Fairfield councilman: ‘We need to do something’ with important stretch of road

Development Services Manager Greg Kathman said the section of Pleasant Avenue between Nilles Road and the Pleasant Run Creek “is an important economic and transportation corridor” in Fairfield as it’s home to dozens of small businesses.

“As council’s well aware, there’s a lot going on in that small little stretch,” he said. “There’s a whole lot of stuff in that area.”

But he also said it’s a safety concern, and MKSK and LJB will help the city develop “a plan and a strategy and some cost estimates to get our arms around this situation.”

In addition to business access, the area also provides access to numerous residences in the area, including single-family homes and multiple apartment complexes. It sees an average daily traffic count between 15,000 and 20,000 vehicles.

Much of the development in the area, though, was constructed a long time ago, when traffic counts were much lower and before modern development standards were in place, said Kathman.

“There are numerous issues in the corridor that are less than ideal, including very few inviting streetscape elements, numerous curb cuts, a large amount of underground and overhead utilities,” he said.

The city adopted last year its Fairfield Forward comprehensive plan, which has a goal to “promote the continued revitalization of the aging commercial areas within the Town Center.”

Kathman said this study will help the city in achieving that goal.

Fairfield City Councilman Chad Oberson said doing the study “is a big deal.”

“We’ve been talking about this since I’ve been on council,” said Oberson, who’s two years into his second four-year term. “We need to do something down there.”

The study will be performed by MKSK, a Cincinnati-based planning and urban design firm, and subcontractor LJB, an engineering firm. These two firms were the consultants on the city’s recently completed Fairfield Connects plan.

The expected cost for the study is $20,000, but City Council agreed to appropriate $25,000 to accommodate unforeseen minor additions to the scope of services that could arise.