Subdivision planned for one of last farms

FAIRFIELD - One of this Butler County city's last farms will become a 155-home subdivision under plans to be reviewed today by the Fairfield Planning Commission.

Welsh Development has requested a zone change from agriculture to single-family planned unit development for the 73-acre Morris farm on Pleasant Avenue (U.S. 127) at Resor Road, a mile south of the city building.

Residents on adjacent streets told City Council on Monday night they were concerned about traffic and storm drainage.

The subdivision would provide direct access from older homes on Carlin Court and Redoak Drive to a traffic light at Pleasant Avenue.

The planning commission meets at 6 p.m. today at the city building, 5350 Pleasant Ave. Welsh Development built Fairfield's Monastery and Villages of Harbin Park subdivisions.

Main Street Ohio introduced tonight

BATAVIA - Residents and business owners in the village of Batavia will get an introduction to the Main Street Ohio program tonight.

The Village Association of Batavia, the nonprofit group created to administer the program, will host the informational evening at 7 p.m. at the Red Barn, 299 Haskell Lane.

Becky Ploucha, administrator of the Main Street project in New Richmond, will talk about the village's experience with the program, which is designed to help villages and towns revitalize their downtowns.

Joe Mazzola, a representative with EG&G Consultants, an Akron-based company that has dealt with Main Street Ohio, will present pictures of other Main Street Ohio villages.

Kathy McCoy Leone, president of the Village Association, said the Main Street Ohio program is an important tool in getting the funding necessary to keep up with development around downtown.

"This is an opportunity to work with the development instead of having it pass us by," Leone said

Residents get look at transportation study

LEBANON - A series of maps showing traffic patterns, crash rates and other statistics was presented Tuesday night during the first public forum for the Southwest Warren County Transportation Study.

After residents filed past the maps at the old courthouse on Silver Street, they filled out a survey about congested roads in that part of the county.

A similar forum will be held tonightWednesday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Mason Heights Elementary School, 200 Northcrest Dr. in Mason.

The information will be compiled and used during a $1 million study, funded by local and federal dollars that over two years will identify problems roads.