Facebook & Dayton Daily News - Fact v Fiction

This page is being provided by the City of Springboro to try to help residents separate fact from fiction when reading posts made on the various community Facebook Pages and articles in the Dayton Daily News.  This web page will be updated as Dayton Daily News articles are published and various Facebook posts are made with incorrect information.   

If you ever have any questions about any projects within the City or for more information, please feel free to email the City Manager, Chris Pozzuto at pozzuto@cityofspringboro.com.  He would be happy to discuss these projects further with you.

Please remember – any and all information about projects in the City are a matter of public record.  All you have to do is ask and the City would be happy to provide you with whatever information you are looking for with regard to anything occurring in the City.  Any and all large scale projects have been discussed and authorized in an open meeting of City Council.

There will only be facts published on this page.  Transparent government is a bedrock of this country and this community.  Public discourse provides for better government, better services and a better community.  However, true public discourse can only occur if the facts are known by everyone.

Mailer in regard to the proposed Easton Farm development titled - "Love Where You Live?"

The City has become aware of a mailer that has been sent to many/most homes in the City by an anonymous sender concerning the proposed Easton Farm development.  

The City is adding some facts to this page in response to the mailer.  Please be wary of information or a mailer that is sent from an anonymous source. 

Mailer: Six 3-story Apartment Buildings
FACT: The applicant has submitted a revised plan removing the apartment buildings from the plan.

Mailer: 630 new units on 56 acres
FACT: The proposed development is 299 single-family housing units on 84 acres

Mailer: 11 Acres for Common Ground/Retention Ponds
FACT: There are 22.89 acres proposed for required Common Ground/Retention Ponds

Mailer: 11.2 Acres for Commercial Zone
FACT: There are 19.32 Acres proposed for the Commercial Area.

Various Facebook Posts Regarding Proposed Easton Farm Development:

As the proposed Easton Farm Development is a “hot topic” in the community, on Facebook and at various public meetings, the City felt it was necessary to provide FACTS for some of the concerns surrounding water & sewer infrastructure, traffic, crime, impacts to North Park, etc., that have been raised.  These facts are not meant to sway anyone in one direction or another, but to provide accurate information that you may not be receiving on social media.

FACTS:

Water & Sewer Infrastructure:
The City’s Water Distribution System, including the water treatment plant and water towers, was designed and constructed to distribute 7 million gallons per day (GPD).  Currently, the water distribution system supplies 2.5 million GPD on annual average.  When the City water distribution system was upgraded in 2004, it was designed and constructed taking into account and analyzing ALL undeveloped properties within the City boundaries at that time for maximum potential land use and development to ensure that the water distribution system could handle any potential future growth.  If this development is approved, the City's water distribution system can accommodate the increased water needs.

The City’s Sanitary Sewer System was designed and constructed to treat 4 million GPD.  Currently the sanitary sewer system treats 2.2 million GPD on annual average.  In 2004, the City also upgraded the sanitary sewer system and the current wastewater treatment plant was designed to be potentially upgraded to 6 million GPD if the need arises.  If this development is approved, the City's sanitary sewer system can accommodate the increased sewer needs.  

In addition, if approved, the development would pay approximately $2 million in water & sewer tap-in fees to ensure the water & sewer systems are maintained into the future (not including the single-family homes that would each pay an additional water & sewer tap-in fee).

Traffic on SR 741 (North Main Street):
SR 741 (North Main Street), being a 5-lane cross section roadway, was designed to accommodate approximately 37,000 vehicles per day at peak time.  Currently that roadway has approximately 19,000 vehicles per day at peak time.

North Park:
City staff has been in discussions with the Easton Farm developer to potentially expand North Park to the north into the development.  The City hopes to see some benefit from those discussions in the next plan that will be submitted to the Planning Commission for consideration.

A few years ago, before the Easton Farm Development Plan was submitted, the City recognized the need to expand parking at North Park due to increased usage, the Summer Concert Series, etc.  The City has already planned, within our 5-year Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) plan, to expand the paved parking at North Park to the south towards the basketball courts.  That parking expansion is scheduled for 2023.

Finally, with the development of Hazel Woods Park and the relocation of youth soccer and lacrosse to that park, the City is already in the very initial planning stages of determining the future of the three athletic fields that are currently situated at North Park.  The City will be seeking community input as to what the “future” of that area should be and what new amenities, if any, should be in those locations.

In addition, if approved, the development would pay approximately $500,000 in park development fees for future maintenance and development of new amenities in all of the City's parks.

Crime / Police:
Over the past two years, the City Council has made a concerted effort to hire additional officers (5) to ensure a quick response time, adequate coverage of the entire City and overall safety of our existing and future residents.  The City currently has 30 sworn officers and that places the City on par (or slightly above on a per capita basis) with other surrounding communities.  The City’s Police Department functioned extremely well with 25 sworn officers from 2010-2020 and we believe the additional five (5) officers positions the City very well for the future.

While the City has very few apartment complexes similar to the proposed apartments, the Falls on Yankee Road are probably the most accurate “apples to apples” comparison (as far as rent levels are concerned).  Over the past 8-month period (the latest we can go back under our new electronic record keeping system), the Police Department had 30 service calls to that complex for 137 units – or 3.75 calls per month.  (Service calls include vacation checks and medical calls, among other things.)

Facebook Post on Active Springboro and Voice of Springboro on July 2 & subject of Dayton Daily News Article from July 2 - Original Post below (as directly copied from Facebook and italicized):

Anyone else not hear about this? Why would we even be considering something like this when tax revenues have taken such a hit due to COVID-19? 

Fact:
At the July 2 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted the Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan 2020 Update.  This plan details the City’s LONG TERM plans for upgrading and adding bike / hike paths, bike lanes, etc., within the City.  

Included in the plan, there is mention of a 7.8 mile central “greenway bike path” that will cost an estimated $7 million.  The article erroneously portrays that the bike path will be constructed this year.  This central greenway bike path WILL NOT be constructed this year or all in one year.  More than likely, this bike path will take anywhere from 5-15 years to build as it needs to be designed, property acquired in stages and grant monies will be sought from the State of Ohio.  And the path will only be built if adequate local and state funding is available at some point in the future.

For all the FACTS that are included in the bike & pedestrian plan, please visit this link  https://walkbike.info/springboro/ to view the entire plan.

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Facebook Post on Positively Springboro on December 14 at 5:45pm - Original Post below (as directly copied from Facebook and italicized):

Ugly bill bodega on 741 near the air port wow how low can springboro go

Fact:
The digital billboard advertising sign that was constructed on the airport property is not within the City of Springboro limits.  The sign is located on City of Dayton property (owners of the Wright Brothers Airport) and is located within Miami Township.  All permits for the billboard were submitted to, and approved by, Miami Township.

Miami Township, nor the City of Dayton, is required to seek permission from the City to construct something of that nature on the airport property.

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Article in Dayton Daily News titled "Springboro pays $400K for land called last piece of puzzle", published online October 18, 2019

The news paper article states "The only business remaining on the property is Center Stage Dance Studio."

Fact:
The Cassanos building, which was part of the purchase made by the City of the former IGA Plaza, still remains on the property.

The newspaper article continues "The Warped Wing development should cover where Ball’s office stood."

Fact:
Warped Wing will be located where the former Dance Studio building stood (directly in front of the Performing Arts Center), not where the Dr. Ball building stood.

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Post by Resident on Voice of Springboro Facebook Page, Sunday, September 29 at 9:17am (and edited 2 times afterwards).

Original Post (as directly copied from Facebook and italicized):

A lot of people have been asking about the Construction Project beginning to take shape at SR 73 & SR 741 on the NE Corner.

You are looking at Phase 1 of the “Gateway Entrance” and the Contract was awarded to “Double Jay Construction” at a cost of $472,201. The City describes this as a “Welcome to Springboro Sign and extensive Landscaping” in the recent City Council Work Session and Meeting Minutes.

So do we need to spend a half million $ for this?

Should we consider the Land Costs for this corner sign and landscaping?

I believe the City purchased the Paul Music Land (this was the small strip Center that at one time had a pizza place in it) for $900,000.

Not sure what they paid for the PRO AUTO CARE corner property...but I am guessing it was similar to Music’s Land.

So, when you add all that together and consider the addition of a Video Board and Pergola that is being budgeted for 2020 (Phase 2)...we are approaching a $3,000,000. corner. I am sure it will be very nice, but Woow.

On another note, “Double Jay Construction” is the Contractor that built the Kacie Jane Park/ Splash Pad which was a wonderful addition to the Community.

Fact:
While the original contract as approved by City Council was for $472,201 (and all contracts are awarded as a “not to exceed” amount), the actual cost of the project is $371,778.  Staff worked with the contractor, Double Jay Construction, to reduce the amount to under what was originally budgeted ($400,000) in the City’s 2019 Capital Improvement Project budget, which was voted on and approved in an open and televised session of City Council in November 2018.

Post:
The resident also refers to the “Paul Music Land” being purchased for $900,000.  And the resident further states, “Not sure what they paid for the PRO AUTO CARE corner property….but I am guessing it was similar to the Music’s land”.  

Fact:
The actual amount of the Paul Music Land purchase was $800,000.  The amount paid for the Pro Automotive property was $465,000.  If you take the Music property, the Pro Automotive property and the cost of the new project sign and landscaping, that amount is $1,636,778.  

*City note – the Music and Pro Automotive properties were originally purchased for the road improvement project at the intersection of SR 73 / SR 741, not for the signage and landscaping project.  However, the City was left with a small piece of residual land from that intersection project that would remain empty – and was not / is not big enough for any business to relocate there with a building and parking.

Post:
Further into the comments section of the original post, the resident goes on to write (as copied from Facebook and italicized): “Also of interest to me...were that the Minutes stated the Springboro Engineer “estimated” this work would cost $470,000. before Bids were received.”

Fact:
Any City project that involves roadwork, construction, etc., typically includes an engineer’s estimate that is provided before any bid is received (and that is very typical statewide).  Sometimes the bids from contractors come in under the engineer’s estimate, sometimes they are over.  The engineer’s estimate is used as a guideline to determine how good (or bad) bids are that the City receives on various projects.  If the bids received are 10% over the engineer’s estimate, the City typically rejects them or changes the scope of the project and rebids.

Post:
Further into the comments section of the original post (copied here from Facebook and italicized), another resident comments “Im curious as to who owns Double Jays Construction and if they have a personal connection to whoever makes the final decision.”

Fact:
Six (6) proposals were sent to various construction companies and they were asked to bid on the project. Only two (2) formal bids were received. One was from Double Jay for $473,201, the other was from Oheil Site Solutions for $513,983. Again, staff worked with the lowest bidder to decrease the actual cost of the project to $371,778.