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Mount Healthy hears residents, UDF on alley safety; council asks staff for options
Summary
Residents and a United Dairy Farmers official described repeated cut‑through traffic and damage in an alley behind the UDF store; UDF said it has added speed control measures and offered further fixes, and council asked staff to gather traffic data and costed options for a safety committee review.
Mount Healthy city council held a public hearing on Sept. 17 about safety and access in the alley next to the United Dairy Farmers (UDF) store, where residents said vehicles repeatedly cut through, park on private property and have caused damage, and a UDF representative outlined measures the company has taken and offered more help.
Tim Kling, UDF's director of real estate, said the store was rebuilt about eight years ago and the company has tried multiple fixes after accidents and damage near the alley, including a stop sign, an asphalt speed hump and an upgraded outdoor camera. "We've invested $4,500,000 into the Mount Healthy community," Kling said, adding that UDF had installed a reflector and a speed bump and was preparing a second speed bump to slow drivers.
Why it matters: Neighbors who use the alley for access to their homes say the shortcut is being used by non‑customers at high speed and sometimes by people under the influence, creating safety and property‑damage problems. Council members and staff said enforcement is difficult because the city must catch violators in the act.
Residents at the hearing described multiple incidents of unauthorized parking and vehicles blocking private access, and one resident said he has had to call emergency responders after encountering intoxicated people near his property. "I'm one of the two residents that live off of the alleyway behind UDF, and I'm here representing both of us," said resident Joe Bitner.
Council and UDF discussed additional physical options such as bollards or extending a hump over the concrete pad near dumpsters; Kling said UDF offered to contribute funds and even install removable bollards but expressed concern about delivery trucks and snowplows. Council members asked staff to consider solutions that would not impede semi deliveries and to check snowplow impacts on removable speed devices.
The mayor and city manager directed staff to collect more data and present options to the city's safety committee or at a work session. City staff reported earlier traffic counts showing roughly 200 vehicles per day that later fell to about 100 per day; council requested another counting period after the newly installed speed hump to measure effects and to obtain quotes for possible physical blockers.
What’s next: Council agreed to return the matter to a safety committee or work session in mid‑October after staff gathers traffic counts and cost estimates for options such as additional speed humps, bollards and limited closures. No formal closure or ordinance was adopted at the hearing.
