Portage County looks to buy land for removal of Hills Pond Dam in Mogadore
After years of talking about the removal of the Hills Pond Dam in Mogadore, Portage County commissioners took steps toward land acquisition and follow through with the project.
Assistant Portage County Prosecutor Chris Meduri said the county will be sending written offers to five property owners, offering them conservation easements on six parcels that surround the dam. One of the property owners, he said, is the city of Akron.
"Hopefully we can come to a meeting of the minds," he said. The county, he said, hopes to avoid eminent domain, and hopes to reach an agreement with the owners within 30 days.
The dam, also known as the Pretty Glen Dam, was built in 1938 as a family recreation area. Located just north of Mogadore in eastern Summit County near the Portage County border, the small dam has been a headache for the county since 2012.
In 2016, engineering firm EMH&T of Columbus determined that major structural repairs would be needed to increase holding capacity, or the dam would need to be removed, with the retention basin replanted to allow a free flow of water.
The county took steps toward removing the dam in 2018, but nothing was ever done. Now, commissioners have directed staff to look into grants for restoration of the stream bed, which represents the largest share of the project cost. Last year, the county put the dam removal on a long list of capital improvement projects around the county.
"Its been a long time coming," said JoAnn Townend, director of internal services. "It will be good to finally get it done."
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage County looks to buy easements for Mogadore dam removal project
