LIMA — After considering and accomodating two objections Thursday, the Allen Soil & Water Conservation District is one step closer to beginning work on the Little Cranberry Creek ditch project.
The project, now estimated to cost $191,000, would create a more uniform flow pattern for the creek running from east of Rockport down to south of Hillville Road, widening narrow parts of the 5-mile stretch of creek and removing trees from the creek’s west bank.
“It wouldn’t necessarily eliminate flooding,” district drainage coordinator Dan Ellerbrock said. “But it should help.”
The objections were brought by two landowners who did not object to the project itself but rather the assessments placed on their property. Robert McDowell was at the meeting representing his father, who owns property near Columbus Grove. McDowell noted that the land being assessed has been retiled in such a way that the tile runoff no longer goes to Little Cranberry Creek, but rather to another ditch. Because ditch project assessments in Allen County are based half on the surface runoff and half on the tile runoff, McDowell’s assessment was reduced by half, a savings of about $600.
The other objection was brought by Tom Hughes, of Rockport, who was not present. According to Ellerbrock, most of the 31 acres of Hughes’ land that was assessed for the project is a quarry, which does not drain into the creek. After considering this, the district reduced the amount of land assessed from Hughes down to just under 5 acres, which should reduce Hughes’ assessment to just under $100.
“They both had legitimate arguments,” Ellerbrock said. “We’ll mail out new assessments, and those should arrive within two to three weeks.”
Assessments to other landowners will be adjusted slightly to accomodate the changes, but Ellerbrock anticipates the changes to be no more than $1 or $2 per acre. Any affected landowners would have 30 days to file an appeal with the courts once the final assessments are mailed. If no objections are presented, the district would then advertise for contractors. He anticipates that, barring any objections, work on the project would begin after harvest, sometime in October or November.
