Since 2018, records show Kettering has earmarked at least $13 million for the capital improvement budget, although last year’s $20 million plan was cut nearly in half because of lost revenue due to COVID-19, officials said.
This year the city plans to spend about $8.6 million on roadway projects and nearly $1.88 million on parks, recreation and cultural arts upgrades, including about $1.68 million to start renovations at the 55-year-old Rosewood Arts Centre, work initially set to start last year.
The 2021 capital improvements budget is being supplemented with money redirected from other sources, Kettering City Manager Mark Schwieterman said.
“We’re utilizing general fund reserves to fund capital improvement projects,” he said. “So we’re going to move $2.3 million out of the general fund and put it into the capital improvement fund to fund those projects.”
Three road projects are expected to consume nearly half of the capital improvement budget. Combined, the widening of a section of County Line Road, the resurfacing of a stretch of Marshall Road and the construction of Donation Circle in Miami Valley Research Park are projected to cost $4.91 million, with County Line taking up $3.94 million.
Kettering wants to widen County Line from the intersection of Dorothy Lane to Vale Drive, officials have said. The work would result in two through lanes in each direction, plus a center turn lane, according to the city.
Miami Valley Research Park business development is the “primary reason,” but congested traffic on County Line during peak usage is also a factor, Assistant City Manager Steve Bergstresser has said.
The city plans to resurface Marshall Road from David Road to the Kettering border and $574,000 is budgeted for the work, records show.
And $400,000 is set aside for the building of Donation Circle in the research park. The city plans to build the nearly 350-foot access road from College Drive to help further development, Schwieterman has said.
The new road would provide direct access to Life Connection of Ohio, which is planning its new regional headquarters on about 8 acres in a deal with the city.
The annual asphalt resurfacing program and the city’s neighborhood program are each budgeted at $1 million, Schwieterman said.
A larger amount — about $1.68 million — is set aside for Phase I of Rosewood’s renovation. The project includes roofing, plumbing, electrical, structural work and safety upgrades, records show.
The plan to move forward on Rosewood this year drew criticism from one resident. Sterling Abernathy told city council that when revenues are declining such as they have he was against spending money on projects that are not absolutely needed.
“In this year when many residents have reduced incomes and companies have moved jobs out of the city, city spending should be for necessities.” Abernathy said.
The Rosewood work, he said, is an example of Kettering allocating funds for projects that are “not core infrastructure. Let’s focus on true necessities.”
RECENT BUDGETS
The following are annual capital improvement fund totals approved by Kettering City Council in recent years.
•2018: S14.1M
•2019: $13.1M
•2020: $20M*
•2021: 11.9M
*Spending was reduced to $11.1M because of revenue losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
SOURCE: City of Kettering.
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
•County Line Road widening, $3.94M
•Rosewood Arts Centre Phase I, $1.68M
•Asphalt resurfacing, $1M
•Neighborhood program, $1M
•Marshall Road resurfacing, $574K
•Donation Circle construction, $400K
SOURCE: City of Kettering
About the Author
