After population doubles in 2 decades, Monroe OKs plan for more new houses

One of Butler County’s fastest-growing cities is getting bigger with a plan for dozens more new houses.

Monroe City Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance Tuesday night for the final plat for Section 5, Block B, of the Monroe Crossings subdivision off Ohio 63.

Because two of the seven City Council members, Mayor Keith Funk and Ben Wagner, were absent from the meeting, Law Director K. Philip Callahan reminded members the vote had to be unanimous to pass any emergency legislation that requires one reading.

There was no discussion among the five council members before they approved the ordinance.

Monroe’s population has more than doubled from 7,133 in 2000 to 15,412 in 2020, according to the latest census.

The preliminary plat for Monroe Crossings Section 5 was approved by the Planning Commission in October 2020. The preliminary plat provided the design and layout for the last phase of the Monroe Crossings subdivision.

According to city documents, the approved preliminary plat included the following:

• 183 single-family lots
• New public streets
• Nearly 18 acres of open space
• Two water-quality ponds that will be connected to an 8-foot-wide walking path
• A neighborhood park

The latest plat will include the construction of 41 single-family residential lots, according to city documents.
This phase is approximately 21 acres of the 105 total acres comprising Section 5. The average lot size is 18,982 square feet and the average lot width is 100 feet, according to the city.

Vice Mayor Christina McElfresh called the latest legislation the “bow on the end of the package.”

She said the subdivision is filled with “proud ownership.”

Now, she said, the city needs to find the “correct balance” of residential properties and commercial and industrial companies to be located near the subdivision.

“We have to get that right,” she said a day after the meeting.

She said Monroe is experiencing “growing pains” and isn’t the same city it was when she moved there 20 years ago, and it won’t be the same in another 20 years.

The city must grow at a rate that doesn’t overwhelm city services, infrastructure and the school system, city officials have said.

McElfresh, a Realtor, said Monroe is a desirable place to live because of its city services, safe communities, quality schools and easy access to Ohio 63, Ohio 4 and Interstate 75.

“Location, location, location,” she said. “We want to keep that vibe and continue to be the place where people want to live.”

This story originally appeared on journal-news.com .

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