“My sense is that we still have to go through a process with the city of Beavercreek,” Donaghy said.
The transit authority, a year ago, sought permission to cross the Montgomery County line into Beaverceek to make stops at The Greene, but could not work a deal. The transit company also is waiting for federal investigators to determine if the Beavercreek City Council violated the civil rights of area African-Americans by denying RTA’s request to install three bus stops near the Mall at Fairfield Commons.
Chuck Villa, spokesman for The Greene, said that once RTA reaches an agreement with the city, management at the center will find a way to accommodate bus traffic.
Steve McHugh, Beavercreek’s law director, said the city just received the 43-page settlement document on Friday and he would not comment, until after he had time to study it.
According to the settlement approved by Judge Thomas A. Rose, U. S. District Court for the Southern District, developer Steiner & Associates, must make enhancements to 395 apartment units in three states — including Gilbert Court at The Greene — to make them accessible.
The case began in 2008 after an investigation by a group that included the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center Inc. found architectural barriers at three of Steiner’s town centers. Steep slopes on sidewalks in The Greene at the entrance off Stroop Road (where the closest RTA bus stop is located) was one issue, Jim McCarthy, president/CEO of the Miami Valley Fair Housing said.
“For people with disabilities, public transportation can be more important than to others who are more mobile,” McCarthy said. “Steiner stepped up to the plate. I hope the city of Beavercreek is not going to be an impediment in us realizing this.”
RTA has mapped a route for its 40-foot buses with access near the Rave Cinemas at The Greene. Buses would travel south on Stroop Road, to east on Glengarry Drive, then stop on Chestnut Street, before exiting the shopping center on Beech Street.
About the Author