Governing Board Action: September 14, 2007:
NOACA Board Postpones Action on Avon Interchange

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency Governing Board agreed to postpone the vote to add a proposed new interchange at I-90 and Nagel Road to the region’s long-range transportation plan, Connections 2030, until their October 12 Board meeting.

Avon Mayor James A. Smith requested that the NOACA Governing Board postpone action for approving the new interchange, to give Board members the opportunity to review and absorb the Economic Assessment developed for the project by consultants D.B. Hartt, Inc, Silverlode and Oxbow Engineering. D.B. Hartt completed the final report earlier this week and copies were transmitted to NOACA Board members and alternates. The public may review the report and its conclusions on NOACA’s Web site.

NOACA has received significant public and government agency comment on the proposed interchange, including input at a public forum on August 22. At today’s meeting, Dr. Toby Cosgrove, Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Officer, urged Board members to support the Avon interchange as the Clinic intends to construct a 170,000 sq. ft. facility near I-90 and Nagel Road. “The Clinic is looking to more adequately serve the citizens of Northeast Ohio,” said Cosgrove. “A new facility in Avon will meet our expanding needs, and we anticipate that the new interchange will provide improved access to the new facility.”

In other business, the Board added 26 projects from throughout the five-county area to the long-range transportation plan and 23 projects to the State Fiscal Years 2008 – 2011 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The projects completed successful project planning review (PPR), NOACA’s comprehensive staff, committee, public and government agency review process.

The Board approved modifying Clean Water 2000, the region’s water quality management plan, to transfer a portion of the Village of Bentleyville to the Chagrin Falls Wastewater Facility planning area. Clean Water 2000 allows for modifications to wastewater facility planning boundaries with the consent of affected parties and NOACA Governing Board.

The Board also presented a resolution of appreciation to Joseph Cole, a long-time NOACA employee who retired in August after 42 years of outstanding service with NOACA and its predecessor, the Seven-County Land Use and Transportation Study (SCOTS).