An independent traffic study of the Copley Township area where a Walmart/Sam’s Club complex has been proposed suggests that traffic could more than double north of the stores if Fairlawn proceeds with plans to limit access to Rothrock Road to the south.The Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, a neutral regional planning group, said the gate system and partial closing proposed for Rothrock Road would force significant traffic to weave in and around main roads and side streets, including Cleveland-Massillon Road, Brookwall and Springside drives and Rothrock Loop.Walmart wants to relocate from Fairlawn to neighboring Copley Township and build a supercenter full-line grocery store and a new Sam’s Club with gas pumps. The proposed site is on 40 acres of vacant land on the northern portion of Rothrock Road.According to AMATS,
Rothrock Road carries an average of 4,370 vehicles a day.The study suggests that limiting access to residents only will reduce traffic to about 500, forcing thousands of others to find another route.Rothrock Road is already used for access to such stores as Sherwin-Williams, HH Gregg and Best Buy, and to a plaza that is home to Home Depot, Levin Furniture and J.C. Penney.“But regardless of whether Rothrock Road is closed or remains open, the intensive commercial development is likely to cause serious traffic problems without key infrastructure improvements,” the study said.Traffic in the Montrose area is expected to increase by about 10,000 vehicles on weekdays, 12,280 on Saturdays and 8,460 on Sundays if the Walmart complex is constructed, according to AMATS estimates.Developer Larry Levey submitted a plan to help relieve anticipated traffic with the addition of roundabouts, a traffic light and the widening of Springside Drive. The county engineer has not yet approved the plan. The plan was made before Fairlawn passed two ordinances to close portions of Rothrock Road to the public.The AMATS group looked at three scenarios in its traffic study, all of which took into account the earlier closing of Rosemont Boulevard:1. Rothrock Road remains open and the Walmart/Sam’s Club development is not built. 2. Rothrock Road is closed and the Walmart/Sam’s Club is not built.3. Rothrock Road is closed and the Walmart/Sam’s Club development is built.The first scenario concluded that although some intersections such as Cleveland-Massillon Road and state Route 18 are congested during peak travel times, traffic generally flows fairly well with Rothrock Road open.If the Rothrock Road gate system is installed but the development is not built,
AMATS says about 1,575 vehicles will be displaced. They will have to either use Cleveland-Massillon Road or follow Interstate 77 around Montrose, adding vehicles to the already congested I-77/state Route 18 interchange.Rothrock Road traffic would decrease by about 90 percent around the gate.If the road is closed to through traffic and the Walmart complex is built, access to the area for the several thousand additional vehicles would be limited to the north.The analysis concludes that although the closing of
Rothrock Road would reduce traffic in the residential segment of Rothrock, residents and other motorists would still face the consequences of deteriorating traffic conditions.“Although residents would view the closing of the road as a victory, we have to look at the big picture. There is no way to please everyone. It has been a delicate issue no matter what,” said Nate Brugler of AMATS. “Both sides say the study is a fair assessment and there were no surprises. We make studies when there are two or more communities affected. We offer input to get the communities talking.”The study will most likely be a talking point in court.Copley Township has sued the city of Fairlawn (and Summit County Executive Russ Pry) over the road closing in Summit County Common Pleas Court. Attorneys for Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs LLP, which represents developer Larry Levey and LRC Development Co., a group of independent investors, have threatened legal action as well.Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.