Findlay works to expand path network

FINDLAY — The city of Findlay continues to position itself for a better-connected network of paths and the additional grant funding that could come with it. In November, city council agreed to move forward with a grant application for state funding to build a major multi-use path along Bright Road and Fostoria Avenue, with a similar project already planned for Melrose Avenue. The Bright Road proposal would create a 10-foot-wide multi-use path stretching about 10,000 linear feet from State Route 12 to County Road 236. The design accommodates walkers, runners, cyclists, and other non-motorized traffic. City Engineer Jeremy Kalb said the term "multi-use" avoids triggering additional specifications required for bike-only paths. "This is about connectivity," Kalb told council. "It's similar to the Melrose Avenue project, but larger in scale." The Bright Road project is estimated at $850,000 to $900,000, with the city responsible for an $175,000 to $200,000 match under the Ohio Department of Transportation's Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). The grant would cover 80 percent of the cost. Council suspended its three-reading rule to meet the Dec. 1 application deadline, and approved the measure 9-1. Councilwoman Holly Frische, R-1, cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the city should prioritize infrastructure repairs over new paths. "Every time there's a grant, it doesn't mean we need to move forward," Frische said. "We've done the Blanchard Street bike path, the Greenway Trail, and now Melrose. We have sidewalks on Bright Road. And we have to maintain all this asphalt and concrete. ...," she said. Her comments echoed concerns raised earlier this year when council debated the Melrose Avenue project. In October, council voted to accept a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the Melrose path after the city's application for TAP funding was denied. The CDBG will provide about $222,000, covering roughly half of the $444,000 cost to build a 10-foot-wide path from Crystal Avenue to Bright Road. Kalb said the city originally sought TAP funding for both Melrose and Bright Road as part of a $1.12 million combined project, which would have been 95% funded by the state. ODOT rejected the application, citing the lack of an existing network of paths. "Melrose is more heavily used by pedestrians," Kalb wrote in a letter to council, noting the project will strengthen connectivity and position Findlay for additional state funding. The Melrose path will provide sidewalks along the front of a large, commercially owned property on the north side of Melrose Avenue. Frische opposed the plan, arguing the city should enforce its sidewalk ordinance instead of using public funds. "Unless we're going to start fixing everyone's sidewalks in their neighborhood, I think we need to be addressing that sidewalk policy," she said.