Dover reaches settlement with property owner near bridge project

DOVER (WJER) (July 19, 2024) – The city and a homeowner have finally agreed to a settlement involving a bridge reconstruction project that has been on hold for years.

City officials have been discussing replacing the low-level bridge over East 20^th Street near Dover Middle School since before ODOT awarded a $602,000 grant for the project in 2020. Three neighboring property owners reached eminent domain agreements with the city for small portions of their property, but a fourth has been holding out. The ensuing court case has been ongoing since 2022.

Monday, Dover City Council approved a settlement where the city will pay the property owner $12,230 in exchange for two-hundredths of an acre of his property.

That’s $4,000 more than the initial offer.

There are trees but no structures on that sliver of land. Once the bridge project is done, the land goes back to the homeowner.

Mayor Shane Gunnoe said the city would like to move on and avoid a trial date that had been scheduled for Thursday.

ODOT’s grant will cover the majority of the bridge project cost, which has fluctuated between $500,000 and $1.7 million over the past four years. Service Director Dave Douglas was relieved earlier this year when the most recent low bid came in at around $800,000. Officials expect work to start this summer.

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