Sugarcreek Twp. won't back lower road speed limit

Wilmington-Dayton Road plan seen as way to widen development.

The Greene County engineer said the speed limit needs to be reduced on Wilmington-Dayton Road near where a developer wants to build homes, but his efforts hit a roadblock Friday when Sugarcreek Twp. trustees refused to sign a letter supporting the recommendation.

About a dozen concerned residents attended the township’s special meeting Friday afternoon.

Greene County Engineer Bob Geyer said his office has completed a traffic study, and his recommendation is that speeds should be reduced to 40 to 45 mph. Geyer said the study was needed because his office has received complaints from resi- dents about safety on the busy thoroughfare.

Tochange the speed limit, the county needs approval from the Ohio Department of Transportation. Geyer said county commissioners chose not to pass a resolution to send the request for approval to ODOT, and instead the commission asked the township to approve the recommendation. As neither governing body passed a measure supporting the recommendation, Geyer said the request to ODOT won’t be sent and the speed limit will not change.

“I did my due diligence. If no one wants to send it to ODOT, so be it. I’m done,” Geyer said. “I can sleep at night. If someone gets killed down there, it’s not on me.”

The residents spoke of their concerns regarding the traffic study and its potential to influence whether the Oberer Development Group gets approval to build 98 patio-style homes on about half of the roughly 85 acres at the corner of Conference and Wilmington-Dayton roads.

The speed limit on the rural roads in Sugarcreek Twp. are 55 mph unless posted otherwise.

Oberer’s latest plans call for speeds to be reduced on Wilmington-Dayton to 35 mph.

Sugarcreek Twp. Trustee Nadine Daugherty said she was willing to sign the letter out of concern for safety, but there’s a perception in the community that the speed study is “a doorway to a development” that many residents oppose.

“My first concern of course is safety, but I understand what the residents are telling me,” Daugherty said. “They made a good point today that the timing of this might send a mixed message ... The perception of it might be to certain people that ‘Hey, we’re giving you carte blanche to go ahead and start your project.’”

Resident Megan Simmons, who is actively opposing the Oberer proposal on social media, questions the timing of the speed traffic study coming on the heels of Oberer’s latest submitted plans.

“I think Greene County is pushing for this to say ‘Hey, we could get it down to 35 and maybe Oberer can get their way,’” Simmons said.

Oberer’s plans are up for approval by regional planners next month and will be considered by township zoning officials in November.