WEST CHESTER TWP. — Residents seeking to block an office park on U.S. 42 missed the deadline Thursday to place a referendum on the decision before voters.

Last month, residents of the township’s southern U.S. 42 corridor voiced their concerns to trustees about approving a zone change to make way for a $3 million mixed use site at the corner of U.S. 42 and Fields Ertel Road.

Amy Painter said in early December she and a few others had hoped it would come to fruition and had been collecting signatures.

An estimated 2,300 valid signatures of registered local voters was needed by Thursday, Dec. 17, or 30 days after the original legislation was approved by trustees.

Plans by Robert Lucke Interests, a subsidiary of the Cincinnati-based Robert Lucke Group, call for construction to begin next year on two office buildings, a daycare center and a bank with a drive-through.

Residents living adjacent to the property and some in the nearby Rolling Knolls subdivision complained the addition of a drive-through — which was against original zoning restrictions and against the township’s zoning commission’s recommendation — would cause more traffic to an area whose traffic creeps along during the morning and afternoon rush.

“The drive through is going to make a mess of the traffic,” Painter said.

Plans were recommended for approval from the Butler County Planning Commission and the West Chester Zoning Commission, but the latter recommended Sept. 21 against the addition of a bank drive-through. Trustees voted 2-0 last month in favor of the project with some changes. Trustee Catherine Stoker abstained citing a conflict of interest.