Lebanon, Warren County swapping land to spur future Ohio 63 housing development

Warren County will be acquiring property east of the Warren County Maintenance Garage on Ohio 63, identified as Tract 1, from the city of Lebanon for $100,000 and property and a highway easement, identified as Tract 2a and 2b, on the north side of Ohio 63 between Markey Road and the proposed Parkside development. The county wanted the property for future development while the city is planning to build a water booster station and widen Ohio 63 with the property it's acquiring for the Parkside project. CONTRIBUTED/CITY OF LEBANON

Warren County will be acquiring property east of the Warren County Maintenance Garage on Ohio 63, identified as Tract 1, from the city of Lebanon for $100,000 and property and a highway easement, identified as Tract 2a and 2b, on the north side of Ohio 63 between Markey Road and the proposed Parkside development. The county wanted the property for future development while the city is planning to build a water booster station and widen Ohio 63 with the property it's acquiring for the Parkside project. CONTRIBUTED/CITY OF LEBANON

As Lebanon takes the next steps to build infrastructure that will be needed to support the proposed Parkside housing development along Ohio 63 west of the city, City Council recently approved a land swap with Warren County.

City Manager Scott Brunka said the transaction would benefit both governments. He said the city needs the property for needed utility easements and land needed to build a water booster station and widen Ohio 63 for new residents, while the county will be getting additional land for future facility expansions.

Brunka said the new water booster station would be used to support water service for the Parkside Development but also address low water pressure issues within existing developments in that service area. He also said the city is moving forward with the design and future widening of Ohio 63 from Parkside to Rough Way, which will also need additional easements for the infrastructure improvements.

The parcel on the north side of Ohio 63 being created for the booster station totals 0.3157 acres, and the easement being dedicated totals 1.9387 acres, both of which would be transferred/dedicated to the city as part of this agreement. The easement stretches from Markey Road west to the Parkside project.

In addition, Brunka said the county will also pay $100,000 to the city for the difference in size of land being transferred. He said those funds would be used to cover engineering costs for the Ohio 63 widening project.

In exchange, the city will transfer about 5 acres to the county which is immediately adjacent to the Warren County Maintenance Facility on the south side of Ohio 63. Brunka said the county has identified a need to possibly expand or build a new building immediately behind the current building as part of its facility master plan.

City Manager Scott Brunka previously said the project is planning a 10-year build-out and projected to add another 2,600 residents to the city. Hughes said there will be a fully integrated mix of single-family homes, patio homes, townhomes and condominium flats, and luxury apartments.

The Parkside at Lebanon is a huge $430 million mixed-use housing development west of Lebanon that will have 574 single-family homes, a 280-unit apartment complex, a 230-unit senior living facility, 178 townhomes, a 60-acre city-owned park and a $3.85 million retail/office complex that is being developed by RJ Real Estate and Doyle Hughes Development LLC.

He said in addition to the 60-acre park, “it will be heavy on amenities” such as a trail system, a small fishing lake, club house with swimming pool, playground and dog park.

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