BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MONROE - A tug-of-war is erupting over one of the last remaining sections of the nearly devoured Lemon Township.
And township residents fear they may be the losers.
Monroe is trying to annex a 157-acre township parcel sandwiched between Ohio 4 and the Great Miami River, just northwest of Ohio 63. It is surrounded on three sides by the city.
That same chunk of land is being eyed by a development team that seeks a zoning change to build homes, apartments and businesses. Monroe is against the proposal, as are township trustees, who fear their 3-square-mile township, which once was 36, will shrink a little more.
"The annexation would be the lesser of two evils," said John Frye, an adjoining property owner and long-time resident. "We're happy the way we are. But if it takes annexation to stop this development, it will be OK."
He and other residents say the project, which would be less likely to happen if the city controlled the land, would change the quasi-rural atmosphere in this corner of Butler County.
"It would put us right in the middle of town," said Mr. Frye. Blue Ash developers Dave Aaronson and Larry Norris have an option to buy 125 acres of the 157 acres Monroe wants to annex.
Mr. Aaronson said the goal is to develop it over five to 10 years. "To think that Route 4, a major state highway, is not going to be a bedroom community is not realistic," Mr. Aaronson said. "It's a mixture of uses and a mixture of services from Fairfield to Middletown. If you look at the closest business district near here you see that the area needs services."
Monroe is fighting the project. Officials say it would conflict with their vision of the city.
The Butler County Planning Commission voted in early November to recommend that the county's Rural Zoning Commission deny the developers' request to rezone the land from agricultural to three different zones - multifamily, single-family residential and community business district, said David Fehr, county senior planner. Monroe opposed the change because "historically that type of proposal would not be approved by the city," said Jay Stewart, assistant city manager.
"We want to protect our land value and that of our residents who own property in the area," he said.
Mr. Aaronson said Monroe should have no control over the land because it's still in the township. More than half of the 10 property owners in the proposed annexation area oppose the development, Mr. Frye said.
Their concerns include increased traffic and accompanying safety hazards, said Eve Oglesby-Kristin, who lives north of the proposed development.
"I particularly think the commercial part would be bad," she said. "I think it will be a real detriment to this whole area. I think it will hurt our property values," and way of life.
Mr. Aaronson said while he understands and sympathizes, he doesn't want to drop the project.
"We're living in a world of change. This land is not going to stay this way," he said.
Carl Hollon, a Lemon Township trustee for 17 years and a lifelong resident, said while he hates to see further erosion of the township, he predicts it is inevitable.
"There's no reason to fight any annexation. The people (property owners) make their choices and I stand on that," Mr. Hollon said. The county rural zoning commission will vote on the rezoning request at 8 p.m. Nov. 30.
