Walmart Move Examined By Neighbors

Just as when, say, an all-star forward from Cleveland signs with Miami and there were ripple effects throughout the conference and league, so too are there going to be consequences for communities besides the city of Fairlawn and Copley Township if and relocate from Fairlawn to a proposed 40-acre, retail center on Rothrock Road in Copley Township.

Bath Township

One person keeping a close watch on the developer's plans to move the stores is Administrator William Snow. Bath already has a mutual aid agreement in place with both Fairlawn and Copley for emergency services like police and fire. Snow doesn't anticipate any problems with safety or any particular strain on forces due to the new stores being open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but, if something does come up, Bath Township will help its neighbors.

"The current Giant Eagle store, which formerly housed Topps, is a 24-hour operation so that is nothing new," Snow said. On the other hand, the already strained intersection of Springside Drive and state Route 18 is going to be in sharp focus. "Springside Drive is a county road. The intersection with 18 is going to need to be updated. We'll be working with the county engineer to find solutions," Snow said.

Summit County Engineer

In a report issued Dec. 13, County Engineer Alan Brubaker outlined the storm water and traffic management issues and improvements the developer of the Copley Township property must address before moving forward. While the storm water issues have drawn much attention, the engineer said traffic management issues could prove more costly. This view is borne out by the report having 16 pages devoted to questions regarding traffic.

The engineer's report has been sent to the Ohio Department of Transportation, which is responsible for the intersection of Crystal Lake Road and state Route 18. One facet Brubaker doesn't expect to be altered is the time allotted for traffic signals coming onto the state route from the side streets. 

"Traffic signal time is governed by the state. They will not inhibit traffic on 18 in order to put more vehicles on 18. It won't work," Brubaker said.

Whatever the potential problems, Brubaker sees development going forward on the land eventually, be it Walmart or another proposal. "The land is zoned commercial," Brubaker said. "It's unlikely to remain empty.

Copley Township Police

Police Chief Michael Mier knows some changes are certain.

Already, the communities of Fairlawn and Copley and Bath townships share a radio dispatch system to go along with the mutual aid agreement in place for the Montrose business district. Mier and his officers know that their department is going to need to respond to more shoplifting calls if the stores move to Copley, but they haven't discussed the details with Fairlawn police.

"We hear Fairlawn Police calls for shoplifting on the radio frequently," Mier said. "It's seems like it's more of a problem at the Walmart. We seldom hear about shoplifting at Sam's. Any time you have a large retail center you assume an increase in that kind of activity."

Metro RTA

Metro RTA Planning Director Catondra Roye says the bus service will respond to the demand of any new development – with limitations. "We're not a 24-hour operation. Our service starts around 5 a.m. and ends at midnight," Roye said.

What's Next?

In Fairlawn Dec. 20, City Council voted unanimously to close Rosemont Boulevard at Rothrock Road to keep delivery and customer traffic bound for the proposed Walmart and Sam's Club from driving through the city's residential neighborhood. Fairlawn Mayor William Roth said temporary concrete barriers will close the street within four to eight weeks. A cul de sac could be built to permanently close the street within a year.

An attorney representing the Walmart developers said his group will pursue their option to bring legal action against Fairlawn to keep the road open.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is currently evaluating the developer's plan for storm-water, stream, clean water and potential wetland issues. The agency is expected to make its recommendation to approve, deny or modify the project in March.