PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP – Roads and data centers were the focus of the Providence Township trustees’ Aug. 20 meeting.
The township has been working with Sarah Rowland, an engineering manager with the Lucas County Engineer’s office, on applying for funding with the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC). Part of the OPWC includes a round of funding for small governments with populations under 5,000 – including townships.
Trustees agreed with one option suggested by Rowland: to widen Bailey Road from Providence-Neapolis-Swanton Road to Manore Road. If awarded, the work would be done in 2028 and the cost to the township would be $133,051, or 35 percent of the total cost, taken out of the gas tax fund.
The township recently completed work on Manore and Patton roads, using OPWC funds approved for this year, and approved payment of $188,646.94 to Gerkin Paving.
After hearing concerns from residents about a need for better drainage on Manore, Trustee Jeremiah Floyd and Road Superintendent Kyle Keifer investigated the drainage tiles and ditches leading to the area and discovered several that are plugged. The county maps, dating back to the 1930s, don’t reflect the existing tiles, so the two plan to dig back more to better assess the situation, then talk to the county engineer to see if the ditch could be cleared as part of the county ditch petition, Floyd said.
Trustee Steve Kendall said that with Manore Road repaved, some motorists believe it is now a two-lane road, but that it isn’t wide enough to pass without someone getting near the edge of the berm. Rowland and the other engineers are working on options for mitigating that issue, which may include signage to alert that it is a single-land road.
Trustee Lee Bialecki suggested that the township inform citizens of how much the road work is costing the township, possibly sharing the breakdown on the township website.
The trustees also discussed issues with line of sight restrictions on westbound Hartman Road at Patton Road, and the need to cut back rose of Sharon trees that were planted under the power lines and have since grown much larger.
Ohio Department of Transportation recently installed “Share the Road” signs on South River Road near Providence Metropark and near S.R. 95 to warn motorists that cyclists use the roadway. This is in response to the May 2025 accident in which a Maumee woman was killed by a driver while cycling with two others on a Saturday morning.
During the meeting, the trustees also heard solicitor David Chamberlain report that the county will not write zoning resolution changes to regulate data centers, but will provide input on any proposed language submitted. Trustees agreed that the best option would be to look at what neighboring communities are using in order to create their own.
