BEAVERCREEK -- In a special Waste Watch investigation, the city of Beavercreek spent almost a half million of your tax dollars to upgrade a single intersection, and install what appears to be a sidewalk to nowhere. ABC 22/FOX 45 asked city leaders Tuesday to explain why so much money was spent on a project that many residents consider a waste of money.
The intersection of Grange Hall and Research Boulevard in Beavercreek now has all the bells and whistles. A recently completed $117,000 project funded with state tax money paid for new pedestrian and traffic lights, crosswalks and landscaping. According to the city, the improvements were all safety necessities.
"Those are all things that are requirements of modern day highways. Even the landscaping was overgrown and was a hazard from a sight distance standpoint," said Dave Beach with Beavercreek Public Administrative Services.
"There's a lot of effort that went into that intersection and there's not a lot of use. And when you can't pass a levy to get busing to the high school, it's just not right," said Beavercreek resident John Hauser.
John Hauser is just one of many residents who aren't too happy with how the city is spending tax money. Almost $300,000 in tax money, mostly from a federal grant, was dumped into building a sidewalk down Grange Hall Road, connecting a nearby bike path to nothing.
"Right now you have an intersection that's not being used and you're trying to essentially force it to be used," Hauser said.
The city says it plans to extend the sidewalk and claims more pedestrians are already taking advantage of the portion of the project that's completed.
"You have to build it for them to come. People won't bike and walk on our roads in the state they're in now. With no shoulders and high-speed traffic," Beach said.
Beavercreek says it's already obtained another federal grant to extend the sidewalk the length of Grange Hall Road to Patterson. Construction on that won't start until 2017.
If you suspect local or state government wasting your money, we'd like to investigate. Call our Waste Watch tip line 937-262-1426. Or email us at wastewatch@fox45now.com.
The intersection of Grange Hall and Research Boulevard in Beavercreek now has all the bells and whistles. A recently completed $117,000 project funded with state tax money paid for new pedestrian and traffic lights, crosswalks and landscaping. According to the city, the improvements were all safety necessities.
"Those are all things that are requirements of modern day highways. Even the landscaping was overgrown and was a hazard from a sight distance standpoint," said Dave Beach with Beavercreek Public Administrative Services.
"There's a lot of effort that went into that intersection and there's not a lot of use. And when you can't pass a levy to get busing to the high school, it's just not right," said Beavercreek resident John Hauser.
John Hauser is just one of many residents who aren't too happy with how the city is spending tax money. Almost $300,000 in tax money, mostly from a federal grant, was dumped into building a sidewalk down Grange Hall Road, connecting a nearby bike path to nothing.
"Right now you have an intersection that's not being used and you're trying to essentially force it to be used," Hauser said.
The city says it plans to extend the sidewalk and claims more pedestrians are already taking advantage of the portion of the project that's completed.
"You have to build it for them to come. People won't bike and walk on our roads in the state they're in now. With no shoulders and high-speed traffic," Beach said.
Beavercreek says it's already obtained another federal grant to extend the sidewalk the length of Grange Hall Road to Patterson. Construction on that won't start until 2017.
If you suspect local or state government wasting your money, we'd like to investigate. Call our Waste Watch tip line 937-262-1426. Or email us at wastewatch@fox45now.com.