Strasburg council weighing speed limit reduction on S. Wooster Ave.
STRASBURG (WJER) (July 7, 2023) – Drivers coming into town from the south would have to slow down sooner under legislation council members will be voting on next month.
An ordinance Solicitor Terry Seeberger introduced Wednesday seeks to extend the 25-mile-per-hour zone along South Wooster Avenue through the downtown to Ninth Street Southwest. Council passed a separate ordinance last month asking ODOT to lower the speed limit in the four blocks between 2nd and 7th that were rezoned from residential to business but got shot down.
“In essence, you can declare something a ‘business district’ but for it to be a ‘business district’ you have to have at least or more than 50-percent current business uses within the zone where you want to change the speed limit.”
Seeberger says after adding in those two extra blocks, the breakdown became 25.6-percent residential and 58.1 current business use, which exceeds the agency’s threshold and allows the village to move forward with the change.
“I sent the whole package to Mr. Hoffman at ODOT, and he basically said, ‘Let me know when you change the speed limit ordinance.’ I prepared this ordinance and emailed it to ODOT and got no pushback.”
There’s still time for residents to weigh in on the proposal, which is scheduled for two more readings at the July 18th and August 1st council meetings. Anyone who wants to speak during a council meeting needs to call village hall to register no later than 3 pm the Thursday before.