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Residents urge council to cancel or scale back Shakertown Road project, citing trees, property impacts and questioned safety benefits
Summary
More than a dozen residents spoke during public comment opposing the Shakertown Road improvement project. Speakers cited possible loss of mature trees, inconsistent sidewalk widths, limited pedestrian demand, potential property‑value impacts and questioned the project's safety justification and appraisal methods.
Dozens of residents from Shakertown Road told Beavercreek City Council on July 27 that the proposed Shakertown Road improvement project should be canceled or significantly scaled back. Speakers repeatedly described the project as unnecessary for pedestrian safety, warned it would remove mature trees and said it would take front‑yard space from longtime homeowners.
Heather Harvey, a registered nurse, told the council she has repeatedly raised oversights and measurement errors she found in project materials and asked the city to cancel the 0.68‑mile project. Other residents provided crash and traffic figures they said show minimal incidents — one speaker said crash data from Jan.2021–June2026 showed 10 vehicle incidents (after removing nonvalid citations and deer strikes) and zero pedestrian accidents over 5.5 years. Multiple speakers questioned why a 10‑foot shared path is proposed where other nearby sections are 5‑ or 8‑foot paths and said they have not seen foot traffic that would justify the broader design.
Speakers also cited different cost figures in public remarks: one referenced a $3.2 million estimate for a particular plan, another referenced combined federal and local grant totals of roughly $4.38 million; staff did not provide a consolidated project budget during public comment. Residents requested more transparent data, a common‑sense scaling back to preserve yards and trees, escrow or compensation options for easement impacts, and additional neighborhood engagement. Council members acknowledged hearing the public concerns, said staff and council had discussed the project at a recent retreat, and that council would continue to take comments and pursue additional review, including follow‑up with MVRPC and ODOT about sidewalk width and grant requirements.
