Council to address city’s historic airport terminal

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Constructed in the early 1940s, the terminal at Grimes Field is one of the city-owned airport’s original landmarks. Pending City Council’s approval during its 6 p.m. meeting today in municipal court chambers, the northern portion or north terminal could be headed toward a facelift in the form of a new roof.

City administration is scheduled to recommend council sign off on a purchase order to multiple vendors in an amount not to exceed $73,500 for the replacement of two sections of roof on the north terminal building. If approved, the expense would be paid from the Airport Fund, which is self-supporting.

According to a detailed project summary provided by administration, the north terminal is currently home to W&W Aviation and Mad River Air, and over the years, various roofing systems and layers have been used. Presently, both sections of the roof are damaged, causing numerous leaks into the building.

The summary states that local building regulations will no longer permit additional layers to be installed, and before additional work is done, the multiple layers installed over the past 70-plus years must be removed down to the decking.

Q3 JMC cleanup efforts to be addressed

The city’s desire to work toward the redevelopment of the former Q3 JMC property (605 Miami St. and 200 Beech St.), which it acquired in May through the tax foreclosure process, is moving forward as administration is expected to ask council to waive the three-readings rule and pass on an emergency basis a resolution allowing the director of administration to enter into an agreement with Honeywell International Inc. and Grimes Aerospace Company (Honeywell/Grimes) for management of remedial responsibility for the portion of the property located on Beech Street.

According to the resolution, the redevelopment of the property will be done through environmental remediation under the Ohio Voluntary Action Program, and under the redevelopment plan, the city is required to pursue and secure a Covenant Not to Sue (CNS) from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

To secure the CNS, the remediation of soil and/or groundwater containing perchloroethylene (PCE), a volatile organic compound, must be done.

The resolution states Honeywell/Grimes has agreed to work alongside the city and Ohio EPA to remediate PCE at the Beech Street property, previously owned by several companies including the Grimes Manufacturing Company. All costs associated with the remediation of PCE at the site will be covered by Honeywell/Grimes.

In other business:

•An ordinance seeking to place before voters in November an additional .6 percent tax on income (earmarked for public safety operations and capital improvements only) will undergo a second reading.

Currently, the city’s income tax stands at 1.4 percent, with .4 percent going toward safety services only and 1 percent earmarked for the city’s General Fund.

•Council will hear the first reading of a resolution allowing the director of administration to prepare and submit an application for the Monument Square Water Main Improvements Project and to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement Program, which provides grants and loans to entities statewide.

•Council is expected to vote on – following a third reading – an ordinance that, if passed, would amend the city’s official zoning map by rezoning a 1.023-acre parcel on Lippincott Lane in the Urbana Commons Planned Unit Development (Walmart) from fuel station only to fuel station and any other uses allowed under the B-2 General Business District.

•Administration will seek approval to pay J&J Schlaegel Inc. $19,833 for materials and labor needed to build a wing wall and footer at the North Russell Street box culvert outlet.

By Joshua Keeran

[email protected]

Joshua Keeran may be reached at 937-508-2304 or on Twitter @UDCKeeran.

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