Scio Township is thinking about making improvements to Park Road

Scio Township is exploring a plan to bring some needed improvements to a section of Park Road.

In an effort to get a better idea what’s needed and how much it will cost, the Scio Township Board at its March 14 meeting voted to proceed with the Park Road Paving and Pathway Improvements conceptual engineering proposal from OHM. The contract is to not exceed $95,000. To pay for this, Scio plans to use funds from the State MEDC grant that was secured by former State Rep. Donna Lasinski.

In his report to the township board about the proposal, township supervisor Will Hathaway said:

“The Township has known for many years that Park Road west of Zeeb Road was a candidate for paving. It is located in one of the most densely populated areas of the Township. Arbor Pointe, Country French Estates, and the more recent Trailwoods subdivisions have a total of 700+ residences. The subdivisions immediately west of Staebler Road add another 900+ residences. The traffic burden on Park Road continues to grow and the next two years will make the traffic problem more urgent.”

“Park Road between Zeeb Road and the Staebler Road intersections is currently a dirt road. During the 2023 construction season, the Trailwoods subdivision will fulfill its commitment to pave Park Road from Staebler east to a point just past Cedar Ridge Drive. Trailwoods will also pave the unpaved segment between the Staebler/Park Road intersection and Avalon Way and complete a pedestrian pathway along the north side of Park Road to the subdivision property line with the Arbor Pointe subdivision.”

“Once the 2023 construction by Trailwoods is complete, there will a paved road between Jackson Road and Cedar Ridge Drive. A segment dirt road will remain between Cedar Ridge Drive and Zeeb Road. There will be a gap without pedestrian pathway for the section of Park Road between Zeeb and Cedar Ridge Drive.”

“In 2024 Trailwoods will replace the Staebler Road bridge over the Honey Creek just north of Trailwoods Drive. This will close Staebler Road for a period of at least two months during which access to the Kensington and Trailwoods subdivisions will occur only via Park Road. As many residents have informed the Township, cut-through traffic in Arbor Pointe is already a problem. When Park is paved to Cedar Ridge later in 2023, the traffic seeking to stay on a paved surface will increase. The temporary closure of Staebler in 2024 will redirect more traffic along Park Road and through the neighborhoods. It has also been pointed out that a paved road that is interrupted by an unpaved, dirt surface poses a traffic safety hazard.”

“The Township needs more information in order to make an informed decision about paving the segment of Park Road between Cedar Ridge Drive and Zeeb Road. The attached proposal from OHM will help to answer questions and inform the Board and the public about the scope of work and associated costs. This will allow the Township to enter into any plan for construction with a clear sense of the financial cost. If funds are needed from other sources, then the Township will have the information it needs to seek that outside support.”

“If the Township moves forward with this preliminary engineering and subsequently decides to proceed with the Park Road paving project, it is still possible that the construction could occur prior to the Staebler Road bridge closure in 2024. Further delays will increase the likelihood that the bridge closure will happen while the Cedar Ridge Drive to Zeeb Road section is still a dirt road. If that were to occur, then all of the traffic from Trailwoods and Kirkway subdivisions have to use the Park Road detour prior to completion of the paving.”

In their proposal, OHM said the township is looking for conceptual plans and cost estimate for the paving Park Road, as well as providing a non-motorized pathway and drainage improvements and potential signal improvements at the Park Road and Zeeb Road intersection that would also be required.