By Perry Schaible
Enquirer contributor

TRENTON - Leaders of this small but booming Butler County city have imposed a six-month moratorium on residential development.

They want to slow growth while they revise their comprehensive plan for what's become one of Greater Cincinnati's fastest-growing communities. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Trenton's population jumped from 8,747 residents in 2000 to 9,953 in 2003 - 13.8 percent.

"I know (moratoriums) are an effective tool, at least in our case, to take a step back and get on top of development ... and be able to do some proactive planning," said Patrick Titterington, Trenton city manager.

Moratoriums have been considered recently in other northern suburbs of Cincinnati. In Warren County, Ohio's second-fastest-growing county, officials have discussed a possible freeze on residential development. In June, Clearcreek Township, in northern Warren, imposed a yearlong moratorium on residential development.

The Trenton moratorium, passed Thursday, will put a stop to new developments for the next six months but won't affect those submitted or approved before Friday.

"The overall public opinion is that we need to do something about the building," said Mayor Roy Wilham, adding that the point is to slow, not stop, development.

On average, 150 new houses have been built in Trenton each of the last five years. The community west of Middletown has about 1,000 lots under development.

Forty-year resident Don Hale said the housing increase has been a burden on the city.

"It's just overloaded our sewer system, our schools and everything else, so I think it's a great idea," Hale, 64, said about the moratorium. "Instead of six months, I think it should have been for the next two years."