Shaker Heights, Ohio Development News

Shaker Heights Council Reviews Progress and Challenges on Linfield Lomond SSO Project, Addresses Tree Impact

The Shaker Heights City Council held a work session to discuss the Linfield Lomond Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) project. The project aims to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows and reduce basement backups, impacting over 1,200 residents. Challenges include managing existing utilities and modifying the dewatering plan, requiring adjustments to well spacing and size. The project has encountered a need for a time extension request to the EPA due to these field adjustments. Communication strategies have shifted to an FAQ page to ensure consistent information dissemination to residents, as individual responses became time-consuming. The council also discussed the impact on existing trees, with assessments indicating that four trees may expire within five years, one within one to three years, and others potentially within five years due to dieback and decay. The project involves removing nine trees and planting new two-inch diameter red oak trees to maintain the urban forest canopy, with a commitment to planting two trees for every one removed city-wide. Funding for the construction, which started last year, totals $5.6 million from sources including the US EPA, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, and Doppler, along with city capital and a zero-interest loan.