HURON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A Huron Township area business owner is standing up and speaking out against an upcoming Ohio Department of Transportation project.
The work is set to happen along the busy U.S. 6 or Cleveland Road, steps away from his motel.
It's a route many people use to get to Cedar Point.
The Maples Motel owner says the project would potentially put him out of business.
He's worried about the future and his customer base.
After surviving the pandemic, he says this is the last thing he needs.
ODOT says there is no need to panic, and they are strictly working to make the area safer and easier to drive through.
Stephen Faber's family history at the Maples Motel in Huron Township is rich and runs deep.
"My great-grandparents started the motel, and then my grandparents, and then my mom and dad and now me," Faber said.
The family business has operated along the busy Cleveland Road in the Huron Township/Sandusky area since 1909.
Although the times have changed, Faber's nostalgic signage out front, cozy cabin aesthetic, and overall mission have remained the same.
"We're really family friendly. I'm one of the most economically priced motels in the area," Faber said.
As Faber showed News 5 around the property, which sits on more than 50 acres of land, he says he's in fear for its future.
"This project will put this business out of business," Faber said.
The project he's referring to would happen along U.S. 6 or Cleveland Road right by the intersection of East Perkins Avenue.
ODOT is looking to build a series of roundabouts along the congested and high-accident stretch of U.S. 6.
Five intersections in the area would get single-lane roundabouts.
As we were shooting the story—we actually had to pause the interview because of a train passing through.
Our camera captured traffic driving up the shoulder of Cleveland Avenue.
Drivers were double-checking to see if they could make the turn in a safe fashion near the train.
ODOT has cited this as a high accident area for drivers.
"The roundabout, we will move to the northeast of the current intersection. This will allow for more storage capacity when a train does come through and statistically and historically, roundabouts are a safer intersection," Kaitlyn Thompson, ODOT District 3 Public Information Officer, said.
The overall project is extensive.
It would take at least two years to complete.
Faber says the construction would prevent customers from even getting into the entrance to the motel, as under one proposal, traffic would veer away from Maples entrance.
A Change.Org petition is now circulating online, claiming the planned roundabout at Cleveland Road W and Perkins Avenue would likely lead to the destruction of the cherished and beloved motel.
"I really feel that there could be a better solution for this," Faber said.
We took Faber's concerns directly to ODOT's District 3 PIO Kaitlyn Thompson.
She says they won't be tearing down Maples and their goal is to minimize impacts, work with businesses, and optimize safety since there have been so many issues over the years.
"It will operate just as the intersection does today, where motorists will pass the motel and will be able to pull into the motel and visit it just like any of the other roundabout intersections," Thompson said.
The project is expected to begin within the next three years.
ODOT says this will give the Project Team more than enough time to discuss work with any local businesses and address any concerns.
In the meantime, the Change.org petition is active and has garnered well over 1,000 signatures.
Faber is now calling for local and state lawmakers to support him.
ODOT stressed they have no plans to demolish the motel.
