County hears detailed plan for road repairs and bonds tied to proposed solar project

Morrow County commissioners on the first July session heard a detailed presentation about a proposed roadway use and maintenance agreement tied to a large utility-scale solar development referred to in the meeting as Boston/Blossom Solar.

Consultant Brian Newton, of Duke Civil Consultant Services, told the board the agreement identifies specific county routes the developer will use — including segments of County Road 31, County Road 30 and Township Road 33 and a stretch near the FirstEnergy substation — and lays out expectations for pre-project repairs and ongoing maintenance. "They've agreed to add 2 to 2 and a half inches minimum of asphalt" on the affected stretches, Newton said, and described the work covering roughly 3.5 miles.

Newton described the pavement condition the county found during coring, saying existing pavement thickness ranges "from 3, 3 and a half to 9 inches" and that a typical durable build-up for similar service has been about 6 inches total. To avoid a full structural analysis on each road, the draft agreement would require developers to perform pre-project surface improvements. Newton said that scope "equates to around half $1,000,000 in improvements" and that the developer had agreed to complete those improvements by Oct. 31 so the work is finished before the winter season.

The draft also specifies bonding and enforcement tools. Newton said the agreement includes a total bond amount for county and township roads of $1,000,000 and that the bond has been prorated in the draft agreement (the transcript noted a prorated figure as "Each 689,000"). He said the county can enforce terms directly and, if needed, seek additional oversight from the state review body the consultant identified as the Ohio Power Siting Board. "If we start running into pressure or resistance, we can always lean on [the Power Siting Board]," Newton said.

Commissioners and staff asked practical questions about traffic control, signage and permits. Newton confirmed developers must obtain oversized/overweight hauling permits and driveway access approvals and that the county will review and approve signage directing deliveries. He also said the county will use local contractors to oversee and approve the roadway work.

Newton said he was engaged by county engineer Mark Denison to advise on roads and drainage and that his role is to represent the engineer’s interests in protecting county infrastructure. He described prior experience on similar projects and said he routinely sits in on meetings with the state siting board and on-site inspections to ensure permit conditions are met.

The board did not record a final vote on the roadway use agreement in the available transcript. Commissioners directed staff to continue review and townships were expected to consider parallel agreements at their July meetings.

What happens next: Newton said townships (Washington and North Bloomfield were named) will review separate township agreements in July, and the county will coordinate oversight and bonding details with developers and state reviewers. The matter remained under review at the meeting’s close.