Empty Zoar home will receive restoration
Zoar Village Council members received a progress update on restoration work at the Number 3 house from Jon Elsasser, president of the Zoar Community Association. The high cost of repairing the building's structural sill beams has slowed progress a bit.
At the June 11 meeting of Zoar village council, Jon Elsasser, president of the Zoar Community Association, outlined the organization’s plan for restoring the Number 3 House at the corner of Second and Park streets. Elsasser was asked to give the report to council by Safety Committee Chair David Gannon.
Elsasser said the cost to repair the structural sill beams was bid at $67,000 and that $15,000 has been secured toward that total at this point. ZCA will seek grant funds to cover the remaining amount.
According to Elsasser, plans are in place to replace siding and windows, and the hope is to restore the porch to its original form. He anticipates having repairs complete in the next year so a buyer can be sought to finish renovating the property.
Reports to council
Street Commissioner David Irwin reported on a recent visit with an insurance representative from the Public Entities Pool of Ohio. The representative made several requests, one of which was to remove an old antenna tower outside the Zoar Village Hall and Event Center to reduce the risk of climbers.
Additional recommendations included securing an outside container for the liquid propane gas tanks at village hall, installing ground covering under the swing set at the school house and removing the old wooden bleachers at the former ball field on First Street.
Irwin then briefed council members on road erosion taking place at the intersection of Michael Lane and state Route 212. According to Irwin, repairs must take place to prevent the road from potentially washing out. An estimate for the repairs was obtained from Red Oak Excavating in the amount of $2,275.
Council approved spending up to $3,000 to make the repairs, based on Irwin’s statement that additional issues may be uncovered once work begins. Irwin said the project may necessitate moving some paving projects scheduled for this year due to the immediate need.
Irwin also mentioned, at 23 feet wide, Michael Lane is quite costly for the village to maintain. Mayor Tom Klingaman will meet with an engineer to begin exploring long-term solutions.
Additional discussion
Fiscal Officer Patty Smith briefed council on information she received from Tuscarawas County Auditor Larry Lindberg regarding future levies. Klingaman said the Planning Commission will meet June 13 to discuss two levies scheduled to expire at the end of 2025.
Council President Mark Gaynor addressed acoustic issues in the meeting room at village hall. Gaynor said he would like to purchase and install acoustic panels a few at a time see if they make a difference.
Klingaman said he, Patty Smith and Bob Smith of the Lebold-Smith Funeral Home met with a surveyor to define the details define the scope of the survey needed at the Zoar Cemetery. Patty Smith said she is looking into a grant to fund the survey and possibly the road access needed to expand the cemetery.
Klingaman reported installing the village’s LoveTusc sculpture outside the event center. He said if he placed it in the Zoar Garden he would not have been able to meet the May 28 deadline.
Zoar village council meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Zoar Village Hall and Event Center meeting room. All council sessions are open to the public.