City laid foundation for growth in 2022
EDITOR'S NOTE: This week we will take a look back at some of the biggest stories in our area in 2022.
ZANESVILLE − It was a year of growth for the City of Zanesville, with the addition of several plots annexed into the city. The growth was tempered by the loss of long-time Zanesville City Council Ann Gildow, who died after a years-long battle with cancer. She was 68.
Cody Pettit, 29, was appointed to fill Gildow's seat.
Zanesville Mayor Don Mason said he was proud of the condition the city is in. Intensive street cleaning and the increased use of the 96-gallon trash totes the city began distributing last year has meant less trash on the streets, and less dirt and debris in the city's sewers, which decreases wear on the system. That helps the city's aging sanitation plant, which is facing a $25 million upgrade next year.
It was a year for parks in the city as well, with the transformation of Chaps Run from a weedy and overgrown valley near completion. A new bridge across the park's namesake creek that was built by city forces, and a concrete walkway will be installed next year. Work at Confluence Park nearby started as well. That park, which occupies most of the last undeveloped stretch of riverfront property in the city, will feature walking trails and fishing access on the Licking River. Eighty percent of the cost of the park was funded by grants, Mason said.
"I am really pleased at Howard "Duff" Bailey's attention to detail at the city parks," Mason said. Crews cleaned up Riverside and Cuddy Dixon parks, and installed new playground equipment in Goddard Park. Keen Street Park underwent many improvements, paid for in part by a grant from the Straker Foundation.
The city continued its Secrest Summer Concert Series, expanding from four concerts in 2021 to seven in 2022. They continued to draw large crowds in the Secrest Auditorium parking lot. Patrons of the concerts and other downtown events could take advantage of the expanded DORA hours, which council simplified by having it in operation year-round, rather than pausing during the winter months.
Downtown development continued, with the Downtown Exchange project getting underway, and the unveiling of the Downtown Gateway project. The Downtown Exchange will host food vendors, with space for offices upstairs. The gateway project will transform the area around the Zanesville-Muskingum County Welcome Center, including a new restaurant space and covered area for an outdoor market.
The city embarked on several infrastructure projects, including a revamp of Ridge Road, with a new water line along part of it, and new sidewalks and paving from the intersection with West Main to the city limits. Mason said with the city leading the way and keeping its property in good shape, he is seeing surrounding property owners follow suit. "Another way of showing people we care," he said.
In the last three years, the city has invested $4 million in the area south of Interstate 70.
Mason said more money for the south side is expected to come soon. "I am hoping to announce in January that we are moving forward on the construction of Dug Road. We believe every T has been crossed and every I has been dotted. We believe we will be able to proceed with the project with 100% state and federal money," he said.
The city has momentum moving forward. With several housing projects either started or planned, Mason said he expects the housing shortage in the city to start to ease. The city is also working to retain employees, including police officers. Zanesville Police Department got a new chief this year, with Scott Comstock taking the helm, replacing Tony Coury, who retired after 30 years in public service.
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This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: City laid foundation for growth in 2022
