Metro Edition 11/23/15

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Gas facility

Upgrade worries some

By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com

Delilah Torio, age 4, Toledo, plays in the leaves at a relative's house in Jerusalem Township. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)

Officer cheers for east side By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com

©2015 Hospice of Northwest Ohio

One of the newest “0-5ers” is already a familiar face to many East Toledoans. Tracey Britt, a community service officer with the Toledo Police Department assigned to the city’s East Side, told members of the East Toledo Club Thursday she has purchased a residence in the Birmingham neighborhood. “There is no better way to have credibility,” she said at a meeting of the club. “I believe East Toledo is a great place to be. It gets a bad rep. We need to inspire people to see East Toledo as a better place to be.” She told club members she hoped her

decision to buy a home in the area would encourage others to also consider home ownership, noting rental levels in the city have surpassed 50 percent. While the East Side has many conscientious renters, the housing in many neighborhoods is showing symptoms stemming from absentee landlords. “When the new (city) council is sworn in it is my hope they will pass legislation dealing with absentee landlords and neglect. A lot starts with neglect of property,” she said, referring to problems such as flop houses and scrappers stripping siding from vacant houses. When answering service calls, she freContinued on page 2

for hospice? The sooner you contact us, the sooner our experts can assess your needs. So you can make the most of your precious time. We can help you. Starting right now. Call 419.661.4001.

I’m sorry. I don’t think that belongs in a residential area.

Last of the leaves

Columbia Gas of Ohio is planning to expand a regulator substation at the corner of Brown and Lallendorf roads that serves Oregon and parts of East Toledo. Plans for the $4 million project call for the replacement of the current substation, built in 1959, with three new buildings surrounded by a buffer zone of trees. The company will purchase property north of the site for the expansion. The company is also seeking a variance from the zoning commission as part of the project. The regulator substation reduces pressurized gas before it is delivered to homes and businesses, explained Chris Kozak, communications manager with Columbia Gas of Ohio. Some of the gas flows to the refineries and supports the Jeep factory as well, he said. The substation directly serves 17,000 customers. Several residents living along Brown and Lallendorf roads have expressed concerns that the proposed buildings are too large and don’t blend in with the surrounding neighborhood. They worry their property values will drop as a result. Officials from Columbia Gas and about 20 concerned residents discussed the matter at a meeting at the Oregon Public Library on Nov. 16. Kozak said the current substation looks “lousy,” and that is has “faced several years of neglect.” “Our plan is to make it not only state of the art, but make it look more presentable for the neighborhood and the community,” he said. In addition to improving its appearance, the upgrade will also increase safety and decrease noise and odor, said Kozak. The substation will get a new, modern, state of the art regulator. “It will be the newest regulator in the entire Columbia Gas infrastructure,” said Kozak. Newer technology will also provide round the clock coverage of pressures within the system, he added. If there is an incident, officials will “know exactly what is happening to address any needs,” said Kozak. Insulation within the new regulator and a reduction in the velocity of gas that flows through the pipes will reduce noise. “The pipes you see above the ground now will be buried below the ground. That will reduce the noise we hear from gas flowing,” he said. The new regulator will no longer vent natural gas as a way to control pressure, thereby reducing odor. “We’re also adding a charcoal filter to the top to eliminate mercaptan,” said Kozak. Mercaptan, which contains sulfur, is added to natural gas to make it smell and easier to detect. Natural gas in its natural state is odorless. In addition to the buildings’ exterior brick façade, a wrought iron fence will re-

place the chain link fence around the perimeter of the site. “It’s not going to have barbed wire across the top to keep folks from getting in there,” he said. Crushed stone will be on the ground, and the property will be regraded and sloped towards swales to prevent standing water. Plans also call for the purchase of property north of the site to make way for new equipment. As a result, the company is asking for the zoning variance. “Typically, you have a 100 foot variance from the road. With our acquisition of additional property, we’ve asked the zoning commission for a variance of 65 feet on the west side, and 70 feet on the south side,” said Kozak. “If we weren’t purchasing the property, we would not be going to the zoning commission for this variance. It allows us to create a 50 foot barrier around the outside of the substation to the east. We’ll have some trees to help landscape that as well.” Poor fit Some residents living near the substation had issues with the project. “I think you’re industrial looking buildings are very sharp,” said a woman who lives on Brown Road near the substation. “But it doesn’t fit in with my neighborhood. I can see you building this monstrosity, and if I go to sell my house, people are going to come by and say, `I don’t want to live by that.’ I’m sorry. I don’t think that belongs in a residential area.” She would prefer buildings that Continued on page 2

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