buildingcincinnati

From the 3/26/07 Blade: COMMODORE BUILDING Art-center idea gains new life Group takes steps after Perrysburg structure fails to sell By JOE VARDON BLADE STAFF WRITER A lack of bidders for Perrysburg's oldest schoolhouse has piqued the interest of the Perrysburg Area Arts Council even more. The council has had its sights on the old Commodore Building for months. Built in 1894, the schoolhouse failed to sell at public auction March 16. The Perrysburg school district has been using the Commodore, 140 East Indiana Ave., to house administrative offices. But it has been interested in finding a buyer. The arts council would like to get it and convert it into a community arts center. If its plan fails, one of two other potential buyers might turn it into housing. Robin Ballmer, the arts council's executive director, said her organization would like to take over the building and raise at least $12 million for renovations. The work would likely be phased in as the money is raised, she said. More at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS18/703260343/-1/RSS09

From the 3/23/07 Enquirer: City braces for big boom New stores, new subdivisions, new way of life coming BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] The world around Dave Kremer's grocery store will change significantly in the coming years. The Wal-Mart 300 yards away in the same Alexandria Village Green Shopping Center as his County Market will become a "Supercenter" next year. Fifteen hundred homes are expected to be built over the next decade by three developers on 500 acres of untouched woodland off U.S. 27 and Tollgate Road. The announcement this month of a 600-home development also planned off Tollgate Road has further divided Alexandria: Some residents welcome the growth while others want to retain the country setting. The expected influx of residents will help the 41,000-square-foot County Market co-exist with a 200,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter, Kremer said. "The more homes that are out here, the more that will be here to buy groceries," he said. "It will be good as long as the governmental bodies have a growth plan." MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/NEWS0103/703230456/1059/rss13

Joe Hansbauer posted on his Nati blog that: "The next meeting of City Council's Education, Health and Recreation Committee on the Lunken to Downtown bike trail will be held in Council Chambers at City Hall on Monday, April 16, at 3:00 p.m." More about it on his blog: http://thenati.blogspot.com/2007/03/downtown-bike-trail-to-lunken.html

From the 3/23/07 Enquirer: Board can't decide on zone change All commission members will meet on U.S. 25 industrial park BY BRENNA R. KELLY | [email protected] Boone County Planning Commission's zone change committee couldn't decide Wednesday whether Duke Realty should be allowed to build a massive industrial park on U.S. 25. The vote was 2-2, with the fifth member absent. Read more here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070323/NEWS0103/703230440/ From the 3/25/07 Enquirer: Homebuilders may face fee Per-lot rate to help widen roads BY BRENNA R. KELLY | [email protected] BURLINGTON - Boone County officials are considering charging homebuilders a per-lot fee to help pay to widen county roads. In the last 16 years, Boone's population has nearly doubled, but its roads haven't kept up with the growth. The idea to charge developers for road improvements came from Louisville, which last year enacted a $1,000 fee for each new single-family lot in outlying areas. "If additional revenue is going to be needed, I think our existing residents would much rather see an assessment on new development," said Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore. Read more here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070325/NEWS0103/703250400/

Both from the 3/24/07 DDN: Wynne: Wright Pat can expect BRAC jobs By Thomas Gnau Staff Writer Saturday, March 24, 2007 KETTERING — BRAC jobs are on the way. That was Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne's expectation Friday: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will get the organizations and employees the most recent base-closing process proposed sending its way. "We have until 2011 to accomplish it all," Wynne said after visiting the newly opened Air Force Claims Service Center at the Kettering Business Park... Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or [email protected]. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/03/24/ddn032407wynne.html Air Force office bringing 100 jobs to Kettering Single location handles active service members' property claims, which once required 89 offices around the world. By Thomas Gnau Staff Writer Saturday, March 24, 2007 KETTERING — An Air Force office designed to speed claims of damaged or lost property means 100 new jobs at the Kettering Business Park. Property claims once took some 60 days to resolve, Air Force officials say. Those same claims are now expected to be wrapped up in fewer than 10 days, thanks to the Air Force Claims Service Center the secretary of the Air Force and other officials celebrated Friday... Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or [email protected]. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/03/24/ddn032407airclaims.html

From the 3/19/07 Dayton Business Journal: Hope Hotel to undergo $1M renovation by end of year Dayton Business Journal - March 16, 2007 by Tim Tresslar DBJ Senior Reporter A $1 million makeover of the Hope Hotel and Conference Center is expected to begin in April. Plans call for the project to include changes to the guest rooms, the lobby, the ballroom and the conference center, said Gaela Witter-Jones, director of sales... E-mail [email protected]. Call 222-6900, ext. 119. http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/03/19/story2.html

From the 3/9/07 DDN: Democrats to propose $3.1B in BRAC funding Money will be used to carry out military restructuring mandate, which includes new programs for WPAFB. By John Nolan Staff Writer Friday, March 09, 2007 Democrats in the U.S. House said Thursday that they will propose $3.1 billion in funding to carry out military restructuring mandated by the Base Realignment and Closure process of 2005, under which Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is to receive new programs in coming years. The $3.1 billion could include $19 million that Wright-Patterson officials are counting on receiving this year to do infrastructure work... Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or [email protected]. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/03/08/ddn030907brac.html

From the 3/1/07 Fairborn Daily Herald: Wright-Patt to add even bigger supercomputer RAINEY HOWARTH Staff Writer FAIRBORN - The 9,216-processor core of a new supercomputer heading to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will give the military, and the local community, power for future innovation. The Aeronautical Systems Center Major Shared Resource Center High Performance Computing Center is one of just four national DoD computational sites. In May, they will get their fourth supercomputer, an SGI Altix 4700. The new system is nearly double the combined power of the older computers... http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=124162&TM=63186.88

From the 2/23/07 Skywrighter: BRAC reshaping local communities by Derek Kaufman 88th ABW Public Affairs February 23, 2007 At Wright-Patterson AFB and across the nation, the military’s transformation because of base realignment and closure changes are reshaping communities. The economic impact of BRAC decisions can be profound, which is why military leaders, government officials and business leaders are frequently gathering to discuss mission changes and looking for opportunities to develop strategies to prepare for what is coming and going... http://www.skywrighter.com/news/2007/0223/1BRAC.asp

From the 2/10/07 Fairborn Daily Herald: Marine reserve unit to make Wright-Patt home RAINEY HOWARTH Staff Writer FAIRBORN - A marine reserve unit is scheduled to make its new home at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base if construction plans go forward in 2008. Aging buildings and goals to protect anti-terrorism forces by locating reserve centers on military installations are sending the Military Police Company C, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, to Fairborn from Dayton, according to military officials... http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=123938&TM=45943.34

From the 2/7/07 Fairborn Daily Herald: BRAC budget up in the air RAINEY HOWARTH Staff Writer Air Force representatives said Tuesday it's too early to tell how possible BRAC cuts for fiscal year 2007 and a proposed budget of $8.2 billion for 2008 will affect planned expansion at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $463.5 billion spending bill Jan. 31 that includes $3.3 billion less than President Bush had originally asked for BRAC... The Associated Press and WDTN Channel 2 contributed to this report. http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=123899&TM=46782.82

From the 1/31/07 DDN: Wright-Pat's $19 million hinges on bill Congress considering a cut in BRAC funds that would pay for construction at base. By John Nolan Staff Writer Wednesday, January 31, 2007 A budget tug-of-war between congressional Democrats and the Bush administration could affect $19 million requested to prepare for construction at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to house research programs scheduled to relocate there within five years. It is part of catch-up funding Congress must appropriate soon, for the fiscal year that began last Oct. 1, to keep most of the government from shutting down when interim spending authority expires on Feb. 15. The House could take up the measure today, with the Senate to consider it soon afterward... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/01/30/ddn013107bracfront.html

All from the 1/28/07 DDN: GRAPHIC: Projects coming to Wright-Patt Wright-Pat to make room for more posts By John Nolan Staff Writer Sunday, January 28, 2007 WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Base officials are getting ready to start an ambitious construction program to house incoming aerospace medicine and other research programs. Planning and design videoconferences for the construction at Wright-Patterson are already under way. Initial bids are to be advertised in April or May. Congress could appropriate construction money by October, which would clear the way for work to start... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/01/27/ddn012807brac1a.html Building a better air force base The consolidation and realignment orders are complete. Now the challenge is to construct the labs, dorms and other buildings in time for a 2011 deadline. By John Nolan Staff Writer Sunday, January 28, 2007 WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — The commander of the unit that operates this sprawling base has the tricky job of coordinating 15 construction projects to house the research programs being moved into Wright-Patterson within five years... Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or [email protected]. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/01/27/ddn012807bracbiz.html

From the 1/19/07 Skywrighter: Combat arms facility at Wright-Patterson only one of its kind by Mike Wallace Skywrighter staff January 19, 2007 When marksmen come to Wright-Patterson’s combat arms section, Bldg. 296, Area A, in February to compete for 25 Excellence-in-Competition medals, they’ll find a unique, state–of-the-art facility. The indoor range there has 21 stations from which competitors will use M-16A2 rifles to fire from unsupported standing, kneeling, sitting and prone positions during timed rounds at reduced silhouette targets 25 meters away. The competition will include one-and-a-half hours in the classroom and two hours on the range as well as several heats, with the results available after the last one... For more information about the rifle competition, call Sgt. Rice at DSN 787-2309/7388 or (937)257-2309/7388. http://www.skywrighter.com/news/2007/0119/8combatarms.asp

From the 1/17/07 DDN: Air Force base preps for new jobs, budget cuts By John Nolan Staff Writer Wednesday, January 17, 2007 WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Budget pressures and preparing for the future will each have an impact this year at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Col. Colleen M. Ryan, who as commander of the 88th Air Base Wing gets the colloquial title of Wright-Patterson's "mayor," gave reporters an overview on Wednesday of what to look for at the base in 2007: Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or [email protected]. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/17/ddn011707wpafboutlookweb.html

From ThisWeek West Side, 3/25/07: Commercial, residential, rec space planned for former farm Sunday, March 25, 2007 By CARLA SMITH ThisWeek Contributor Commercial, residential, and space for recreation are the components that will define a new 203-acre development to be built between Alton and Galloway roads south of West Broad Street. Westland Area Commission had an opportunity to look at a proposed rezoning of the land and its future uses at its monthly meeting March 21. The process of rezoning several portions of the rural tract of land known as the Blauser Farm is now under way and will formally be presented to the commission at a future meeting. Components of the development include a commercial zone planned to the north of the property, with single-family housing to the south and multi-family to the east, Brown said. About 77 acres of the site will be purchased by the city of Columbus for the purpose of building a recreation center. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/032507/West/News/032507-News-325245.html

Shedding new light on an old structure Wapakoneta Daily News, 3/1/07 A Columbus architect says he is encouraged by the condition of the Wapakoneta Fire House, and he is excited by the efforts of a local group working to restore the gazebo and clock structure to the top of the tower. Restoring the gazebo and clock to the top of the tower at the Wapakoneta Fire House, built in 1885, is a project toward which members of the city’s 175th Anniversary Commission are working. The group contacted several architectural firms including Clyde Henry of Triad of Columbus to provide an analysis and estimates to replace the gazebo. Henry spent approximately an hour evaluating the structure on the inside and from the outside. He said he will discuss his formal recommendation with commission members at a future meeting. “From my evaluation, it is in good shape, but if they plan to proceed they should have a structural engineer do calculations on the building. “I don’t see anything that would indicate it is not in really good shape,” he added. “This is a beautiful building.” Wapakoneta 4th Ward Councilor Rachel Barber assembled the group as advised by members of the city council’s Communications and Rules Committee. An engineer’s estimate for the project is $50,000.

Thanks, everyone, for viewing my photos. Perhaps some day I'll actually have the time to look at all of yours! ForeverGlow... No, Sonoma Hill is a market-rate project. The lowest-priced one sold for $199,400 and the highest one was $265,000.

Reading: Demolition of Nivison-Weiskopf factory The Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County are now accepting sealed bids for the demoliton of the Nivison-Weiskopf factory at Third and Voorhees streets in Reading. Demolition of the factory will give the City of Reading 10 acres of developable land, which they plan on marketing to biotech firms. The former director of UC's Genome Research Institute has said that the site could support a $50 million building with a $20 million per year payroll. Bids are being accepted until April 10. SEE THIS AREA ON WINDOWS LIVE SEARCH LAST UPDATE (1/22/07) Colerain Twp: Creekwood Estates Showcase Building & Design is building Creekwood Estates, a patio home subdivision, off of Colerain Ave near the Preserve. (Between Banning and Lapland.) Prices range from $129,900 for 2BR/2BA to $187,900 for 3BR/2BA. Here is a look at one of the completed ranch-style units. GOOGLE MAP AERIAL Carthage: Center Hill Commerce Park Cincinnati City council has accepted a general warranty deed from the Village of Elmwood Place, adding 6 acres to the Center Hill Commerce Park project. The land, which was formerly a landfill for the village, was promised to the City in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2004. That memorandum allowed the property to be bought, remediated environmentally, and then donated to the City. Municipal Code required the City council to formally accept the deed, which has now been done. Round-up: City of Cincinnati BOND HILL 1831 Garden Ln has been rehabbed and it looks pretty great. EAST PRICE HILL 1008 Purcell Ave (1890) has been declared a public nuisance because it's falling apart. I don't think anyone's lived here for a couple of years. EAST PRICE HILL 3222 Warsaw Ave has been declared a public nuisance and B&I have drawn up demolition specs. This one went to criminal court. That case is still pending. EAST WALNUT HILLS 423 Collins Ave (1875) has been declared a public nuisance, and the previous owner is dead. The new owner has claimed that he'd demo the house and clear the lot, but it's been a couple of months now. The City may step in and do it for him. FAIRVIEW 2438 W McMicken Ave (1880) has been declared a public nuisance due to cracks in the foundation, a plastic tarp roof that looks temporary at best, and its inclination to slide down the hill. This may be heading straight to abatement because the owner hasn't done a damn thing in years, and he's not likely to now. NORTHSIDE 1523 Lingo St, claims to be rehabbed. Let's see...assessed at $43,200 in 2005. Sold for $57,000 in 2006. Being offered now for $38,900??? They're going in the wrong direction! Maybe I'll buy it and then sell it for $10,000. NORTHSIDE 4125 and 4133 Lakeman St have been demolished by the City. These houses were two of the 22 recommended for hazard abatement by City council last fall, to be paid for by $250,000 property tax dollars from the General Fund. (4125 and 4133 Lakeman) NORTHSIDE 4130 Chambers St (1885) has been razed by the City. It was condemned in May 2006, declared a public nuisance in September and was ordered demolished in November. NORTHSIDE 4219 Williamson Pl is currently being rehabbed for sale. PRICE HILL Anonymous donor gives Seton $500,000 Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/23/07 The investment adviser slid an envelope across the table. Dan Ledford, Seton High School's president, lifted the flap and gasped. The envelope contained a cashier's check for $500,000. The anonymous, unsolicited gift will help the Catholic girls' school upgrade its computer technology to the tune of $300,000 and help pay $200,000 worth of student tuition. "I'm used to seeing checks made out as gifts to the school," Ledford said. "Checks that start with a five and are great gifts are for $50,000. "This check started with a five and the zeros just kept going. I've never seen anything like this." Neither has the school. Ledford termed the gift the largest unsolicited anonymous gift in the history of a school, which traces its beginnings to 1854. WEST END 527 and 529 York St are supposed to be razed soon. Work may actually still be ongoing. 527 has been condemned for several years. Prosecution stalled once it was found out that the owner was deceased. The same is believed of 529. Round-up: Metro ADAMS COUNTY Eulett Center receives $300,000 to build West Union People's Defender, 3/21/07 The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $300,000 at its quarterly meeting this past week for construction of the Eulett Education Center in Adams County, a project of the Cincinnati Museum Center. The state funds will combine with a prior state appropriation of $1.85 million to be used for construction of the new $2.3 million education center. The site is located on the Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve, which serves southwest and southern Ohio naturalists, educators, students and researchers, and includes four national natural landmarks. The 8,000 square foot education and training center will be equipped with a research laboratory, multipurpose rooms, state-of-the-art technology and overnight accommodations, creating an Adams County location for scientific research, business retreats and hands-on student learning. The design and construction of the new facility will incorporate local natural materials, employ local craftspeople, and will integrate with the natural topography of the site. The commission approval, coupled with the signing of legal agreements, allows the Cincinnati Museum Center to be reimbursed on a pro rata basis with funds appropriated in Am. Sub. H.B. 699 of the 126th General Assembly. Adams County General Assembly members who voted in favor of the bill include Senator Tom Niehaus and Representatives Todd Book and Danny Bubp. Hamilton County General Assembly members who voted in favor of the bill include Senators Robert Schuler, Patricia Clancy, and Eric Kearney, and Representatives Louis Blessing, Steve Driehaus, Jim Raussen, Bill Seitz and Tyrone Yates and former Representative Catherine Barrett. BROOKSVILLE Former high school building becoming community eyesore Maysville Ledger Independent, 3/20/07 Reading, writing and arithmetic ceased at the old Bracken County High School in 1998, but usefulness of the seemingly abandoned building is still on the minds Bracken County residents. Not exactly a gift horse, originally the school district offered it to the city of Brooksville for one dollar, an offer the city declined. It was then sold at auction to the highest bidder, and may have changed hands at least once since then. The owner listed in Bracken County tax records is Richard J. Hershner of Covington, said officials. "It is valued at $80,000 on our books," said Tracey Florer, PVA officer. Since 1998, vandals have been the only, be it unwanted, occupants of the brick building on Miami Street near the county courthouse, said Heather Brumley, one of several alumni who have been discussing the fate of the old school. CAMPBELL COUNTY Campbell seeks balance in land use Kentucky Post, 3/19/07 Campbell County Judge-Executive Steve Pendery says he hopes the county's new comprehensive plan for land use will strike a healthy balance between development and green space. "One is necessary for the other to thrive," he said. "We anticipate more growth, but we want to balance that growth with green space." State law requires counties to update their comprehensive plan every five years, and Campbell County will update its plan later this year. To get ideas from the public, the county has scheduled two open houses next week. The first will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 27 at Campbell County High School in Alexandria. The second will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 29 at the Southgate Community Center. "The open houses are designed to collect public input," said Pendery. "County officials have decided nothing about the plan so far. COLERAIN TWP Residents not happy with county's Blue Rock plan Northwest Press, 3/15/07 Hamilton County plans a $2 million safety project along an accident-plagued segment of Blue Rock Road, but a number of residents say the plan is not much of an improvement. About a dozen residents of Blue Rock Road between Galbraith and Sheed roads told Colerain Township trustees March 13 that they are unhappy with the county's plans for the road. Hamilton County traffic planner Tim Gilday said the improvements conform to recommendations from a corridor study completed in 2001, which looked at Blue Rock Road from Colerain Township to Harrison, identifying improvements needed along the busy road. Residents complained to trustees March 13 that the plan is flawed. Dorothy Carter told the board that the plan takes too many mature trees and suggested the road be widened on the west side of the street, where the county already owns a stretch of right-of-way. COLERAIN TWP Colerain Township to add to its greenspace collection Northwest Press, 3/15/07 Colerain Township's commitment to greenspace is growing by another half-acre. Clifton resident William J. Guentter Jr. has approached the township about donating property at the southwest corner of Poole Road and Woodthrush Drive. The Hamilton County Auditor's Office appraised the fair market value at $36,900. Colerain Township attorney James Reuter has cleared the title on the property and is doing the legal work so the township can accept the property. He said the lot is unimproved. "The grass has been mowed near the edges, but the lot has no buildings and has been reforested," he said. CRITTENDEN 1820 tavern is largely intact Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/24/07 Sitting off U.S. 25, in a wooded area seemingly apart from the rest of the world, the old Sherman Tavern is vacant, its windows broken and its paint peeling. The site, about 6 miles south of Crittenden in Grant County, is being developed, but that's for a new elementary school. No one is doing much to refurbish the tavern, which opened in 1820 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an example of an early inn. Now a group of about 20 in the county are hoping to change that. They want to help make the tavern a cultural learning center, something similar to the Farnsley-Moremen House on the bank of the Ohio River in Louisville. "There are a number of ways this historic site can be utilized for education, and there are sources for funding such projects," said Barbara Brown, president of the Grant County Historical Society. "The fact that the site is already on the national historic registry is an excellent asset when requesting financial funding from agencies. Such a 'learning lab' is successful in a historic house and site in Jefferson County ... (and it will) serve as a historical site of interest to all who cherish our culture and history." Nancy Howe, public information officer for the Grant County Schools, said plans for the elementary school do not include tearing down the tavern. DELHI TWP Red tape holds up veterans' memorial Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/23/07 The Wall of Honor has hit a wall of governmental regulations. Strings attached to a $100,000 grant from the state of Ohio have forced the wall’s sponsor, the Delhi Township Veterans Association, to scrap the project’s planned Memorial Day opening. The black granite monument is slated to contain the name of every township resident who served in the armed forces. “Now we’re shooting for the wall to be dedicated on Veterans Day,” said Jeff Lefler, the association’s secretary. The delay came after the project received public funds. Hamilton County regulations called for the filing of highly specified architectural drawings, “We had design drawings without specs,” Lefler said. He noted that the association already had contractors lined up. But that was when the project was going to be completely financed by private donations. EVENDALE Evendale wants to draft comprehensive plan Tri-County Press, 3/22/07 The committee seeking to review and draft a comprehensive master plan for Evendale will conduct its first meeting at 4 p.m. Monday, March 26, at the village municipal building, 10500 Reading Road. The meeting will be in the council library. Members of the committee include Mayor Don Apking, Councilmen J. Jeffrey Albrinck and Christian Schaefer, Planning Commission Chairman Dick Shaffer and Community Improvement Corp. President John Perazzo. FAIRFIELD Athlete training center pumps up Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/19/07 Construction will begin April 2 on a $425,000 athletic training center at Fairfield High School. The project will add 2,700 square feet to the school's 1,700-square-foot weight room. All but $50,000has been raised through cash contributions or donations of materials and labor, said Rob Amodio, interim assistant superintendent. "All we need is $50,000 more in cash," said Fairfield Mayor Ron D'Epifanio, a member of the committee. "That, or we need someone to step up and donate windows and doors." General contractor and committee member Wayne Huber said his firm would provide labor at no cost. FAIRFIELD TWP New animal shelter controversial Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/22/07 Some residents here are fighting what they say is a surprise plan to build Butler County's new animal shelter too close to their back yards. Voters approved a one-year property tax levy in November to raise about $3.7 million to replace the crowded 54-year-old Trenton shelter run by the Butler County Humane Society. But when residents of the Fairfield Ridge subdivision learned that plans call for the new shelter to be built near their homes - and not in Trenton as expected - several spoke out this week to Fairfield Township trustees. "We were told it would be two to three football fields away from our home,'' said Terry Marischen. "My house is one that would back up to the shelter. I don't own a dog. I don't want the noise. I will call every day if there is noise." Residents say they also are concerned about potential odors and unwanted traffic. Cincinnati Enquirer: Neighbors bark over animal shelter site (3/21/07) FAYETTEVILLE Fayetteville makes cuts on building project Georgetown News Democrat, 3/25/07 Plans continued regarding the new Fayetteville High School. The project is currently at an estimated $23 million budget, and is the biggest project to ever come to the Fayetteville region. The new school, which will house grades six to 12, had significant plan changes since the schematic design meeting held in October. Several areas were moved around to help lower the costs of construction, such as the softball field and the new school administration building. Overall, the project is now estimated to cost about $300,000 less than in October. Present at the meeting were project managers Rob Sum and Eric Steva, from Turner-Mag, who went over estimated numbers and floor plans and spoke about the next step in the building's development. The two managers feel the final cost could get even lower once they go to bids and see where they can get the best prices for materials and services. Among the plans discussed were those for a connecter between the main school building and the gym, several additional classrooms and ample room to allow for community growth. Superintendent Roy Hill feels it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to having enough room for the students. "We don't want to start out in new facilities and have modulars sitting out back," Hill said. GREENFIELD (Highland Co) Historical society plans restoration Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 3/20/07 The Greenfield Historical Society will hold a history dinner April 15 in the Travellers Rest to benefit the renovation of the Old Seceders Church/Two Room Schoolhouse. The Old Seceders church was built in 1935 by the Associate and Reformed Church, also known as the Seceders. It was used by the congregation until 1967 when they moved into their new home, just west of the church. The were then known as United Presbyterians and their new building is still standing at the corner of South Washington and South streets, the home of the Greenfield Masons. Cost for the dinner will be $15 per person, $25 per couple. Two seatings will be held, at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at Home Building and Loan and Castle Hallmark. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as seating is limited. All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the restoration of the Old Seceders Church. In 1967, the United Presbyterians sold the old church to the Board of Education of the Greenfield Union Schools to be used as classrooms. It is assumed that this was when the building was divided into two rooms, thus giving it the name Two Room Schoolhouse, as is it known today. It was used for school purposes until 1884 when the school board sold it to Emma Miller, wife of E.H. Miller, a member of the Miller Banking family. The Miller family was an important element of the banking business of Greenfield from the 1850s until the Highland County Bank closed in 1930, a victim of the stock market crash of 1929. INDEPENDENCE Fire district to break ground on new station Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/21/07 The Independence Fire District will break ground tonight on a new Fire Station No. 2 on Cox Road. The ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. at 740 Cox Road. The 5,061-square-foot station will be identical to fire station No. 3 that was replaced and opened a year ago. Completion is scheduled for this year. The Independence Fire District plans to staff the station around the clock in early 2008 with an engine crew, Chief Richard A. Messingschlager has said. The station is part of a three-year-old plan to improve fire and EMS service. INDIAN HILL Indian Hill continues to cultivate Grand Valley Preserve Cincinnati.com, 3/22/07 Grand Valley Reserve’s park ranger says Indian Hill’s “diamond in the rough” is slowly but surely becoming a polished place for residents to enjoy. After 33 years in law enforcement – the last seven as police chief in Indian Hill – Will McQueen says he’s excited for the future of Grand Valley, and his new role as the reserve’s manager. “This has been a win-win for me,” McQueen said. “It was time for me to retire, but I know a lot of people up here and I love the outdoors.” The Village of Indian Hill acquired the land, which previously was a gravel excavation site, and is now working on habitat reconstruction. There is a new Web site for the reserve on the village’s site at www.ihill.org. The reclamation project at Grand Valley has included adding bike and walking paths and creation of nests for natural species like the Osprey, a medium to large bird of prey. The reserve also has a few bald eagles, McQueen said. Cincinnati Enquirer: Track preserve's progress using new Web page (3/18/07) LOVELAND Loveland shooting range plans unclear Loveland Herald, 3/22/07 Owners of Shooters' Supply Shop are still hoping to build a shooting range here this year. Just where that will be exactly isn't clear. "We're trying to keep that under wraps until we get a conditional use permit," co-owner Marvin Mann said, referring to what Loveland Planning and Zoning Commission awards to building applicants. "We're negotiating construction costs," he said. Mann and co-owner Dan Lovett had intended to develop a range at 1425 Loveland-Madeira Road. The plans were snarled by appeals filed by Dave Miller, a resident who strongly opposed more guns in the city. LOVELAND Loveland skate park ready to roll Loveland Herald, 3/22/07 A ground breaking ceremony has been set for the city of Loveland's new skateboard park. The ground breaking ceremony will be held rain or shine at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at Lever Park. The new skate park will cost $130,000, and is funded in by a $67,500 grant from the state of Ohio Nature Works program, a $3,000 grant from Duke Energy, and local income tax dollars. According to Mayor Rob Weisgerber, leveraging state and private sector money was critical to making this project move forward. "This skateboard park will be a wonderful new addition to Loveland's park system, and is made possible through a public-private partnership," Weisgerber said. Weisgerber noted that the city has also entered into a public-private partnership with the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati for the operation of a proposed recreation center in Loveland. He said, "Recreation has been such a primary focus for the city, and we can accomplish far more for our residents with partners like the state, Duke and the Y." Weisgerber noted that Loveland City Council started planning for this project more than five years ago, after teenage skaters in the community petitioned the City to build a place for them to legally skate. MACON (Brown Co) Eastern to make decision Georgetown News Democrat, 3/25/07 The Eastern Board of Education knows all too well that difficult decisions are a part of any major construction project. At its March 20 meeting the board discussed a climate control dilemma concerning geothermal heating and cooling systems for the planned Sardinia Elementary and Eastern High School buildings. Steve Hoyt, with construction management company Turner/DAG, had some good news about the outlook at the planned high school site, but had little information about the Sardinia project. Although Hoyt admitted the entire scope of information has not yet been prepared, he encouraged the board to make a permanent decision on design plans in an attempt to avoid potential costly delays. Geothermal heating and cooling systems work similar to residential heat pumps that utilize an exchange with outside air. Geothermals, however, use underground fluids to control the temperature of a building. Since underground temperatures are warmer than above ground in the winter and cooler than above ground in the summer, the fluid can be raised or lowered more efficiently, using less energy. While geothermal systems traditionally cost more to install, the costs can be recouped in energy savings over an extended period of time. Geothermal systems are not co-funded by the Ohio School Facilities Commission, however, and a less expensive traditional HVAC system is recommended by the OSFC. To install the geothermals at Eastern, the district would have to come up with the cash through a Locally Funded Initiative. Hoyt informed the board of two recent favorable developments at the high school site that make a geothermal system much more likely at that location. NEW RICHMOND Habitat for Humanity Groundbreaking Community Journal Clermont, 3/20/07 Clermont County Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent Builds, a multi-million dollar national Habitat for Humanity donor, will hold a public ground breaking for a new house at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, in New Richmond. The house, 309 Union St., is being built for Jeremy and Andrea Higgins who have two children, Sierra and Logan. Thrivent Builds is a volunteer and advocacy alliance formed as a partnership between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity with funding provided by the contributions from three million Thrivent Financial members nationwide. "Thrivent is a Fortune 500 company and it's basically a financial company for Lutherans," said Gates Moss, the home's project leader. "It is a company that is very involved in the community." Moss said 65 percent of the total cost for the house is being provided by the national Thrivent Builds office with another 10 percent contribution coming from the local chapter while the remaining 25 percent is provided by habitat. SYMMES TWP Symmes looking for Meade House tenants Northeast Suburban Life, 3/19/07 Wanted: tenant to occupy historic home in Symmes Township. Occupants would be responsible for clean-up and maintenance. No rent or deposit necessary. While this deal may sound too good to be true, it's exactly what the township is offering a local non-profit organization that's looking for a new home, although it would be temporary. Trustee Eric Minamyer said the idea came about during the township's last meeting, when a consultant hired by Symmes to figure out the best current use for the Meade House, 11887 Lebanon Road, suggested renting it to a non-profit group that would maintain the property in exchange for a place of operations. "It's really a win-win for us and them," he said. The two-story home, which is vacant, was built in the 1900s and rests on about 24 acres of land. Symmes purchased the property in 2003 in order to preserve the home's history and the green space of the land. SYMMES TWP Residents speak out about proposed levy Northeast Suburban Life, 3/19/07 After two tries, the Symmes Township trustees finally were able to hold a public hearing on the proposed tax levy and Rozzi's property purchase that was attended by more than just a handful of residents. While the crowd wasn't enormous, it did respond positively to the proposal and ballot issue. The trustees passed a resolution to put a 30-year, .9-mill levy on the May ballot during their Feb. 13 meeting. Money raised by the levy - estimated to be about $7.73 million - will be used for the development and purchase of the 51-acre Rozzi's Fireworks property. Township officials are hoping to transform the property into a sports complex, complete with soccer and lacrosse fields, baseball diamonds and various other amenities for residents of all ages. Township Administrator Gerald Beckman said the complex would solve the township's woes when it comes to finding adequate playing fields for the various youth sports teams in the area. WYOMING Some Wyoming residents concerned about group home proposal Tri-County Press, 3/20/07 Several Wyoming residents came to the March 19 council meeting to hear about the proposed GraceWorks group home on Springfield Pike. But Mayor Barry Porter asked residents to refrain from voicing opinions until council conducts a public hearing at the April 16 council meeting. The proposed plan would relocate 10 group home residents from a home in Avondale to a newly constructed 4,852-square-foot home at 1227 and 1229 Springfield Pike, near Chestnut Avenue. Several residents did, however, ask questions of council. Ray Lippert asked why residents don't get to vote on the development. "Shouldn't the people decide?" he asked.

I posted in the Events section about Wednesday's open house and added it to the calendar: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=12354.0

Images in signatures are limited to a height of 60 pixels. Perhaps there should be a crackdown on text in sigs, either number of lines or characters. You're right, some of them are far too long.

Both from the 3/25/07 Enquirer: City police: Computers unreliable Administrators say new towers should end service outages BY JANE PRENDERGAST | [email protected] Almost a decade after Hamilton County voters approved a tax levy to buy police cruiser computers for all 44 police forces, the biggest department - Cincinnati - reports the computers don't always work. Some officers complain that they can be headed to a call and look at the screen only to find it has gone blank, killing out information they need, such as the address they're headed to, the type of incident and any warnings about officer safety. To retrieve the details, they have to log on again, a process they don't have time for when they're in a hurry. Reporter Jessica Brown contributed to this story. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/NEWS01/703250354/-1/rss * PHOTO: Larry Smith allegedly reached into Tarbell's car and smacked the Cincinnati City Councilman in the face with his own cell phone. THE ENQUIRER Tarbell sends man to jail Council member scuffles outside nightspot with 'rascal' BY KIMBALL PERRY | [email protected] What was supposed to be a nice night out Friday for Cincinnati Council Member Jim Tarbell turned into a fistfight in the street, landing a man behind bars. About 7:30 Friday night, Tarbell was heading to Kaldi's Coffee House and Bookstore in Over-the-Rhine, about two blocks from Tarbell's home in the adjacent neighborhood of Pendleton. "Things were a little bit slow, so we decided to stir it up," Tarbell quipped Saturday. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070325/NEWS01/703250348/

Studies delay Argosy expansion 6 months BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE | [email protected] Penn National Gaming said Thursday that the expansion of its Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg would be delayed an additional six months due to pending environmental and archeological studies. The company said the opening date of a bigger parking garage would now be in the second quarter of 2008, while a new and enlarged casino riverboat would open in the second quarter of 2009. The new Argosy boat will have 4,000 gambling stations - an increase of 1,200, or 43 percent. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070209/BIZ01/702090341/1076/

Both from the 3/22/07 Enquirer: Boone's boom still resounding County has added 24,091 residents since 2000 BY BRENNA R. KELLY | [email protected] Boone County added more residents over the past six years than both of the state's largest cities - Lexington and Louisville - combined. In that time, Boone gained 24,091 residents, or 28 percent of its population, making it the second-fastest-growing county in the state and first in the number of new residents. Over the same time, Kenton County gained 3,448 residents and Campbell County lost 1,750 residents, according to population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Read more here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070322/NEWS0103/703220393/1059/rss13 Boone schools get $1.2M Thanks, but we need more, district says BY WILLIAM CROYLE | [email protected] Boone County Schools was given $1.2 million Tuesday by the state's School Facilities Construction Commission for operating costs of its $44 million high school, scheduled to open in August 2008 on Longbranch Road. Relatively speaking, that's not much money, but Superintendent Bryan Blavatt will take it. "The biggest thing I said (to the commission) was that it's nice someone is listening for a change," Blavatt said. Read more here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070322/NEWS0102/703220389/1059/rss13

From the 3/8/07 Pulse-Journal: Public Safety Campus beginning to take shape Redesign of township's facilities at the corner of Cincinnati-Dayton and West Chester roads is scheduled to break ground in late summer. By Matt Cunningham Staff Writer Thursday, March 08, 2007 West Chester Twp. is on schedule for a late 2007 start for the Public Safety Campus, a redesign of the township's facilities at the corner of Cincinnati-Dayton Road and West Chester Road. Project architect Michael Schuster Associates has presented trustees with elevations of the proposed 52,060-square-foot facility. Schumacher Dugan has been hired as the project and construction manager for the project, which is expected to break ground in late summer 2007. Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5077 or [email protected]. http://www.pulsejournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/03/09/pjw030807campus.html