Fairfield plans tower at court-police building

FAIRFIELD - A tower matching one at the new Lane Public Library at Village Green will be part of the new downtown Municipal Court-Police Services building at Pleasant Avenue and Nilles Road.

City Council members reviewed preliminary designs this week for the red brick building at the 8.5-acre former Kroger site across from the city building.

The $10.7 million complex will house all police offices, six short-stay jail cells, police communications center, a courtroom and civil magistrate hearing room.

Municipal Judge Joyce Campbell said she was pleased with the design, which will increase court space from 7,000 square feet to 17,000 square feet. The entire complex will be 49,964 square feet.

Construction is expected to begin early next year and take 14 to 16 months, said Art Pizzano, city manager.

Commissioners rule against lights at park

LEBANON - Warren County commissioners Tuesday approved a site plan for somewhat controversial improvements to a park in Franklin Township, but are not allowing lights to be put in at the ball fields.

Residents who live nearby said that when the park was built in the 1980s, they were assured that lights would not be installed. They also argued that lighting the fields would allow kids to play longer and pave the way for tournaments that last until late in the night.

County commissioners agreed and said no to the lighting. But they did allow a pond and a storage shed, despite some protests.

Springboro committee to discuss annual audit

SPRINGBORO - The city's audit committee will meet at 5 p.m. today in the municipal building, 320 W. Central Ave., to review and receive updates regarding the annual audit, followed by a meeting of the legal committee at 5:30 p.m. to review a variety of city legal matters.

The park board meeting, scheduled for July 7, has been canceled. The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 in the municipal building.

Survey seeks opinions on traffic concerns

DEERFIELD TWP. - Warren County Engineer Neil Tunison is surveying residents in Montgomery Fields and Woodland Trace subdivisions about traffic patterns on Old Irwin-Simpson Road.

Tunison told county commissioners Tuesday during their meeting in Lebanon that township residents are concerned about the increase in traffic from the nearby Deerfield Towne Center and other commercial properties under development along Mason-Montgomery Road.

One alternative to solve the traffic there would be to cul-de-sac Old Irwin Simpson Road and create a cut-through road to the rerouted Irwin-Simpson Road.