N E W   R I C H M O N D   C O M P R E H E N S I V E   P L A N

I. INTRODUCTION

Proper planning is a very important element to the future growth of a community. The goal of any plan, specifically a community such as New Richmond, is to assure quality growth rather than simply growth. A plan is a tool for the leaders of a community to be used as a guide book for the future, by examining all of the elements which make a community operate and outlining how these elements should be modified for the future.

A. Acknowledgements:

Special acknowledgments for the completion of this plan go out to the New Richmond Planning Commission members:
Richard Hilt, Chairman
Jack Gooding, Mayor
Dr. Lee Vesper, Council Member
Janet Stricker, Member
Art Kareth, Member

B. Plan Format:

In an effort to plan for the future, the New Richmond Village Council called on the Planning Commission to prepare a Comprehensive Plan. The process of preparing the Village Comprehensive Plan involved the following:

1. An analysis of the existing conditions by looking at the various departments and elements of the Village.
2. An analysis of the Village makeup for demographics and socioeconomic characteristics.
3. An analysis of the Village existing land use and potential future development.
4. The development of recommendations for goals and objectives for the Village.
5. The preparation of a future land use/development map for the Village.

In preparation of this plan, the New Richmond Planning Commission, attempted to design a plan which offers the flexibility necessary for a community such as New Richmond, with appropriate concern for the special needs presented by the prospect of future flooding. The proper use of this plan as a guide to the future is integral to assure that the Village is properly prepared for the inevitable growth on the horizon.
During the review of this document, you will notice that only a limited amount of time will be spent on the downtown or C.B.D. area of the Village. The reason for this is due to the fact that in July of 1992, Village Council adopted a Downtown Plan which addresses many of the issues. A plan of a limited area such as the Downtown Plan is placed on a shorter time frame. Detailed modifications to the recommendations of that plan should be reconsidered in light of this Comprehensive Plan.
Excerpts from studies previously prepared for the Village consisting of technical information, which remains consistent with current conditions, were utilized and are properly noted. Dave Kennedy, Village Administrator, at the direction of the Planning Commission, originally undertook the starting point of this Comprehensive Plan. After the flooding in the Spring of 1997, a grant was obtained from the State of Ohio for additional funding for this Plan, and Dellinger Architects has been working with Dave since then on updating and expanding the Comprehensive Plan.
The severity of the flood of ‘97 has caused many people to rethink how New Richmond should be developed, or for that matter if it should be developed. We believe there are many highly desirable characteristics existing in the Village which should be preserved and enhanced, and that with responsible planning and attention to the inevitability of future flooding, planning of the Village is essential.
The mitigation process has been going on for some time now, and the Village has purchased substantial areas of property, which will need to be used for parks or open space without permanent structures. While the flood was very traumatic for many people involved, it has also become apparent that it has been a great influx of funding sources for redevelopment of the Village, and furthermore that additional future funds will likely be obtainable. The Comprehensive Plan will help make funding sources more obtainable, in part, by showing how an individual project is part of a larger community development strategy. During the course of the document, various actions are proposed, which should be noted and may not be specifically detailed in the final development objectives of the plan. These actions are noted in the following manner; The Village should begin to…..

B. Mission Statement

The mission of this plan is to create a vision of how the Village of New Richmond can be developed in the future, in ways that will preserve and enhance the historic character of the Olde Village, capitalize more effectively on the Ohio River setting, and responsibly guide the development of the Hillside areas.   back to top

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION:   back to top

A. History

New Richmond was laid out on Sept 22, 1814 by Jacob Light comprising of a total of 85 acres. In February of 1816 Thomas Ashburn laid out the town of Susanna directly adjacent to New Richmond. The two towns merged in 1828 at what is now called Union Street. With this merger also came the largest period of growth New Richmond has ever witnessed. During the 1820's to the 1880's New Richmond flourished with the birth of the steamboats. Business was plentiful and the Village was heading towards the goal of its founders in becoming a future rival to the nearby Cincinnati. Much of the charm and character of the Village is found in the remaining structures that were built in this time period. As the 1880's came so did the rise of the roads system and railroads, and the decline of the Ohio River as a major shipping route. The previous positive effects of the River on community growth were diminished. Coupled with the constant flooding, New Richmond steadily declined, and the 1937 flood was seen as the final blow.
Thanks to the construction of the Beckjord Plant and the construction of U.S. 52 the Village has seen a steady but slow resurgence. The construction of the Beckjord Plant has been seen by some as something of a mixed blessing. The need for housing of construction workers helped spur the development of mobile home housing in low-lying areas of the Village where older structures had been destroyed by previous flooding. The mobile homes were inconsistent with the character of the original village. Recent flooding has made it quite apparent that mobile homes in the flood plain are not a desirable development pattern to see continued.
New Richmond now enters a new era. The future of New Richmond is still to be determined.

B. Location and Transportation

The Village of New Richmond is located on the Ohio River in Southwestern Clermont County, Ohio, approximately 20 miles upriver from Cincinnati. The principal transportation artery is U.S. 52, which provides efficient traffic flow connecting the community with the commercial and industrial centers in Cincinnati. As shown on the “Village of New Richmond Regional Transportation Network” map the access to interstate routes 275 and 471 make all of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky much more easily accessible than in was only a few years ago and since travel to work is better measured in time than distance New Richmond has become increasingly attractive to those who work in the city center, only twenty (22) minutes away.

C. Geology, Topography and Drainage

New Richmond lies within the Clermont County "peneplain" that is 800 to 900 feet above mean sea level and dips to less than 500 feet above sea level at the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek. The Ohio River valley floor consists of level bottomland ranging from one-half to one mile in width. The upland area is characterized by deep narrow valleys and by level interstream areas that are remnants of the old peneplain. The surface is very broken and hilly. The drainage waters generally flow directly into the Ohio River with numerous seasonal springs out letting through the valley wall.

D. Hydrologic Cycle

Large ranges of temperature and precipitation characterize the climate of Clermont County annually, daily, and day to day. Winters are generally cloudy and cold, but sub-zero temperatures rarely occur. Summers are moderately warm and humid and have several days when temperatures exceed 89 degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation is normally abundant and well distributed throughout the year. Fall is the driest season. Showers and thunderstorms account for most for the rainfall during the growing season.
The amount of soil moisture going through a seasonal cycle each year is almost independent of the amount of precipitation that is received. It reaches its lowest point in October and is replenished during the winter and early spring when the amount of precipitation exceeds the amount of water lost by evaporation. A progressive drying of all soils occurs since the water needs reach a maximum in July and August when rainfall is insufficient to meet evaporation transpiration losses. During the months of March, April, May , and June, rainfall approaches 4 inches per month resulting in saturated soil conditions and high rate of runoff.

E. Flood History

Flood damage has been the result of unusual rainfall events and constricted waterways. Due to this devastating combination several residents have suffered repetitive losses in a short time frame. There was a Presidential Disaster Declaration due to flooding in 1996 for Clermont County. In 1997, the Village once again sustained severe flood damage both to private and public property. While the worst flooding occurred in the Village of New Richmond in January 1937, the recent floods have alarmed the residents and the New Richmond Village Council. Detailed flood data is shown within the appendix portion of this document. This gives a history of all the flooding within the Village back to the early 1800’s. All flooding within the Village occurs from the Ohio River and 12 Mile Creek which enters the Village at the down river point of Front Street. It is estimated that the flood that occurred on March of 1997 caused approximately $300,000 in infrastructure damages alone. The majority of the floods have occurred during the spring and are usually the result of heavy rainfall.

F. Socioeconomic Characteristics

Through the utilization of graphs, a demographic and socioeconomic picture of the Village and its residents has been made. Although many of the graphs are self explanatory, some graphs require additional information for better interpretation. The source of the majority of this data is through the 1990 Census or Village records. The next scheduled census of 2000 should represent a large change and it will be interesting to compare these figures to the 1990 Census.

1. Population Trends

As seen from the following graph, the Village has seen a decline in the population over the past forty years. The Flood of 97 caused a further loss of population, especially in the older areas of the Village, which is not represented by the graph, as accurate statistics are not available. Approximately 53 mobile homes and 10 residential homes were lost due to damage from the flood. This trend is expected to reverse with the completion of the Waste Water Treatment Plant and the ability to construct affordable housing anchored with a solid school district and relatively easy access to the Cincinnati Area.

Currently two large plots of land are in the preliminary stages of residential development. If each is developed fully, they would bring over three hundred single-family residences into the Village. Although construction within the Flood plain can be difficult, substantial areas of prime residential developable land is located above the 100 year Base Flood Elevation. Substantial opportunities exist within the flood plain area of the Village for new housing developments, with living areas elevated above the Base Flood Elevation. A handful of new projects have recently been built in the Old Village along these lines, including several homes built by Habitat for Humanity as well as a few private developments.

2. New housing units

In accordance with the following chart, the Village has seen a steady increase in New Single Family Residence construction over the past six years. As this trend is expected to increase, the construction of new multi family units is expected to increase also. Although a decrease was witnessed during 1997 and 1998, ten (10) new single family permits were issued as of June 1, 1999.
The New Richmond Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) is currently planning construction of 40 rental units designed to serve low to moderate-income families. This project is being funded in part by a special loan provided by the USDA, which was requested shortly after the flood of 97.
Clermont county Senior Services is also planning a development of approximately 39 units designed to serve the elderly, also initiated by the CIC. The project is located on Bethel New Richmond Road across from the School Campus and is scheduled to begin late in 1999.
Multi family units are practical in the Flood Plain due to the fact that they can be elevated with parking below, allowing for more units on a typical lot. Also, the elevation of large units is more aesthetically pleasing than the elevation of small units.

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3. Commuting to work

Obviously, the large percentage of residents of New Richmond drive alone or car-pool to their employment. With many residents traveling to Cincinnati for employment, the mean travel time of 22 minutes appears very accurate. This following chart is substantial in reiterating the fact that the Village is a very attractive location for expanding housing due to its proximity to the City of Cincinnati. Recent efforts to establish a public bus service to the downtown area of Cincinnati were unfortunately not successful due to scheduling and the inability for multiple routes. Hopefully in the future, continued efforts will lead to express bus service to downtown Cincinnati.

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4. Comparison of property tax rates

Clearly, in comparison to other municipalities within the county, New Richmond's property tax rate is lower. When compared to adjacent Townships, the Village tax rate is higher. Residents often consider this factor when annexation issues are discussed.

5. Sewage disposal

Although large portions of the Village residents are on Public Sewage, the three primary subdivisions within the Village (Robin Hill, Grays Lane, & Indian Ridge) do not have public sewage service. Although the new plant was constructed in a manner, which will allow for expansion of the sewage line to these residents, cost and time are large factors in expanding a distribution system. A notable fact, referring back to new housing units chart, of the forty-two (42) new single family homes constructed since the 1990 census, thirty-seven (37) have been constructed with public sewage and five utilizing septic systems. Of the area widely anticipated for future residential growth, both single and multi family, sewage lines are currently at the property boundaries.

6. Owner Vs rental occupancy

A large percentage of the residents of the Village utilize rental type occupancy as shown below. As future growth within the Village would appear to be both through multi family apartments and condominiums, along with single family residential housing, these figures should not change drastically. Many resident within the Olde Village area utilize rental housing through apartments, single family homes and mobile homes. These residents were among the most severely impacted by the flood of 97, and many rental units, especially mobile homes, are no longer available for occupancy.

7. Household income source

As of the 1990 Census, ten percent (10%) of the residents of the Village receive income from Public Assistance. The Village has a median household income of $24,390 with 54% of the Village residents being classified as Low or Moderate Income (LMI). This figure is considerably higher within the Olde Village area alone.
This statistic may have already changed significantly although, as this population group was the most severely impacted by the flood of 97, and many have left the community. Higher income residents living in homes on higher ground were not impacted. Most of the new construction of single family homes is obviously being marketed to households with a higher income than the current Village median household income.

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8. Population age breakdown

As compared to other communities the Village is not drastically different in terms of it's population distribution. The vast majority of the Village residents fall within the age bracket of 25 to 44. The large number of residents which fall within the age group of 5 to 17 illustrate clearly the number of young people with in the Village. Clearly the Village’s elderly population is low. Due to an obvious lack of desired housing, many elderly residents move from the Village to multi-family style units, which are available in the areas near to the Village. Although the Senior Housing Project (described later in this document) will not alter these numbers, it will offer the opportunity for elderly residents to return to the Village or existing residents to remain.

9. Year structure built

This graph is important in that it gives a historical look at the various development phases of the Village. The figures were amended to correctly show the current homes (1989 to 1998) which were not part of the 1990 census. The Village contains many homes of historic value, some of which have been rehabbed. Older homes, which are listed on the State Historic Inventory or the National Register, are not permitted to participate in the Village’s Mitigation Program, thus enhancing the likelihood that they will contribute to the charm and character of the Village.

10. Households lost due to flood of 1997

As of April 1, 1999, sixty-three (63) structures were permanently removed from the Village due to the March of 1997 Flood, either through direct damage from the flood or through mitigation efforts to date. With a per household average of 2.96 this represents a population decrease of 186 residents. This figures does not include the many vacant residences, which have not yet been addressed or are awaiting acquisition through the mitigation program.

Additional Demographic Information:

Additional demographic information is shown as an attachment to this document. These figures are relevant due to the fact that they illustrate the housing trends and information of the adjacent townships to the Village. This information plays into annexation and other features related to the Village’s future residential growth.back to top

III. UTILITY SYSTEM ANALYSIS   back to top

Introduction:

The Village of New Richmond has proudly maintained their own utilities for many years, offering water and sewage service to its residents. Supplying these services has always given the Village a certain amount of independence. The control of these utilities although giving the Village independence is also very expensive and requires continual upgrade to stay in compliance with EPA requirements. The following is an analysis of the current conditions and proposed recommendations of these two services in regards to their important role in the Village’s future growth. Some of the technical information in the following sections was completed by engineering firms, which conducted services for the Village and volunteered to submit the information for the plan. This information remains in its original format due to the fact that it offers a valuable insight into the future of these utilities.

A. Water treatment plant

1. Findings:

The Village of New Richmond Water Treatment Plant was constructed in 1983. The plant was originally designed to be a lime feed plant. Due to continued difficulties, the lime feed operation was discontinued. As a result, the Village has had problems with large amounts of iron and manganese. In 1992, the Village installed and aeration tower which improved the quality of the water and reduced the large amount of iron and manganese levels in the testing.
In 1991, based on a recommendation of the Ohio EPA, the Village installed an automatic switchover valve for the chlorine controls. The installation of this valve reduces human error and cuts down on constant overseeing of the chlorine equipment.
In 1991 through 1993 the Village rehabbed all three of the wells and pumps, increasing the capacity levels of the plant. Pumping capacity has remained good at the plant, and excepting for rare occasions, the plant is running approximately ten hours a day.
The Grays Lane Pumping Station which feeds the Grays Lane/Robin Hill area is a direct feed station in that the station does not pump to a storage tank but directly to the consumers. Unfortunately this type of design causes immediate outages to the residents during electrical or pump failures.
Prior to 1998 the New Richmond Water Treatment Plant was a completely self-contained system, with no tie-ins to other systems. While the Village has no need for tie-ins to increase production, these tie-ins are important for fire coverage and outages due to potential pumping station breakdowns. In 1998 a tie-in with the Clermont County Water System was completed. This tie-in allows the Village to utilize the water on an emergency basis to the entire system. The location of the tie-in is shown on the attached Existing Water Lines Map.
As shown on the Existing Water Lines Map, the Village Water Distribution system is available to all residents within the Village and also serves a limited amount of residents outside of the corporation limits. The residents are served through a storage system, which includes the elevated tower near the School Campus, and the reservoir located on Bethel New Richmond Road. Each of these are shown on the Existing Water Lines Map. The total capacity of the Village’s storage system is one million (1,000,000) Gallons.
The Water Plant at this time is pumping and supplying the needs of the citizens adequately. When the need does arise due to an increase in population or commercial activity for an additional well, the Village will not have the adequate amount of land to install the well. Residential uses, the Ohio River and a large vacant piece of privately owned land directly adjacent to the well field bound the plant.

2. Recommendations:

a. New Well Location: Although from surface investigation it would appear that the property which abuts the existing well field would be a good location for siting a new well, the characteristics of the soils beneath the surface must be evaluated.
Vertical rock faces and impermeable horizontal soil layers which do not occur in the existing well field could be present which would limit the flow of ground water in the area. Even the granular material could be significantly different, effecting the yield of the aquifer.
The conditions, which cause one of the existing wells to no longer produce, must be understood. If the conditions are unrelated to the physical well itself, these must be determined, otherwise a new well may not produce as desired. For example, has their ground water table dropped over the years reducing the capacity as well? Have conditions up stream of the well field changed over the years, which now limit the flow of ground water to the well field? Have the recharge boundaries become silted?

The approach to siting a new well should be as follows:

1. Determine the cause of the reduction in capacity of the existing well in order to be certain that a new well will not have the same problems.
2. Perform a general evaluation of the proposed area by the collection of U.S. Geological Survey and Soil Conservation maps to determine that the new site has generally overall good geologic characteristics.
3. If the general evaluation is acceptable, several boring samples in the proposed area will be needed in order to gather specific information. Based on evaluation of these samples, determine the most suitable location for the well.
4. Perform pumping tests to determine safe yield of the well.

It must be recognized that siting a new well is not an exact science and that judgement and experience plays a large part. Many times, a location 100 feet away from a good well will have conditions, which are unsuitable for siting a new well. Any new location must be considered in the Well Head Protection Plan.

b. Need for a standpipe: A standpipe can benefit a distribution system in two ways; one, provide additional on-line storage for fire protections and emergency use, and two, increase pressure in a low pressure area. If the need is simply additional storage, a calculation can easily provide the required capacity: AWWA recommends having one day’s average demand in storage as a minimum.
If the need exists to increase pressure, a distribution system model needs to be created in order to analyze the system for best location, elevation, and pipe sizes. The model, when created, must first be calibrated against actual field conditions to verify its correctness.

c. Water Quality Improvements: Further investigation should be made with respect to using caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) in lieu of lime for the softening process. Sodium hydroxide is listed, and rightly so, as a hazardous chemical. For this reason alone, the Ohio EPA has been very reluctant in recent years to approve its use for softening. All the precautions needed for safe storage and handling will increase the cost of installation of the system. In addition, caustic soda, in dilutions normally delivered commercially, crystallizes at 54 degrees F., thus requiring storage in heated areas. Finally, softening by either lime or caustic soda results in sludge, which must be disposed.
Because of the above drawbacks, the analysis should consider the use of ion exchange softening. Salt storage would be required, however this is neither hazardous nor requires inside storage. No sludge is produced, and the backwash water is disposed to the sanitary sewer.
With regards to fluoride, the pros and cons have been debated for years and are well documented. There is no additional engineering analysis required for this except to determine the cost of construction and operation.

d. Tie-ins to other systems: There are two aspects to this topic. One, a tie-in for emergency uses only; two, a permanent tie-in with abandonment of water treatment by the Village.
As noted in the earlier portion of this document, the county recently completed a tie-in to the Village’s system. This tie-in should be analyzed as part of the distribution system model to insure that all areas would be adequately protected. The same would be true if a permanent tie-in is desirable.
Due to contractual requirements of the County Tie-in the Village utilizes 50,000 gallons of water weekly from the County System. With the current poor condition of the Grays Lane Pump Station, these flows could be diverted to this area to meet their water needs without requiring a pump station. For this to be completed the distribution system from the connection to the pump station must be replaced. An estimated cost of $100,000 has been received and the project would be eligible for State Issue Two Funding.
An additional tie-in with the Tate Monroe System on the Bethel New Richmond Road is desired by the Village to assure proper emergency flows to the School Campus during a fire. A proposal from Tate Monroe has been received and is being evaluated by the Village.
To determine the financial feasibility of a permanent tie-in would require the analysis of the water quality issues stated above. The study should include costs for various levels of treatment and compare these to costs for a third party supplier.
Other issues to consider regarding a permanent tie-in would be the Village purchasing the water and billing the customers versus direct billing by a third party supplier. Also to be considered would be the sale of the water plant and wells to the supplier and also consideration for selling the distribution system versus the Village ownership of the distribution system. If the Village eventually decides to get out of the water business and rely on Clermont County Water Works, the site of the existing water plant could be developed for some other use. The potential uses could be many-either as village owned facilities, or sold to a private developer. The highly desirable location on the river offers much potential.
Considering a continued operation of the Village Water System, certain improvements, some of which are outlined in this document, will be necessary. Due to limited resources, a list of State and Federal sources are included as an appendix to this document.

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B. Waste water plant

1. Findings:

The Village Wastewater Treatment Plant was completed in November of 1996 through the funding of an OWDA low interest loan and a grant from the State Issue II program. Following the flooding of March of 1997, many structures were removed from the system decreasing the number of users and adversely affecting the Village's ability to maintain the debt service required for repayment of the Village OWDA loan.
The Wastewater Plant was designed with a maximum capacity of 1 million gallons per day and is currently operating at approximately 1/4th of that capacity. Although the plant still suffers from a large amount of infiltration of storm water through the sewer lines, the plant has operated in full compliance since its completion.
Although the Village’s collection system reaches the majority of the residents, as shown on Existing Sewer Lines Map, a large portion of the hillside area of the Village is un-sewered. This includes the Villages three (3) established subdivisions noted on the map. Although the majority of the future developable land within the corporation boundaries has access to the Village’s collection system, all land outside of the Village which is potentially housing sites does not have access, thus will be unlikely for annexation without the extension of the sewage collection system.
Prior to completing the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the New Richmond Village Council unanimously passed an ordinance requiring all connections to the Village’s sewage system to be within the corporation boundaries of the Village. The passing of this ordinance therefore requires all new developments which desire the Village’s sewage service to annex into the Village corporation limits.

2. Recommendations:

T:he Village must begin to look at the expansion of their sewer lines. The expansion of these distribution lines should be done in a manner, which connects the largest number of existing unserved Village residents and also in areas where it will trigger the most new housing development and outside growth through annexation. The primary expansion areas are noted on the Existing Sewer Lines Map.
As stated earlier Village regulations require all new developments with access to sewers to tie into the sewers. The main advantage to providing sewers to new developments, in addition to providing sewer service superior to septic system, is that property can be developed to a greater intensity. Much of the likely future development will be in the R-2 zone, on _ acres lots, which will be of a much greater intensity than if septic systems requiring larger lots are developed. Future sewer construction should be planned with the intention of stimulating new development in areas currently in the Village as well as adjoining areas, which could be annexed into the Village.
There are three primary areas where an extension of the sanitary sewer collection system is most desirable.

1. Robin Hill
2. Country Place
3. Indian Ridge

Planning for these areas should include a broader look at the entire drainage system in order to eliminate a patch work system of construction which would be detrimental to the Village in the future.
Planning around natural drainage basins is desirable and will eliminate the need for costly pumping stations, however, it may not be economically feasible to install all the necessary transmission systems now and pumping may be required. The idea is to plan the sewer system so the pump stations can be eliminated in the future when the sewers are ready to be constructed.
The area east of New Richmond is extremely hilly, which usually means that sewers can be constructed at the required grades without becoming extremely deep. As usual, construction has not occurred in a manner, which progresses naturally up the drainage paths, thus, crossovers to other drainage basins become necessary to make use of existing sewers and keep initial sewers from becoming too deep.
The Robin Hill Subdivision should not be a problem. It is at the downstream end of the drainage route and in a fairly small drainage basin. Minimal transmission sewer is required and it can easily be sized for the drainage basin that it can serve.
The Country Place development and the strip developments that have occurred along Bethel-New Richmond Road provide the opportunity to serve the greatest number of new customers. In addition, it is reported that adjacent land is ready to be developed. This area, however, will be difficult to sewer without pump stations.
The route along Bethel-New Richmond Road is essentially along a ridge, which divides two drainage basins. The north side should flow toward Twelve-Mile Creek and the south toward Little Indian Creek. The area west of the high school should drain straight down Bethel-New Richmond Road. The area east of the high school should drain east to the low point in front of St. Peter's Church. The area east of St. Peter's Church should also drain to this point and then flow by gravity down a tributary of Little Indian Creek, to Little Indian Creek and down to the existing sewer system. This would require additional transmission sewer over that which is needed simply for collection. The transmission sewer would open a larger area for possible development.

The alternate is to collect the waste at the low point and pump it to the sewer, which flows by gravity down Bethel-New Richmond Road. The relative cost of the pump station over its life span, including operation and maintenance should be compared to the cost of constructing the sewers along Little Indian Creek. If it is determined that the most economical means is to provide a pump station now, it should be located so that it can be eliminated at the time when the sewer to Little Indian Creek can be justified.
It appears that the area just north and east of St. Peter's Church (The land ready for development, known as the Wahl farm property) can probably be drained to the low point in front of the church. Only the first several hundred feet of Country Place can be served by gravity out to Bethel-New Richmond Road. The remaining portion must flow away from Bethel-New Richmond Road and be pumped back. In the future, the pump station can be eliminated when the sewer is extended down along a tributary of Twelve-Mile Creek, and then along Twelve-Mile Creek to New Richmond.
The Indian Ridge development is also on a ridge, however, it is all on one side of the ridge, which drains toward Little Indian Creek. The drainage basin is small and the amount of transmission sewer to reach existing sewers is not too great. One potential problem is that the houses on the West Side of the street are much lower than the houses on the East Side, which will cause extremely deep, and therefore, costly construction. Grinder pumps for these homes should be considered in order to keep the sewer at reasonable depth.
The area around Country Place and Bethel-New Richmond Road appears to have the greatest number of residents to be served. The sewer design should consider future development possibilities. The cost of a pump station versus gravity transmission sewers should be investigated. A transmission sewer along a tributary of Little Indian Creek could open a larger area for development.
If pump stations are determined to be cost effective, they should be located so that they can be eliminated when future gravity sewers are installed. Only the remaining gravity sewers will require a pump station if they are to be served now can serve the first few hundred feet of Country Place. An option would be to wait until sewers can be justified along Twelve-Mile Creek, then a gravity sewer can be constructed along Country Place to Twelve-Mile Creek. Both Robin Hill and Indian Ridge can be served without much difficulty and with minimal future service area to be considered.
With the completion of the new Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion, the Village should conduct smoke testing of the distribution system every five years. Smoke testing reveals areas of infiltration or faults within the system. As the Village is well aware, infiltration can be very detrimental to the overall operation of the wastewater plant. All infiltration, which is removed from the system, will lighten the load on the plant and will allow for continued compliance of the Village's EPA permit. A total evaluation of the distribution system, along with a plan for relining of the most infiltrated areas should be completed and application submitted to the State Issue Two Program for possible funding.
Sewer tap-in fees for new construction is presently $2,000. The fees should be examined every year during the life of this plan to be consistent with other county systems. The fees can be very beneficial in curbing additional cost the Village will be facing with the operation of the new plant and also sewer plant expansions. Current fees throughout the County and State can be received from the Ohio EPA or by conducting a survey of the area towns. Tap-in fee waivers can also be helpful incentives to encourage developers to build new flood resistant structures in the flood plain, especially where existing sewers are in place and the costs to install the sewers is not as great. Additional user fees will result from this, and this method will help the Village expand housing opportunities within the Olde Village.
Many municipalities would expect new developments to bear the cost of extensions of sewer lines. This practice makes development of new sites more expensive, and if the Village is able to bear some or all of the cost of extending sewers, new housing developments will most likely occur at a quicker rate. As we are able to extend lines to the current Village Limits, we will be able to encourage adjoining properties to annex into the Village to have access to the sewer system. The overall benefits to the Village will make the investment in sewer line extensions pay off. Funding sources for this work may include grant money from state and federal sources. Due to the importance of sewer line expansion, all available funding resources should be properly examined to assure that the implementation of a sewer line expansion program could be properly implemented. Available State and Federal funding sources are included as an appendix to this document.    back to top

IV SAFETY AND JUSTICE ANALYSIS   back to top

Introduction: Although not related directly to the development of the Village, the Emergency Services plays a role in terms of offering a key service in a quality manner. Similar to a school system, the quality of emergency services is integral in the selection of a community for housing and raising a family. The following are descriptions and some recommendations of the Village’s three (3) emergency services and how they are planning for the future.

A. Emergency Medical Services

1. Findings:

The New Richmond Emergency Medical Services is a nonprofit, tax-supported organization established September 14, 1959 to provide emergency medical care to the residents of New Richmond and Ohio Township. The Village also offers mutual aid coverage to several surrounding municipalities.
Under directions of the New Richmond Village Council, five (5) volunteer, four (4) full time and twelve (12) part time employees staff two ambulances on a twenty four-hour basis. Annual operation budget of the department is approximately $248,000.
The EMS is dispatched to assist the New Richmond Fire Department on all of its calls. Conversely, the fire department assists the EMS on all auto accidents. An excellent working relationship exists between the agencies.

2. Recommendations:

An immediate concern for the department is personnel. Over the past year more volunteers have been added to the department but in the event this number declines, the department would be hard pressed to continue the level of service provided without adding more paid personnel.
In order for more paid personnel to be added it would be necessary to place an additional levy on the ballot. If the levy fails it will be necessary to find alternatives for funding.
With an increase in population and the possibility of neighboring departments going to a paramedic program, the Village should look at the possibility of becoming a paramedic squad in order to provide the highest level of care to its residents.
With funding being a concern in the future, the Village should look at the possibility of combining the fire department and the life squad into one department. Members of both departments could become cross-trained and some duplication of equipment, services etc. could be eliminated saving money for the departments and the Village.

C. Police Department

1. Findings

The New Richmond Police Department has a total of nine (9) employees. This includes six full time officers, one clerical and two part-time officers. The Village also utilizes auxiliary officers, though their powers are somewhat limited. The Department travels an average of 90,000 miles a year, handling many and a wide range of complaints. In May of 1993, the Police Department successfully had an operation levy passed, which will put the finances of the department in their own separate fund. The estimated funding from this continuing levy will be approximately $251,000 in its first year.
In 1995 the Village successfully received a grant from the Washington D.C. COPS program to add one full time police officer for a period of three years. The COPS officer was placed in the New Richmond School District as a resource office with notable success.

2. Recommendations:

As with the other Emergency Services, the New Richmond Police Department is concerned with the issue of supplying the needs of a growing population.

C. Fire department

1. Findings:

The New Richmond Volunteer Fire Department consists of approximately 35 members. The department serves the entire Village along with a portion of Ohio Township through a cooperative contractual agreement. The department serves approximately 3800 residents and a coverage area of over 4 1/2 square miles. The department averages 180 runs per year and works cooperatively with the New Richmond EMS department. Operating on a $100,000 budget, the department recently purchased a new aerial truck with a total cost of $390,000. Two (2) additional pumpers are also available, each carrying one thousand (1000) gallons of water.
The department headquarters is located on Market Street and received severe damage during the March of 1997 flooding. Following the flood, a CDBG grant application was submitted to renovate the firehouse through the construction of a second floor allowing the existing first floor to be flood resistance. The grant, which consisted of a total cost of $460,000, was not approved for funding. Although not approved, the department stays committed to maintaining its location within the Olde Village of the Village albeit in a structure consistent with good flood proofing practices.
The department remains a prominent factor in planning for future flooding and purchased a rescue boat following the 1997 flooding. The boat is capable of floating in water as low as four inches (4”).

2. Recommendations:

The department is planning into the future and the inevitable growth of the Village. Planning includes examining the future need and potential for full-time personnel and a merging of the Fire and the EMS departments. This issue should continue to be examined through the initiation of an action team consisting of members from each department.   back to top

V. REGULATIONS   back to top

Introduction: