Member communities of the ABC (Austintown, Boardman and Canfield townships) Water and Storm Water District are reviewing big projects in the coming year.

Boardman is looking at a $47 million project for the Cranberry Run watershed running from the Boardman Plaza and former Market Street school to Mill Creek at Shields Road.

“In 2023, we submitted for a large grant for $47 million,” said Boardman Township Administrator and ABC representative Jason Loree. “It would include improvements from the Boardman Plaza north into Mill Creek Park.”

He said it would include Cranberry Run from the former Market Street School property as well. The grant would be a Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“We are in phase 2 of the grant process, which means we have a high probability of getting it,” Loree said. “This grant was filed jointly between Boardman Township and ABC. We will be the first in Ohio to receive this grant.”

One advantage for the ABC district is it can do projects on private property, which Boardman alone legally could not.

The Cranberry Run project would involve multiple phases along the water course that may include private property. It includes replacing failing stormwater pipes and in some cases opening

it back to a natural running creek.

If the large grant application is successful, the partnership will continue, with ABC being the project lead and Boardman serving as the purse holder to handle the grant funds.

Loree said ABC and the township had worked with the Army Corps of Engineers, which may play a big part in helping to secure the grant.

“We have a joint study done by the Corps and ABC,” he said. “That was a big key for the grant that enabled us to go after money we couldn’t go after without their approval.”

Also on the planning board for 2024 in Boardman are improvements on Colleen Drive off Lockwood Boulevard. That project will replace collapsing and aging corrugated metal pipes. While Loree has no cost estimates yet, he does expect the project will run approximately $1 million.

Another area of consideration are the 36-inch stormwater pipes along the Baymar Drive area that flow into Anderson Run. Loree said ABC had a contractor crawl through the piping for 500 feet to inspect it. He said it is holding up, and there is a new technology available that would allow the piping to be encapsulated to ensure its integrity in the coming years.

Also scheduled in 2024 is the $3.5 million project to place a retention basin on the former Market Street School property. That project is expected to go out for bid in the second quarter. It will be a combined effort with $2 million in federal funds, $500,000 in state funds, and $1 million in Mahoning County American Rescue Plan funds.

In 2023, Boardman completed an Applewood Acres project for $280,000 to replace collapsed pipes, and an $185,000 Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant for the Homestead Drive stream restoration project.

CANFIELD PROJECT

In Canfield Township, the big project for 2024 will be a nearly $4 million waterline to runl run from the Turner-Gibson Road area south toward U.S. Route 224. Canfield Township Administrator and ABC representative Keith Rogers said the funding is coming from several sources, including $1 million from a Federal Congressionally Directed Spending Grant, $2,5 million from Ohio through state Rep. Al Cutrona’s office, and $325,000 from Canfield Township’s ARP funds.

The project already had three proposed ideas presented, with the most recent being to team with the Youngstown Water Department to run an extension along Turner Road. The new waterline would give township residents access to a potable water source.

“The cost of materials and construction will determine how far this first phase can go,” Rogers said.

He said to run waterlines to all township residents would cost roughly $27.5 million, so the Turner Road line would be a start. Rogers hopes to be able to break ground this spring on the project.

Also in 2024, officials plan to continue catch basin repairs and road culvert repairs, which are both projects the township can do, then request reimbursement from ABC.

Both Boardman and Canfield townships also plan to continue street sweeping on all streets with curbs and gutters. By sweeping the debris that collects on the side of the road, it keeps it out of the gutters and prevents clogging of stormwater pipes and basins. Both Loree and Rogers agree it is cheaper to sweep it up than to dig out a clogged system.

As the ABC District enters its sixth year, Boardman and Canfield will continue to deal with flooding issues and solutions. Through the district, both townships will continue to apply for and receive funding that would not be possible for a township acting independently.

Austintown remains a member of the district but has not taken the step to assess property owners for stormwater fees. Township Administrator Mark D’Apolito said, “We’re doing all right and don’t see a need (for the fee) at this time.”