Violet Township General Snow and Ice Removal Information
By Greg Butcher, PE, MPA, Violet Township Engineer
Violet Township personnel continuously monitor snow and ice conditions.
The township also receives information from the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office regarding road conditions. Road conditions can vary from one end of the township to the other; therefore, we adjust our snow removal procedures accordingly.
For most snow and ice events, we utilize five routes. Note that while state routes and county roads may be located within Violet Township, snow and ice removal is performed by the Ohio Department of Transportation and Fairfield County Engineer’s Office, respectively.
We plow main routes continuously; subdivision streets have second priority, and cleaning cul-de-sacs is last. All routes are run in the same direction each time by the same driver so that the driver knows the obstacles and routing places to dump snow. Both residential and commercial driveways meet the public road. It is in this right-of-way space where, on occasion, residents will encounter plowed piles of snow from the road.
Cul-de-sacs are nice to live on, but difficult to service. Cul-de-sacs, by their very design, have bigger footprints than normal straightaway roads. Therefore, there is little room to pile snow. Residents living in cul-de-sacs should expect the piling of snow in all right-of-way space available. Often, the final clearing of snow from a cul-de-sac requires a smaller plow truck to return after the main snow event.
Our trucks initially make a pass up one traveled lane and back down the other. After the entire route has had these initial passes, the drivers go back to widen, clean intersections and address cul-de-sacs. When and how long the snow and ice event lasts will dictate how soon our crews can get into a clean-up response to the event.
The amount of road salt used in a season is not related to the number of inches of snow. It is really based upon of the degree of slippery road conditions. A light slippery glaze will take as much salt as a four-inch snowfall to provide safe traffic movement.
Mailboxes pose another challenge. We sometimes hear from homeowners that we leave snow in front of mailboxes and that the post office may not deliver their mail, or we hear that we hit the mailbox. Mailboxes are located in the right-of-way, which is the same place snow is plowed by our crews. The drivers do their best to keep snow pushed back, but the amount of snow may pile up over the winter months before a significant thaw occurs. Our drivers make every effort not to damage mailboxes, but often, the weight of the snow causes damage.
Avoiding traffic hazards and driving safely during snow removal service is the responsibility of the drivers. Cleaning of roadways requires skilled backing and maneuvering. Please keep a considerable safe distance from the trucks should you encounter a truck backing and maneuvering to get an intersection opened.
Thank You!
The Violet Township Fire Department opened its doors to the community on Saturday, Oct. 15 during our annual Open House celebration.
We want to take the time to thank everyone who attended, and those vendors and staff who made this an enormously successful event. We are always excited to meet so many people from the community, and hope that you had a great time and learned something new.
Mark your calendars for upcoming Open Houses now so that we can see all of you again next year.
- Oct. 14, 2018
- Oct. 13, 2019
- Oct. 11, 2020
Violet Township – Past, Present, Future
By Holly Mattei, Violet Township Development Director
Located in northwest Fairfield County, Violet Township was organized in 1808 when it was a predominantly agriculture community.
It was named for the abundance and variety of wildflowers growing in the region, and is the only Ohio township with the name of Violet, setting it apart from other 1,300 townships in the state. This unique name also helps to describe the attractive and vibrant community that it was then and still is today.
Violet Township began to feel development pressures from the Columbus region in the 1970s,
and this growth has continued into the 21st century. Violet Township is the most populous township in Fairfield County and, according to the 2010 census, it is the 17th most populous township in Ohio. Violet Township has grown from approximately 4,000 residents in 1970 to approximately 40,000 residents in 2017.
Violet Township is home to well-planned residential neighborhoods that integrate open space, walking paths and other amenities to create an extraordinary community. Traditional standard lot subdivisions were the typical development patterns in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Development pressures continue to be felt throughout Violet Township, with the Refugee Road corridor being a high-pressure area with various development potentials based upon current market demands.
We are seeing a change in market demands with the growing millennial and aging populations, and we need to understand how these changes will affect development in Violet Township.
Violet Township, through a Technical Assistance award from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), is engaging in the creation of a Refugee-Pickerington Road Master Plan to study an area surrounding this intersection. This plan will study the existing infrastructure, current development trends and potential land use scenarios, including the potential for a new community center. The plan will also identify future infrastructure needs for the corridor.
The Master Plan will be prepared utilizing the findings in an insight 2050 report prepared by MORPC projecting that there will be up to 1 million additional people living in the Columbus region by 2050. This report also identifies various housing options and a variety of development scenarios, such as mixed-use, walkable communities, to accommodate this regional growth.
The Violet Township Master Plan will help planners understand how to balance these new market demands within an existing suburban community. MORPC will begin the planning process in the coming months and will have a completed Master Plan in approximately a year.
This Master Plan represents the township’s latest planning efforts to understand and prepare for future growth. Since 1808, Violet Township has seen its landscape transform substantially. The Violet Township continues to respond to development pressures to ensure that it continues to be the attractive and vibrant community that it was and still is today.
Fire Safety Tips for Your Christmas Tree
No one wants to spoil the holiday season, but a Christmas tree in the home can present a fire safety issue.
A primary concern with a Christmas tree is fire danger, often brought on by the combination of electrical malfunctions and, in the case of a real tree, a drying tree. From 2009-2014, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 210 home fires per year that started with Christmas trees.
Did you know that Christmas trees alone result in $13 million, annually, in property damage? More importantly, these fires present real risk to family and friends. When you’re showcasing a live tree in your home, the combination of tree dryness, electrical malfunction with lights and poorly located heating sources can make for a deadly combination.
Electrical failures or malfunctions were involved in nearly half of the fires, igniting the tree with sparks or small electrical fires. Decorative lights with live voltage were involved in more than 20 percent. And putting trees too close to open fires or heaters caused a significant number of fires as well in nearly a quarter.
But if your holiday is just not complete without a live tree, follow these safety precautions to keep threats at bay:
- Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched. Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2” from the base of the trunk.
- Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.
- Always place your tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents and lights, and keep the tree base filled with water to avoid a dry-out. Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
- Make sure all your indoor and outdoor Christmas lights have been tested in a lab by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek Testing Services NA Inc. (ITSNA, formerly Edison Testing Laboratories, or ETL) for safety, and throw out any damaged lights.
- Any lights you use outdoors must be labeled suitable for exterior placement, and be sure to plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter protected receptacle. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of light strands to connect.
- Keep all your holiday candles away from your Christmas tree, surrounding furniture and décor.
- Don’t forget to turn your Christmas tree lights off each night when you go to bed, and whenever you leave the home.
- Christmas trees are combustible items that become increasing flammable as they continue to dry out in your home. Nearly 40 percent of home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur, they’re much more likely to be serious.
- When your tree begins to drop its needles, it’s time to say goodbye to your evergreen foliage until next year. If you follow these guidelines, you can avoid being another statistic.
It isn’t just real trees that are a problem. Electrical malfunctions can also ignite plastic artificial trees, and homeowners should take the same precautions in terms of tree placement and decorations as they would with a real tree. Carefully decorating your home can help make your holidays safer. U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 860 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.
Be Careful with How You Discard Your Tree
You should take care with trees that are left outside as well. A National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) report revealed that an annual average of 90 outside and other non-structure fires on residential properties occurred because of Christmas trees stored on the property. Two-thirds of these fires occurred in January, with 64 percent of them being set intentionally. This suggests that discarded Christmas trees may be attractive targets for arsonists.
But arson concerns are not an excuse to leave your tree up after the holidays. According to the NFPA, even a well-watered tree should be taken down within four weeks of being brought into the home. If you decorated your real tree right after Thanksgiving, it should be discarded the week after Christmas, not New Year’s Day. This is because by the end of the holiday season, Christmas trees are extremely dry, and present a heightened fire hazard.
2017 Holiday Toy Drive
Violet Township Fire Department and Pickerington Local Schools are once again teaming up to provide holiday assistance for children and families throughout the Pickerington and Fairfield County areas.
This partnership has proven to be particularly successful in the past few years. In 2016, we assisted nearly 800 families with more than 2,000 children.
Thanks to the generosity of local schools, businesses and churches, our red toy collection boxes will be located at 50 sites throughout Canal Winchester, Pickerington and Reynoldsburg. The toy drive officially kicked off Nov. 22.
If you would like to contribute, drop off a new, unwrapped toy in any Violet Township Fire Department toy drive box. You may also donate at any of the three Violet Fire stations. Items of particular need are always gifts for older children such as gift cards, electronics, cologne and perfume.
Local Girl Scout Troops will host a Toy Drive-Thru event at Violet Fire Station 592 at 8700 Refugee Rd. This event will be on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Donations may be dropped off as you drive through the fire station, where the fire trucks typically sit, without even getting out of your car. Violet Township firefighters will also attend various school events to promote the toy drive.
Due to the dedication of generous community members and leaders, Violet Township Fire Department and Pickerington Local Schools are able to make a difference in the lives of children and families during the holiday season. Thank you in advance for your continued support, and we hope you and your family have a safe and happy holiday season.