Catch Up: Last Witness in Rothrock Road Trial Takes Stand Wednesday
Have you missed any part of the Rothrock Road trial so far? Catch up here.
Photos
We're down to the last witness in the Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road closure trial. Court has been in session for almost two months, and Fairlawn will call Mayor William Roth to the stand Wednesday morning.
The trial started June 1 in Summit County Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty's courtroom. Fairlawn attorneys Stephen Funk and Marshal Pitchford argue that closing Rothrock Road at Sawgrass Drive and installing a gate at Rosemont Boulevard will not slow response times for emergency vehicles to get to and from Copley Place or anywhere else in that area.
Copley Township attorney Irv Sugerman and attorneys Jordan Berns and Tim Duff, who represent Fairlawn resident Jacob Pollock, say closing Rothrock will slow response times and that it's part of a scheme to stop Walmart and Sam's Club from relocating to the area.
The Walmart Corporation plans to build a 300,000-square foot complex that includes a Walmart super center with groceries and a Sam's Club with a gas station on Rothrock Road.
To protect its housing stock in the area, Fairlawn's Mayor Roth and city council voted to close off a portion of Rothrock Road at Sawgrass drive to stop through traffic in the area and to keep the noise down. Copley Township filed a lawsuit against Fairlawn challenging the legality of closing the road.
McCarty has since decided that Fairlawn was acting within its Home Rule Authority to close the road. The decision now is a matter of safety.
I've been reporting live from the courtroom every day (except one), and I'll continue to cover the case until closing arguments are done Friday. To see the live feeds I've done so far, click on the links below. The live feeds are followed by links to different witness testimonies.
Live coverage:
LIVE: Copley v Fairlawn Trial Day One
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 2
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 3
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 5
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 6
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 7
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 8
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 9
LIVE: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Day 10
Testimonies:
Copley Attorney: Fairlawn at War with Copley & Rothrock is a Battle
Witnesses: 'There is No Good Reason to Barricade Rothrock'
Copley Chief Says Barricades Put Lives at Risk, Fairlawn Chiefs Say No
Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Continues to Day 4
Copley Police Chief: Closing Rothrock Could Be Disastrous
Planners: Rothrock Road is a Principal Highway, Not Residential Road
Roth: 'Even if Improvements Were Made to Rothrock, I'd Still Close It'
Local Developers Don't Support Any Big-Box Retail on Rothrock
Recap: Copley v. Fairlawn Rothrock Road Trial Week One
Engineering Consultant Says Rothrock is Principal Road, Not Residential
Expert: 'Copley Place Location is Every Fire Chief's Dream'
Copley Township, Jacob Pollock Attorneys Rest in Rothrock Road Trial
Chief Hose: Blocking Rothrock Would Not Hurt Copley Township
The trial resumes Wednesday at 9 a.m. Check back for a link to the live coverage.
In This article
-
Walmart
3750 W Market St, Fairlawn, OH -
Sam's Club
3750 W Market St, Fairlawn, OH -
-
-
-
Henry Jaroszewski
9:00 am on Thursday, July 12, 2012
Let's face it... This is nothing but a spite issue. The only thing it has accomplished is to create a worse traffic jam on Cleve-Mass Road.