Politics & Government

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.

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 and from relocating to the area.

Find out what's happening in Fairlawn-Bathwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The 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.

Find out what's happening in Fairlawn-Bathwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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:

Testimonies:

Planners: Rothrock Road is a Principal Highway, Not Residential Road

The trial resumes Wednesday at 9 a.m. Check back for a link to the live coverage.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Fairlawn-Bath