The Clearwater Township Board voted at its November meeting to expand a cul-de-sac on Forsythe Ave. for better access.

 

The improvement was the result of an ongoing discussion about safety issues on the road. The issue was brought before the board in August by Tom Lopez, who presented a petition for the township to take over the road to make safety and access improvements.

 

The north end of Forsythe Ave is currently not maintained by the township. Connecting the north and south segments would provide a complete through-road. But the township board wasn’t ready to commit to the cost of a major road improvement, which would require additional right-of-way to bring the road to township standards. It may also have been a major expense to property owners if it was determined the project should be assessed.

 

In October, a different option was presented: expanding and moving the cul-de-sac on the south segment. It would allow township maintenance plows and grading equipment vehicles more room to turn around, and it would be less of a distance for Lopez to connect.

 

Since that meeting, a survey was done on the area to determine the right-of-way.

 

Supervisor Bill Langenbacher said he spoke with a property owner about tree removal, which is a requirement to expand the cul-de-sac. He said the property owner wasn’t 100 percent in favor of losing trees, but he understood it was the township’s right of way.

 

He said there is also a boat and some wood that would have to be moved before the project could be done. The approximate cost is about $5,500, which includes tree and stump removal, fill, gravel and staff time.  

 

The board voted to approve the project.

 

Once the township has created the cul-de-sac it is up to Lopez to connect to the road, which would be at his expense.