Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse Canfield Township Administrator Keith Rogers shows where a swale will go to ease flooding concerns for residents on Abbey Road after residents showed up at a meeting earlier this month to complain about the flooding.

CANFIELD TOWNSHIP — Residents of Abbey Road received good news at Tuesday’s trustees meeting when they were informed the developer is planning to put in a swale and piping to remove water from the backyards and divert it to a pond across the street.

Several residents came to a meeting earlier this month to complain about flooding issues that turn their backyard into a swamp.

“The next step is to put in a six-foot wide swale and install an 8-to-12-inch pipe to run under Abbey Road and dump into a pond on the other side,” Canfield Township Administrator Keith Rogers said.

He said the work will be done by the developer, Ken Zuzik.

Four residents from that development attended the meeting and inquired about the future of the area. One couple had experienced the worst of the flooding and attempted to get rid of the water with an electric pump.

“It took us a week to get rid of 100,000 gallons of water from our backyard,” said resident Michelle Courtney. “Are we taking township business water into our own pond?”

She was referring to the businesses along U.S. Route 224 and Ironwood Boulevard that seem to have runoff that runs toward the Abbey Road neighborhood.

Rogers told the Abbey Road residents the piping would be put under the road using a boring machine. It would be drilled at a slope to ensure good water flow into the pond.

Rogers did not have a timeline, but did say he would refuse to sign off on future phases of the development until the drainage project is finished.

Also Tuesday, trustees held a bid opening for the 2025 township paving program to pave the entire Fox Den Development. Engineers for the township estimated the paving project would cost approximately $523,024. The bids came in as follows: Karvo Companies Inc. out of Stow, $332,449.50; R.T. Vernal Paving and Excavating of North Lima, $474,902.50; Lindy Paving Inc. of New Galilee, Pa., $384,970.50; Barbicas Construction Company Inc. of Akron, $395,146; and Kirila Contractors Inc. of Brookfield, $372,896.

“I have never seen such a big difference from the engineer’s estimate,” said trustee Marie Cartwright.

She asked if it had anything to do with the price of asphalt. Dave Bakalar with Thomas Fok and Associates said it could play a part, but competition is tight and companies are just trying to get the job. Trustees approved Thomas Fok and Associates to prepare all documents, drawings, specifications, and pre-application for grants and the bidding process for the township’s 2026 paving program. The 2026 program will focus on the Westbury Park Development.

Bakalar took the bid packets and will go through them over the coming weeks. The trustees will decide at a future meeting.

In other business, trustees:

• Approved P&D Painting to paint the second floor at Township Hall at a cost not to exceed $8,960.40. The change from the original cost of $7,900 includes an estimated cost of $1,105.80 to paint the floor.

• Approved Gulu Electrical Contractors of Youngstown to remove the existing chandeliers on the second floor and replace them with new LED fixtures.

• Approved Foust Construction Inc. of Girard to replace the driveway at Cardinal Joint Fire District Station 3 at a cost not to exceed $93,000.

• Approved extending the township agreement with the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office to provide an extra patrol car at a cost not to exceed $7,400 starting June 2 through Aug. 31, 2025. The move will add more visible patrols to curb speeding and recent car break-ins in the township.