By Perry Schaible
Enquirer contributor

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP _ Trustees have approved the addition of 290 new single-family homes amid an effort by Warren County commissioners to slow growth in Ohio's second-fastest-growing county.

Officials in this booming township noted that zoning for the development was approved in 1996 and that the developer dropped at least 32 houses from the first phase of the plan.

"Quite honestly, with what it could have been, I like it," said trustee Becky Ehling.

Classic Properties, developer of The Villages of Hopewell Valley, agreed to pay the Little Miami School District $250 per new home, $140 more than the amount required in 1996. The fee is a volunteer "impact fee" put in place by the township.

"The school seems to be doing better every year, so it's helping," said Joseph Farruggia, president of Classic Properties, also developer of the Miami Bluff subdivision.

Growth has been a major issue in Warren County recently. Commissioners have discussed the possibility of a county-wide freeze on residential development, and residents in Hamilton Township have said they want to see trustees implement smart growth patterns.

Some 200 more homes could be added to the subdivision in the second phase of the project, which would have to go before township trustees for approval.