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Residents press council to cancel or scale back Shaker Town Road widening project
Summary
Dozens of residents urged Beavercreek City Council to cancel or reduce the scope of a $3.8–4.0 million Shaker Town Road widening and shared-use path project, citing tree loss, drainage and right-of-way concerns and arguing the 10-foot path requirement stems from grant rules rather than local need.
On July 13 more than two dozen residents spoke during a public hearing asking Beavercreek City Council to cancel or scale back the Shaker Town Road widening project.
Speakers repeatedly criticized the project’s scope and design choices, objecting to a planned 10-foot-wide shared-use path on the north side of the road, removal of mature trees, temporary and permanent right-of-way impacts to private property, drainage and swale design, and the project’s roughly $3.8–4.0 million price tag. Several residents said they had not seen an increase in accidents or traffic that would justify the widening and presented counter-data and petitions.
Residents asked why a 10-foot path is required when many local paths and sidewalks in Beavercreek range from 5 to 8 feet. The city engineer and staff replied that the 10-foot width reflects Ohio Department of Transportation multimodal guidance and MVRPC grant-administration requirements; staff said the city had discussed alternatives with ODOT and MVRPC but the agencies held firm on the 10-foot requirement to secure the grant. Staff also said a registered professional surveyor placed stakes and that only four parcels require permanent right-of-way acquisition; the rest of the widening falls within existing right-of-way or temporary easements.
Speakers described localized concerns: homeowners reported stakes placed at different offsets than county records, low front-yard grades that could increase flooding, skepticism about the accuracy of traffic counts, and worries that the shared-use path would end abruptly and not connect to useful destinations. Many asked the council to consider narrower, targeted safety measures (single-side sidewalks, traffic-calming, lower speed limits, tree replacement or compensation) rather than widening two lanes to three.
Council members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to provide additional clarity on stakes, property-appraisal mailings and tree compensation. Staff confirmed that some right-of-way appraisal packets were mailed in batches and that offers must follow Ohio Revised Code procedures. The city engineer said MVRPC and ODOT requirements for multimodal paths increasingly favor a 10-foot width for grant-funded projects.
No final Council action on the Shaker Town Road project was taken at the meeting; residents asked the council to reconsider the scope and to explore alternatives that would avoid taking private property and removing mature trees.
