Kettering, Oakwood plan to swap land near West Dorothy Lane

Kettering and Oakwood officials said corporation boundary irregularities in both cities were discovered during the reconstruction of the Ridgeway Road bridge. FILE

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Kettering and Oakwood officials said corporation boundary irregularities in both cities were discovered during the reconstruction of the Ridgeway Road bridge. FILE

Kettering and Oakwood are working to swap a small amount of land, a move that would change corporation lines near West Dorothy Lane.

The issue involves less than a half-acre on and around Ridgeway Road and Fairmont Avenue near Dorothy, records show. Approval of the changes would not involve any homes or businesses switching jurisdictions, officials from both cities said.

Kettering Mayor Peggy Lehner said the land swap may help eliminate confusion for jurisdictional responsibilities of public safety forces or public service crews.

Kettering City Manager Mark Schwieterman said with the current boundaries, a home with an Oakwood address includes land that extends into Kettering.

The need for the change was discovered during Kettering’s reconstruction of the Ridgeway bridge over Dorothy, he said.

“Now that the bridge project is done, we intend to modify the corporate boundaries,” he said, noting the change would make it “a little more common sense, if you will.”

The change, Oakwood Vice Mayor Steve Byington said, will align “the boundary with the northern edge of West Dorothy Lane, except for a stub that is being created at Ridgeway Road … to ensure that all of West Dorothy Lane and the entire bridge right of way — including its northern approach — are under the jurisdiction of the city of Kettering.”

All of Fairmont Avenue, he added, would be Oakwood’s jurisdiction.

Oakwood has introduced legislation for the change and Mayor Bill Duncan said city council is expected to approve it. Schwieterman and Lehner said Kettering likely will do the same in the coming weeks.

Montgomery County commissioners also would have to approve the proposal, Oakwood records show.

Kettering swapped property with Centerville in 2020. That move involved land on and around East Rahn Road near Wilmington Pike.

For decades, properties on Crispy Drive, Dobbs Drive, Glenmina Drive, East Rahn, Walford Drive and Pondview Park had been located within both jurisdictions, Centerville officials said.

With the change, 11 parcels became wholly within Centerville and two parcels — including Pondview Park — were moved into Kettering, officials said.

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