The Columbus City Council approved a $12.8 million contract with a construction firm Monday to widen Polaris Parkway between Interstate 71 and Olde Worthington Road.



The project will add a third lane in both directions on that stretch of Polaris Parkway, which is more than a half-mile long, and build a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of Orion Place and Olde Worthington Road.



It also will resurface a smaller portion of Olde Worthington Road/Orion Place, add sidewalks and a shared-use path, replace traffic signals, and build a retaining wall, street lighting and landscaping in the area.

>> A look at what the Polaris area looked like before and after the major growth

There is about 2,500 feet of sidewalk already in place along Polaris Parkway, but it will be replaced and additional sidewalks installed on the north side of the road between Orion Place and Olde Worthington. The shared-use path will be on the south side of the road.

The approved contract is with Columbus-based Complete General Construction, which was the lowest of six bidders for the project.

During Monday's meeting, which was the first for City Councilwoman Shayla Favor after she was appointed this month to fill a vacant seat, the council also voted to:

• Approve a $150,000 settlement with two women who had been arrested at Sirens strip club on Cleveland Avenue alongside adult film actress Stormy Daniels last summer by Columbus Division of Police vice unit officers. The women alleged that the arrests were politically motivated as Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was engaged in a public feud with President Donald Trump. Daniels has filed a similar suit.

The settlement was recommended by City Attorney Zach Klein, who said Monday night that it was "likely that eventual (lawsuit) costs would eclipse the settlement amount."

• Place a $1.03 billion bond package on the May 7 ballot. If voters approve the bonds, the proceeds would pay for city capital projects, including $130 million for a new municipal courthouse and $50 million for affordable housing.

The bond package would not result in a property-tax increase, City Auditor Megan Kilgore said during Monday's meeting, noting that the city uses a quarter of its 2.5 percent income tax to pay off debt.

Kilgore also said the city gets a lower borrowing rate when it is seeking bonds that have received voter approval, which she said could save Columbus millions of dollars in interest payments.

This marks the first time a Columbus bond package would set aside money for affordable housing, City Councilwoman Elizabeth Brown said.

• Accept a new collective bargaining agreement between the city and Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9. The agreement is the result of a fact-finder report between the two parties after their negotiations ended in a stalemate.

Columbus police officers and most supervisors will be receiving a 3 percent raise for three years, retroactive to Dec. 9, 2017, but they also will be paying a larger portion of their insurance premiums and the city will decrease the amount it contributes to their pension funds. The contract expires Dec. 8, 2020.

• Approve zoning variances for a proposed 45-unit affordable housing project at 2959 Cleveland Ave. The decision was noteworthy because the zoning committee granted approval despite opposition from the North Linden Area Commission. The commission's objections were rooted in concerns about density and the amount of parking the project would add.

It is unusual for the Department of Development to advocate for a project that an area commission opposes, said its director, Steve Schoeny. However, he said, many of the project's positive aspects — it increases density along Cleveland Avenue and adds affordable housing in the community — are in line with the city's One Linden plan.

rrouan@dispatch.com

@RickRouan

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