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Seven Hills, Parma seek $4 million from Ohio Public Works Commission to resurface Broadview Road
Summary
City officials said they will pursue an OPWC grant and low-interest loan with Parma to pay for resurfacing work on Broadview Road; state funds would pay for surface replacement only, while the cities would be responsible for base, curb and ADA repairs.
Seven Hills City Council members voted in committee to place a cooperative-agreement resolution on the next council agenda as an emergency so the city and Parma can apply jointly to the Ohio Public Works Commission for funds to resurface Broadview Road.
The measure authorizes a joint application to OPWC for $3,000,000 in grant money and $1,000,000 in a low-interest loan — a $4,000,000 package that, if awarded, would be split 50/50 between the two cities. Director Dan Garrison, who presented the proposal, said the council would likely learn whether the application succeeded in late January 2026 and that any awarded funds would be available around June or July 2026.
The application seeks to supplement an ODOT resurfacing allocation. "We did receive funding from ODOT to resurface the road. However, it only pays for basically the removing the surface course and replacing the surface course," Garrison said. He added that "everything else is a 100% city" responsibility, listing base repairs, curb repairs, handicap ramp upgrades, and catch-basin work as examples of costs the cities would have to cover.
Why it matters: OPWC grants can reduce local outlays for roadway projects, but the city emphasized that state-provided resurfacing covers only the surface course (roughly three inches of asphalt overlay) and not full-depth or underlying base repairs. Council members sought clarity about whether the project would include full-depth repairs; Garrison said it would not: "It is not a full depth repair," and explained that engineers will identify locations needing base work once pavement is milled and inspected.
Councilmember Castanzo moved to place the cooperative-agreement resolution on the next council meeting agenda as an emergency; Councilmember Morrow seconded. The roll call recorded Mario yes, Snitsky yes and Costanza yes.
Officials said the grant would be used primarily to offset local costs such as curb and ramp replacement, engineering and construction administration. Garrison noted ODOT had provided roughly $1,750,000 toward resurfacing, and the OPWC request is intended to help cover the additional items the state does not fund. He cautioned the city would remain responsible for any costs above the grant and loan package.
Public input at the committee hearing raised questions about pavement thickness and the condition of the concrete base under Broadview Road. Resident Jack Thrain asked whether three inches is typical for asphalt overlays; Garrison replied that concrete sections often carry a 7–10 inch concrete base with intermediate and surface courses overlaying them, and that the resurfacing approach typically replaces about three inches of asphalt.
The committee discussion emphasized that Parma will lead project decisions and that a joint application strengthens OPWC scoring. The council chair said the measure will be presented as an emergency resolution at the next full meeting to meet OPWC application timing requirements.
If the OPWC application is funded, work would proceed under ODOT oversight with the two cities responsible for local repairs identified in design work—potentially requiring additional appropriations depending on the scope of base repairs discovered during engineering.
