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West Salem’s downtown warning siren will be moving out of the residential area to Industrial Drive.

The West Salem Village Board approved the new site at its meeting last week. The new location will be by the lift station on Industrial Drive, which is located between the library and the Frito-Lay distribution building.

The site was recommended by the West Salem Law Enforcement Committee, which considered three other locations: on Mark Street, in Village Park and by the police department. The Industrial Drive site was favored, in part, because it would expand sirens coverage area to include residents in the Shorewood addition in Hamilton Township; the siren would also cover the future development of the County Farm.

“Personally, I think we’re going to get better coverage ...,” said board member Jim Leicht.

Village Administrator Teresa Schnitzler said contact was made with nearby Lakeview Health Center regarding the possible impact the siren would have on the facility, but she said directors did not have any issues.

“Out of the four (location) suggestions, I think this is the most ideal location,” Schnitzler said.

The village purchased the new civil defense warning siren — meant to warn of danger or severe weather — for $9,710. The total cost, including a new pole and installation, will be about $13,000, which is under the $16,900 approved for the entire project. Schnitzler said the siren was delivered last week and should be installed soon.

The new siren replaces the one that had been atop the fire department on Mill Street since 1974, which stopped working in April. The village does have a second siren located near Kwik Trip on Highway 16.

The relocation of the downtown siren coincidentally comes after some residents voiced opposition of the sirens’ daily 6 p.m. testing. At the urging of some residents, the village board voted last November to stop testing both sirens daily, but, in December, the board reversed its decision and continued daily testing of only the downtown siren. The change took effect Jan. 1, although both sirens are tested monthly with the county’s regular test.

Moving the downtown siren would have been inevitable, though, because the village had planned to replace the siren in 2009, and a new siren wouldn’t fit on top of the fire hall.

The village board voted 5-1 to place the new siren on Industrial Drive. Board member Terry Hanson, the lone nay vote, said he would have liked the siren to remain in the downtown area near village hall. He said a study was done in the 1990s when the second siren was installed that looked at the best locations to have maximum coverage.

“We had worked on this years ago, and the plan we came up with I still think has validity to it,” Hanson said. “There (would be) some overlapping (coverage), but overlapping is good when you’re trying to warn people of emergencies.

“When you’re protecting life and liberty, it always seems like more is better than not enough.”

The new siren’s signal would measure 130 decibels while the Highway 16 siren is 127 dB. Schnitzler said the normal daily siren test lasts about 30 seconds, but she is trying to see if that can be reduced to 15 seconds.

Street projects

In other business at its June 17 meeting, the village board approved an update of its five-year street renovation plan. In addition to projects occurring this year — reconstructing Linden Lane, resurfacing Birchwood Lane and realigning and reconstructing W. Franklin Street from N. Harmony Street to N. Oak Street — the plan lists projects through 2012.

In 2009, projects include: reconstructing Youlon Street from Garland Street to Franklin Street, which includes replacement of water main; resurfacing Oak Avenue from Garland Street to Franklin Street; and resurfacing W. Franklin Street from Oak Avenue to Clark Street.

In 2010, projects include: resurfacing S. Mill Street from Hamilton Street to Jefferson Street; resurfacing Memorial Drive and installing new sidewalk; and resurfacing West Avenue from Brickl Road to the wastewater treatment plant.

In 2011, projects include: resurfacing W. Garland Street from Leonard Street to West Avenue, including some sanitary work; resurfacing East Avenue from N. Mill Street to N. Mark Street; and resurfacing E. Hamilton Street from N. Mill Street to N. Rose Street.

And in 2012, projects include: reconstructing and resurfacing W. Franklin Street from N. Youlon Street to N. Harmony Street; and resurfacing Oak Avenue from Franklin Street to Hamilton Street.