March 20, 2026 • 6 mins
Marion County Commissioner Kevin Davidson joined the show to inform us about the recent resolution he and his fellow commissioners have adopted against the construction of the US 23/I-71 Bypass through Marion County.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Turn me on the phone today is County Commissioner Kevin Davidson. Kevin,
how you doing man? Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Thanks Paulin for a su of your time. How are you?
You know what?
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I am great. I'm excited because baseball season is for
real here and I'm excited about that obviously. I know
we get started out on the West Coast for a
couple of games, but looking forward to baseball season. But
you know, I wanted to chat with you a little bit, Kevin.
I know, in the last several weeks, probably the last month,
month and a half, a lot of people have been
(00:30):
learning about the proposed bypass for the HOO Department of
Transportation to connect US twenty three to I seventy one
and doing it through Marion and morro County, and people
in both those counties have been very vocal. There have
been meetings, there have been all sorts of different things
that have been going on, and you guys, the county
(00:50):
commissioners here and Marion have stepped out and made your
opinion known. Talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, well, lucky, And we've been approached writing any many
many people in southeast Marion County and what this proposed
road was going to go through planning to go through.
We didn't find out about it till they did end
of January one. No Dodd said, oh, yeah, here's our study.
Well wait a minute, let's study. But yeah, to build
this US twenty three I seventy one connector and would
run through Waldo and Micheland township here in southeast Marion County.
(01:19):
And after listening to all the people, then we held
off a little bit, and then we talked to Odatt
at this meeting last well it would have been yeah
last week at the coliseum, man get more information, and
we just did not think it's feasible or good for
the people that live in that area or for even
our county whatsoever.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Now, it is a transportation issue, and there is a problem.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
We all know because we all drive up and down
US twenty three between Delaware and Columbus and Mary and
it's terrible, right, But this proposed road would not solve
any of that issue as much as we I think
they think it does. And that's why he came out
with the resolution last Thursday at our meeting in Unison
is saying that we do not support this, but we
do support the proposal.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So they had to fix US twenty three with the
light stoplight issues.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Right right, And that is a thing. And I think
a few years ago a lot of people saw the
idea that came out to create overpasses underpasses to try
to do things in regards to the lights on US
twenty three. You know. So those are some things, but
just a lot of people are talking about it. But
you guys are coming out against it because of several things. Property,
(02:28):
loss of farmland, security safety, talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah, all those the loss of farmland, generational farmland, cutting
off roads which would drastically affect our sheriff's ability to
get deputies there and or the fire department emergency squads
to different places North South roads, East west roads if
they get cut off during the construction even or they
say they're during an overpass everywhere, but it's still going
to have to reroute. There's so many and just a
(02:57):
negative effects all across the board for our citizens here
right now.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Were there are there some other proposals out to do things.
I know people have been coming at going, well, we
got ninety five, it connects over to seventy one, or
you've got you've got thirty if you're coming from because
a lot of people talked about northwest Ohio and people
from the Toledo area are coming from Detroit that want
to get the Columbus quicker. You know that you know
US thirty is there to them. Are there some other
(03:24):
ideas or thoughts or I mean, or is this what
O doot really wants to focus on the.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Way I understand for what An has told us is
this came from the legislators state legislature. They were empowered
to find a route to move the truck draving.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
It's free.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
It's basically not getting Grandma's house any quicker. It's about
moving freight from the north Michigan, Toledo, Canada to Columbus
and for a point south. So they were in Bella
or what they were told that they need to do
this and this is the I guess the best route
they could come up with being as close to Delaware
as it can about being in Delaware get to seventy one.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So did they answer the question of why US thirty
isn't a good option?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
From I understanding because it goes I like US thirty.
That's what I suggested.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
We're just from talking to a few people there.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Because it goes due east and not southeast, as it
takes way too much time to go that far around.
I mean, it has built that road several years ago
to make that to make it a faster route to
the seventy one when.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
It's seventy miles an hour of east and west.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah it is, and it's due east. But they says
that takes too much time to get around.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Huh. That's interesting because you know, I had been hurt.
You know, I had heard some different things. I wasn't
able to make the meeting at the coliseum, and this
is the first time I'm hearing that one of the
big reasons is to you know, get the truck traffic
in a different area. And I'm thinking, boy, to me,
I think the truck traffic is already in a good
place when you look at seventy one to thirty back
(04:56):
over and then head up into into Detroit or can.
Like you're saying, so that's really that's really interesting.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, yeah, I thought so too, but I'm not I'm
not a traffic engineer, obviously.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
But obviously yeah, yeah, just.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Announced just ANNOUNCEDE guy looking at it and say, wait a minute.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
You already got this for why can't you just use
that right right?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Well, you know the potential. I mean obviously we've we've
heard from other officials, Uh, Moral County really chiming in
as well. We heard from Marion County sheriff the other day.
He's opposed to it because of you know, the roads
that will end up being dead end, the access what
you talked about, you know, and and it'll just be
interesting to see you yeah, you know, just be interesting
(05:35):
to see how it price, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And again it's early, I mean, it's so early, but
we don't get out ahead of it now or.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
We'll be late to the game.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
That's why we came out last week and I said
that we are officially unison against this proposal and let's
look for another idea.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Excellent, Kevin. I appreciate the time and the conversation and
in the enlightenment as to what's happening. And uh appreciate,
appreciate you work. Thanks for coming on, my friend.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Sure real quick.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
For anybody has any question or comments or I think,
please call our office. That is some four roh two
two three four zero zero one in some farrow three
four zeros year one will be glad to talk or
inform anybody, or get people involved where we can.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Excellent, Thank you, Kevin,
Turn me on the phone today is County Commissioner Kevin Davidson. Kevin,
how you doing man? Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Thanks Paulin for a su of your time. How are you?
You know what?
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I am great. I'm excited because baseball season is for
real here and I'm excited about that obviously. I know
we get started out on the West Coast for a
couple of games, but looking forward to baseball season. But
you know, I wanted to chat with you a little bit, Kevin.
I know, in the last several weeks, probably the last month,
month and a half, a lot of people have been
(00:30):
learning about the proposed bypass for the HOO Department of
Transportation to connect US twenty three to I seventy one
and doing it through Marion and morro County, and people
in both those counties have been very vocal. There have
been meetings, there have been all sorts of different things
that have been going on, and you guys, the county
(00:50):
commissioners here and Marion have stepped out and made your
opinion known. Talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Yeah, well, lucky, And we've been approached writing any many
many people in southeast Marion County and what this proposed
road was going to go through planning to go through.
We didn't find out about it till they did end
of January one. No Dodd said, oh, yeah, here's our study.
Well wait a minute, let's study. But yeah, to build
this US twenty three I seventy one connector and would
run through Waldo and Micheland township here in southeast Marion County.
(01:19):
And after listening to all the people, then we held
off a little bit, and then we talked to Odatt
at this meeting last well it would have been yeah
last week at the coliseum, man get more information, and
we just did not think it's feasible or good for
the people that live in that area or for even
our county whatsoever.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Now, it is a transportation issue, and there is a problem.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
We all know because we all drive up and down
US twenty three between Delaware and Columbus and Mary and
it's terrible, right, But this proposed road would not solve
any of that issue as much as we I think
they think it does. And that's why he came out
with the resolution last Thursday at our meeting in Unison
is saying that we do not support this, but we
do support the proposal.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So they had to fix US twenty three with the
light stoplight issues.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Right right, And that is a thing. And I think
a few years ago a lot of people saw the
idea that came out to create overpasses underpasses to try
to do things in regards to the lights on US
twenty three. You know. So those are some things, but
just a lot of people are talking about it. But
you guys are coming out against it because of several things. Property,
(02:28):
loss of farmland, security safety, talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah, all those the loss of farmland, generational farmland, cutting
off roads which would drastically affect our sheriff's ability to
get deputies there and or the fire department emergency squads
to different places North South roads, East west roads if
they get cut off during the construction even or they
say they're during an overpass everywhere, but it's still going
to have to reroute. There's so many and just a
(02:57):
negative effects all across the board for our citizens here
right now.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Were there are there some other proposals out to do things.
I know people have been coming at going, well, we
got ninety five, it connects over to seventy one, or
you've got you've got thirty if you're coming from because
a lot of people talked about northwest Ohio and people
from the Toledo area are coming from Detroit that want
to get the Columbus quicker. You know that you know
US thirty is there to them. Are there some other
(03:24):
ideas or thoughts or I mean, or is this what
O doot really wants to focus on the.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Way I understand for what An has told us is
this came from the legislators state legislature. They were empowered
to find a route to move the truck draving.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
It's free.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
It's basically not getting Grandma's house any quicker. It's about
moving freight from the north Michigan, Toledo, Canada to Columbus
and for a point south. So they were in Bella
or what they were told that they need to do
this and this is the I guess the best route
they could come up with being as close to Delaware
as it can about being in Delaware get to seventy one.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So did they answer the question of why US thirty
isn't a good option?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
From I understanding because it goes I like US thirty.
That's what I suggested.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
We're just from talking to a few people there.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Because it goes due east and not southeast, as it
takes way too much time to go that far around.
I mean, it has built that road several years ago
to make that to make it a faster route to
the seventy one when.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
It's seventy miles an hour of east and west.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah it is, and it's due east. But they says
that takes too much time to get around.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Huh. That's interesting because you know, I had been hurt.
You know, I had heard some different things. I wasn't
able to make the meeting at the coliseum, and this
is the first time I'm hearing that one of the
big reasons is to you know, get the truck traffic
in a different area. And I'm thinking, boy, to me,
I think the truck traffic is already in a good
place when you look at seventy one to thirty back
(04:56):
over and then head up into into Detroit or can.
Like you're saying, so that's really that's really interesting.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, yeah, I thought so too, but I'm not I'm
not a traffic engineer, obviously.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
But obviously yeah, yeah, just.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Announced just ANNOUNCEDE guy looking at it and say, wait a minute.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
You already got this for why can't you just use
that right right?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Well, you know the potential. I mean obviously we've we've
heard from other officials, Uh, Moral County really chiming in
as well. We heard from Marion County sheriff the other day.
He's opposed to it because of you know, the roads
that will end up being dead end, the access what
you talked about, you know, and and it'll just be
interesting to see you yeah, you know, just be interesting
(05:35):
to see how it price, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And again it's early, I mean, it's so early, but
we don't get out ahead of it now or.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
We'll be late to the game.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
That's why we came out last week and I said
that we are officially unison against this proposal and let's
look for another idea.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Excellent, Kevin. I appreciate the time and the conversation and
in the enlightenment as to what's happening. And uh appreciate,
appreciate you work. Thanks for coming on, my friend.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Sure real quick.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
For anybody has any question or comments or I think,
please call our office. That is some four roh two
two three four zero zero one in some farrow three
four zeros year one will be glad to talk or
inform anybody, or get people involved where we can.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Excellent, Thank you, Kevin,
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