BEAVERCREEK — Beavercreek Township in Greene County was formalized in the 1800s. For many years the Township was a rural farming community with schools, police and a volunteer fire department.
Government was as-dictated by the Ohio Revised Code for townships. In mid-1900 the area started attracting residents from Montgomery County where factory jobs had been created to support a variety of industries such as cars, cash registers, small machinery, etc.
For many years military activities and related jobs were at Wrigh-Patterson Air Force Base. Housing developments in Beavercreek started to be built along the main roads such as Dayton-Xenia, Patterson and Indian Ripple. The completion of the current US Route 35 through Beavercreek gave easy access to the jobs in Dayton and aided the growth of Beavercreek.
For a long time the township was considered by the newcomers as a bedroom community where people settled to raise a family. Jobs, shopping, medical services, and higher educational needs required a trip elsewhere. Early residential developments required a water well and a septic tank for each dwelling dictating lots to be typically a half acre. Street curbs and sidewalks were not required. This was typical in townships. The fire department was mostly volunteer while the police were a mixture of full-time, part-time and volunteers.
At that time there was not a City of Beavercreek. The city was formally approved by the state in 1980. Details of the effort toward incorporation of the city can be found in a recent publication (2017) by Dave Shumway, “Birth of a City.”
In the 1950s Greene County officials and the leaders of the township recognized the obvious continuous growth and started planning for the future. Water and sewer services were identified a critical needs for continued growth and in 1960 a county owned wastewater treatment plan was under construction on Factory Road just south of US Route 35 on the Beaver Creek. It was situated to serve areas to the north that has higher elevation — major sewer lines were extended north along Beaver Valley.
At this same time there was an increasing demand for housing in the Dayton area and development in Montgomery County was reaching the county line. Starting in the late 1950s new housing developments started to populate the area of Beavercreek Township east of North Fairfield Road (then Fairfield-Bellbrook Road) extending east about a mile and bordered on the north by what is now Interstate 675 and on the south extending less than a mile south of Kemp Road. In this area there were seven significant residential plats.
Each plat had similar problems of zoning and code enforcement. Another major problem was new developments that were potentially incompatible with existing housing subdivisions such as commercial and multi-family. Recognizing the need to develop a unified position on such matters, leaders in each plat agreed to form a neighborhood organization.
Thus, the birth of the North Beavercreek Neighborhood Association Inc. which represented a significant voice in the community, approximately 800 homes. Formal legal papers were obtained from the state in 1971. Member families paid dues and a newsletter was regularly distributed to all homes which numbered approximately 800. The purpose of the association was to promote general welfare, provide leadership on issues and problems, and support legislation for resident’s benefit.
Since Wartinger Park was within the area encompassing NBNA, the Association supported the park. Support included volunteer workers and financial support. One of the earliest newsletters talked about lanterns that NBNA provided.
The issues that consumed the most effort were those involving the retail/commercial development along North Fairfield. When that development was defined, approved and built, the concerns of the families diminished. There were few sizable contiguous areas to develop. The area had become a city with professional planning and enforcement capabilities .
The area of the NBNA was not the only area experiencing residential growth. Residential plats were being developed throughout the eastern portion of the township close to the county line. Many of the homeowners in these areas had the same concerns as those of NBNA residents.
Other neighborhood associations were formed. On several occasions they combined to address city-wide issues such as centralized water. The county intended to assume control of all water sources in the city with projected rates that were considered excessive. This resulted in a combined organization named Water Rates Are Too High (WRATH).
A number of the leaders of the NBNA became active in city government serving as board, commission, and council members.
At this time, 2017, the remaining association elected members decided the work of NBNA is completed and to make a final gesture to the support of Wartinger Park by donating the remaining treasury funds to the City Park District, to be used in the park. The letter from the State of Ohio officially dissolving the association is dated March 17, 2017.
