The City of Mentor is pleased to announce that the State of Ohio has allocated $350,000 as part of the recently adopted State budget for the purpose of helping to reduce the risk posed by large rain events in parts of the City. The project will help protect as many as 300 homes south of Lakeshore Blvd. that have experienced property damage and flooding from past storm events. The funding is a direct result of the efforts of State Senator John Eklund – District 18 and State Representative Ron Young – District 61, who championed the project early on and supported it through the entire budgetary process.
City Manager Kenneth J. Filipiak commented, “We are very fortunate to have legislators like Senator Eklund and Representative Young who understand the need to work with local communities to get important projects done that directly impact people where they live. This project will protect homes and reduce flooding; offering many residents some peace of mind.”
The funding will be provided through the Ohio Division of Soil and Water Resources and will be used for establishing a storm detention project on vacant land that is part of the site of the former Dale R. Rice School. The 18-acre land parcel is owned by the Mentor City School System. The proposed detention basin will increase the efficiency of the existing storm water infrastructure by holding back water for up to a 50-year storm event. The total estimated project cost is $1.5 million dollars, with local City funds offsetting the remaining non-grant balance. The City and the School System are currently negotiating terms for the purchase of the land by the City.
Mentor manages and maintains all public stormwater infrastructure within the city.
The project is part of a larger initiative by the City to obtain funds for ‘green infrastructure’ projects that will improve water quality as it drains into Lake Erie. The award represents the fourth such grant that it has received from State or Federal agencies for this purpose over the last three years.