MONCLOVA TOWNSHIP – When Julie Cody pulls in and out of her Salisbury Road driveway, she feels like she’s taking her life in her hands.
“I live on the Salisbury Speedway,” said Cody, whose home is just west of the Albon Road roundabout. “They come down our road at 70 mph and race from Albon to Crissey.”
Cody said she’s had three mailboxes destroyed and has nearly been hit as she’s pulled in or out of her driveway. And she’s not alone. During the Sept. 21 Monclova Township Trustees meeting, Cody and her neighbors shared the near-misses they’ve experienced since the roundabout opened in 2024.
“Going to the mailbox is an adventure,” said Jean-Marie Deschamps, who lives on Salisbury.
“I’ve had people give me the finger or yell and cuss at me when I slow down to go in my driveway. If I’m out checking my mail, it’s a wing and a prayer,” added Albon Road resident Daniel Donkor.
Michael and Marlene Cox live on Summerset in Stoney Creek, and said that the speeding vehicles are so loud that it keeps them up at night. And when Michael approached a deputy sheriff parked at Albon and US 20A about parking on Summerset to look for speeders on Salisbury, “He just shrugged his shoulders,” Michael said.
“Once they built that roundabout, it’s been insane,” Marlene added. “We need help.”
Township Administrator Mike Hampton identified two issues: the speeding and the need for more patrols. The trustees authorized Hampton to contact the Lucas County Engineer to request a speed study in the area, and to speak with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office about stepping up its enforcement in the area.
It’s up to the Ohio Department of Transportation to set the speed based on the traffic study, and it could reduce the speed limit as a result, Hampton said, noting that Holloway was reduced from 55 to 50 mph after complaints of speeding after a roundabout was completed there.
“It should be 35 mph with no passing lanes,” Cody said. “Lowering it to 50 mph is not enough.”
During the meeting, the trustees also:
-Approved new regulations for residential generators, including five-foot setbacks for permanent auxiliary generators and allowing the short-term use of portable generators for community or private events without a need to seek a permit.
-Asked Zoning Administrator Eric Wagner to finish two other recommended changes to the zoning resolution – to update language on Joint Economic Development Districts (JEDDs) and Zones and also to better define conditional uses – by the Oct. 20 meeting. Wagner said he is meeting with the county senior planner, Molly Maguire, to go over some details later this week.
-Heard Waterside resident Risa Sindel urge trustees to show some movement to provide protection to the township. She also asked whether Monclova was waiting to see the result of Waterville Township’s model of using an M3 planned district before setting its own regulations for data centers.
-Heard that the Strayer Road roundabout should be open by Oct. 16.
-Approved the hiring of two part-time firefighters pending medical exams and drug screenings. Leah McConkey is a certified firefighter II/paramedic from Findlay who currently works as a paramedic for Putnam Co. EMS and as a firefighter with Liberty Township Fire Department. Nathan Rowe is a certified firefighter II/EMT who currently works in the Allen-Clay Joint Fire District and has previous work experience as a combat medic in the U.S. Army.
-Learned that the fire department responded to 200 calls for service in August.
-Heard Fire Chief Matt Homik say that he has been meeting with a renovation committee for review of plans for updates to the department.
-Listened to consultant Kristina White talk about plans for the Saturday, Oct. 3 township open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with local organizations, food trucks, 4H animals and fire trucks for guests of all ages to check out.
-Heard White say that a Veterans Day blood drive is planned in the township hall meeting room from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
-Listened to resident Roy Bechtel ask trustees to add a second portion of public comments to the agenda, so that residents can speak both on agenda items at the beginning, and on any township-related topic at the end. Locally, the Village of Whitehouse offers these two types of opportunities for public comment during regular council meetings, while other AW-area communities allow comments either at the beginning or end of the meeting.
-Agreed to only meet once in July and once in December due to staff and trustee vacations during those times.
-Joined Swanton Township in approving the inclusion of Cutshall Ditch in the Swan Creek Watershed, following a review by the Lucas County Engineer.
-Learned that at around 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 21, a Monclova Township Fire & Rescue crew was transporting a patient to the hospital when a vehicle pulled out and sideswiped the 2023 unit. According to Chief Homik, the ambulance was driving without lights and sirens on Manley Road in Maumee when a blue Cadillac pulled out of Timberline and was left of center. Quick thinking by the ambulance driver prevented the accident from being a head-on collision, as she veered the ambulance off the road. The Cadillac driver took off without stopping. While the damage was limited to trim, scratches and paint, Maumee Police are looking for any video of the incident. These can be emailed to [email protected].
