Confusion over riverfront cleanup continues

FINDLAY — Debate over cleanup of the downtown riverfront was heated at Tuesday's regular meeting of Findlay City Council, with Councilwoman Holly Frische, R-1, accusing officials of taking "the cheaper route." Frische pushed city officials to work with the Hancock County Board of Commissioners to elevate environmental remediation along the next set of river benching to a "residential, high child-exposure standard," which would come with nearly twice the price tag. The benches are meant to increase the capacity of the river during floods. "So there are a lot of moving parts, but at the end of the day, we need to make sure we are cleaning that site for the safety of our community," Frische said. The commissioners are overseeing the benching project. They are expected to award a contract to Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., Toledo (CEC), to perform the necessary evaluation and mitigation work. That's the same company the city hired in 2023 to perform an independent review of the environmental conditions along the riverfront. The review showed contamination present throughout the property. The county is seeking a deadline extension on a state grant that would reimburse up to $850,000 of the cost to remove contaminated soil, located east and west of Main Street, along the north bank of the Blanchard River. On Tuesday, Mayor Christina Muryn said the contract with CEC is to a commercial standard for parks and open space. Muryn said that it is a "perfectly appropriate standard." She said the standard is also extremely high. "The ultimate result is the benching will be cleaned to a parks and open space standard, which is safe for the residential development around it," Muryn said. "They are going to be cleaning far beyond just the two-foot standard, because they have to remove any contaminated soil." Muryn said when the benching is complete, the area will be tested again to ensure it meets the standard for parks and open space, adjacent to residential. Most of the benching property will be part of the proposed "Downtown North River Development Project." The recreational area is being designed to exist within the Blanchard River's flood zone. It includes public properties on North Main Street, Clinton Court, Jefferson Street, Taylor Street, Meeks Avenue, Meeks Court and North Cory Street. Muryn gave an update on the project Tuesday at a Findlay Parks & Recreation Board meeting. In all, the recreational area would cover about 19 acres on the north side of the river. Cory Street will be the westernmost boundary of the park, and to the east, the park will end at the railroad tracks. It will stretch from the Blanchard River north to Clinton Court. The park is expected to cost between $30.4 and $37.8 million in "2027 dollars," with an additional $4.5 million in engineering fees. Construction could begin in 2027. Findlay Auditor Jim Staschiak, who attended a recent commissioners' meeting, said they intend to clean the benching area to the lower, commercial standard and transfer the property to the city. Then, he said it would be up to the city to clean it to a higher standard, if desired. Staschiak said it doesn't make sense to do the remediation twice. On Tuesday, Staschiak said confusion about the cleanup underscores the city's need for its own expert to oversee the project. Staschiak has been arguing for an independent city fiduciary to oversee the riverfront cleanup for at least two years. In December 2023, council's Appropriations Committee recommended that the city work with Hancock County to pursue clean-up grants and hire an environmental consultant to independently oversee the process on behalf of the city. Council also voted to delay taking ownership of the property until after the county completes the benching. However, in a letter to council dated April 28, Findlay Law Director Robert Feighner Jr. said it's not necessary to hire an independent company to oversee the work. Feighner issued the opinion at the request of Service-Safety Director Rob Martin. Feighner said the terms of the contract between the county and CEC would be passed along to the city, and the city has established a positive relationship with the firm. The letter was included on the meeting agenda for May 7, with council deciding against hiring an independent expert later that month.