, and that staff were exploring alternative funding sources.
Why it matters: speakers argued preservation could save taxpayer dollars, create a pedestrian/bike amenity and protect an historic landmark; supporters also asked to be kept informed of city negotiations with ODOT. Webber warned against private talks that could lead to demolition, saying, "as far as we're concerned, they're the antagonists. They wanna knock the bridge down. We don't wanna knock the bridge down."
Ending: Council members said the issue is being addressed on several tracks and that staff will continue coordination with the committee and state officials.
