Business View - July 2015 127
There are 184 miles of roads and streets in Warren,
and 135 are asphalt-surfaced. Generally, asphalt
roads need to be resurfaced every 10 to 15 years. The
cost of resurfacing one mile of road is approximately
$150,000, and Makosky believes that the city needs
to resurface about 10 miles of road every year. In ad-
dition, streets need to be patched after every harsh
winter, street signs, guardrails, and posts need to be
fixed or replaced, and grass and vegetation need to be
controlled.
Makosky asserts that Warren’s ongoing Capital Im-
provement Program has been an integral part of the
recent revitalization of the city: “If you would have driv-
en through the downtown area ten years ago, all the
lights would have been off and no businesses open. I
really believe a lot of the capital improvement projects
that we’ve done have created an environment where
business wants to be here – they see the benefits.
“We’ve constructed an outdoor amphitheater that has
great turn-out, great shows that the community appre-
ciates. We’ve had new restaurants open. There’s a live
music scene that’s starting to become established in
our downtown area. To see it happen has been some-
thing that you take pride in. Having spoken with people
that have left the area five, six, seven years ago and
came back to visit family members, and for them to
see the differences, the progress that we’ve made. .
.it’s very encouraging.”
Makosky is deservedly proud of Warren’s continued
growth. Even though the local economy has rebound-
ed to some degree from its nadir, it’s always a chal-
lenge to identify and allocate the necessary resources
to keep the city’s roads in good shape. And, of course,
the weather rarely helps. “The issues faced in the state
of Ohio are emblematic of a lot of other states in the
Midwest. Sustainability for roads; with everything we
deal with - winter freeze/thaw cycles and the elements
- we probably have as big a challenge as any other re-
gion in the United States.”
The Head of the Engineering, Planning, and Building
Department is not about to shirk from those challeng-
es. He’s also justly proud of the dedication displayed
by all of his hard-working colleagues in City Hall: “Any-
one who works in public service – it’s their life’s work.
We live here, we raise our families here, and we take
all the decisions that we make, very seriously.”
As Warren continues to lift itself up from its recent
hard times, it’s a sure bet that this is one rust-belt city
that intends to gleam again.
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