Dover has finally agreed to a settlement with a homeowner in a case that has played a part in holding up a bridge reconstruction project for more than two years.
City officials have been discussing replacing the low-level bridge over East 20th Street near Dover Middle School since ODOT awarded a 602-thousand dollar 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 dollars in exchange for two-hundredths of an acre of his property. That’s four thousand more than the initial offer. Mayor Shane Gunnoe says the city would like to move on.
ODOT’s grant will cover the majority of the bridge project cost, which has fluctuated between 500-thousand dollars and 1.7 million dollars 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-thousand dollars. Officials expect work to start this summer.
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