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Pike Possible Probation Center Home?
(posted Apr 25)
Wayne Township Trustee David Baird intends on fighting to regain his lost
opportunity of having a traffic court in Wayne Township. During the April
24 Westside Neighborhood Association meeting, Baird expressed his dissatisfaction
over the latest proposal to open the traffic court and juvenile center
in the vacant Value City store in Pike Township.
Baird is disgruntled because it was mostly Pike Township residents, business
leaders and government officials that remonstrated over moving the existing
probation center from 3500 Lafayette Road to 3733 Commercial Drive in Wayne
Township, in addition to adding a traffic court and juvenile center in
the same building. Community leaders were initially thrilled with the idea
of the traffic court coming to the area, but chilled when they found out
the probation center was moving in as well.
City County Councilor Maggie Lewis and Lafayette Square Area Coalition President Mary Clark spoke out against the proposal, saying the probation office would ruin efforts to revitalize the Lafayette Square Area.
Baird said "When we went back through the testimony, Eagledale was
there and they didn't really have a problem with it. I don't feel that
Wayne Township representation had a problem with it. It is a necessary
entity. We already have a portion of it already here. What I am saying
to you is though I don't like the idea of another township saying what
they don't like in this township, but 'Oh by the way' we want to move it
in our township."
Baird said his allegiance is to Wayne Township and to bring services to
the township. He wants to see the vacant spaces filled. Baird's desire
is for his office to lease the space and then sublease it to the traffic
court. The lease money then would fund Wayne Township Trustee programs
so more services can be provided to the residents.
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