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Year in Review: Macedonia's grappling with mystery dirt pile now engulfs Northfield Center Township
December 31, 2008
by Jeff Saunders
Reporter
Macedonia -- In 2007, the city had to grapple with what to do about an enormous pile of dirt within a the city's portion of a conservation area south of the Crossings at Golden Link shopping center.
In a Sept. 19 letter to Mayor Don Kuchta, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it wanted the pile, which City Engineer Gene Hill estimated at about 200 feet long and as much as 20 feet high, removed from area, since it includes wetlands.
Kuchta said in October that since the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency informed the city and the Army of the presence of the dirt last January, the city had been trying unsuccessfully to identify who was responsible for the dirt. Kuchta said he was also hoping that if the city had to pay for the removal of the dirt, Northfield Center would also help, since the shopping center lies within both communities.
Township Trustees Richard Reville, Paul Buescher and Brent Sommer, however, said they do not believe the township is responsible since the conservation area does not lie within the Joint Economic Development District, which includes the shopping center.
Hill reported on Dec. 1 to the JEDD board, which is composed of officials from the city and township and provides government oversight of the shopping center, that four estimates to remove the dirt ranged between $89,000 and $276,000. However, Hill also said that it was unknown whether the mound contained debris, such as construction materials and trees, or if it was "pure" dirt. Removal costs would be lower if it is just dirt, said Hill.
Hill also said that it may be possible to reduce costs by removing only a portion of the pile, since only about 30 to 40 percent actually lies within wetlands.
Hill said that based on aerial photographic evidence, it appears that the dirt had been in the wetlands since 2004, but the city was unable to identify who was responsible.
E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169
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