Dear Worthington Hills Residents,
We want to provide an update on the status of this year’s resurfacing project and explain the delays that have impacted the work in your neighborhood.
As many of you know, Perry Township contracts all road resurfacing through the Franklin County Engineer’s Office. We submit the specifications we require, including the use of Fiber Mat—a proven product installed before paving that significantly extends the life of the road. The County then bids out the project using those specifications.
This year, the bid was awarded to The Shelly Company. At the request of the Perry Township Board of Trustees, work was not to begin until the Monday after the Fourth of July so the holiday festivities could take place without construction interference. The contract, agreed upon by both the County Engineer and The Shelly Company, specified a completion date of October 31st, 2025.
Unfortunately, the schedule broke down from there. Work did not begin after the Fourth of July as planned. Instead, the contractor did not start until the week before school began—at which point they removed curbs, gutters, and the sidewalk in front of Worthington Hills Elementary. Decker Construction, a subcontractor for Shelly, completed the concrete work. Immediately after that, Shelly pulled off the project and moved its crews to other jobs.
Shelly did not attempt to return to Worthington Hills until the week of October 21st, 2025. By that time, nighttime temperatures had already dropped into the low 40s and high 30s. The subcontractor responsible for installing the Fiber Mat informed us that the product could not be installed in those temperatures, and they would not guarantee its performance if forced to proceed.
Shelly disagreed with their own subcontractor and wanted to continue the project anyway. They also proposed using alternative, inferior materials—or simply paving without Fiber Mat altogether. The Trustees rejected those options. The bid included Fiber Mat for a reason: it extends pavement life and protects taxpayer investment. Your Trustees will not accept lower-quality material or install a roadway differently than what was included in the original bid package and contract.
Currently, the Trustees are actively working with the Franklin County Engineer’s Office and The Shelly Company to determine a viable and timely solution. We understand the inconvenience this delay has caused, especially with parts of the project already underway, and we appreciate your patience while we push for the work to be completed correctly, not just quickly. Your Trustees are working to ensure safe driving conditions and access to all driveways while we work through this process.
We will continue to keep residents updated as we receive additional information and a revised schedule from the Franklin County Engineer and the contractor.
If you have any questions, please contact our Township Administrator John Petrozzi at jpetrozzi@perrytwp.org or 614-889-2669