By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ANDERSON TWP. - Rumble strips are raising a ruckus here.

Six sets of strips were installed recently on three residential streets as part of a pilot project to reduce speeding. But one set is being removed after residents on one street protested.

"My house value is ruined," Sandi Smith, 57, who lives on Turnkey Court, told trustees at Thursday's township meeting. "Who is going to buy my house with rumble strips in front of it?"

This fall, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office recommended putting the strips into the pavement on three roads to slow speeders. The bumpy and noisy strips encourage motorists to slow down.

Two sets went on Turnkey Court, three on Pamela Drive and one on Royal Green Drive.

Raised rumble strips that are not ground into the pavement were installed on Dunn Road, Woodcroft Drive and Turpin Hills Drive about two years ago to great success, Anderson officials say.

Some residents whose homes are next to the new strips complain they were never consulted.

"We need no alarm clocks anymore," groused Ed Wetterer, 79, of Turnkey Court. "I haven't slept past 6:30 a.m. since they put those things in. It's a crime they were put in without any notification at all. It was shoved down my throat."

Neighbor Tony Iannelli of Pamela Drive even had his attorney send the township a letter threatening legal action if the strips aren't removed. They are in front of his bedroom.

Township trustees unanimously voted to remove the strips on Turnkey and will study whether the other strips reduce speeding.

"If we are going to error and screw up, we are going to do it on the side of caution," Trustee President Russ Jackson Jr. told residents late Thursday. "It may save a child's life, whether people like them or not."

In Butler County's Liberty Township earlier this year, officials ground out rumble strips on Maud-Hughes Road shortly after they went in because adjacent neighbors griped.

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E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com.