PIQUA, Ohio -- Edward Burge, of Piqua, labled a sexually oriented offender, said his attorney will appeal a judge's order that he has 30 days to move from his apartment in the Shawnee area of Piqua because he lives too close to school property.

Ohio law prohibits sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of schools.

The question that Burge has is whether the law means 1,000 feet by way the crow walks or flies.

Burge lives 954 feet from a fieldhouse and soccer stadium owned by the Piqua school district. To get to that complex from Burge's apartment he would have to swim, wade or boat across the Great Miami River.

Miami County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Lindeman, in a six-page decision, wrote: "The phrase 'within 1,000 feet' is construed to simply be delineation of distance between two points, which, at its shortest, is a straight line. Thus, it does not require the Court to consider if a straight line is navigable or consider houses, shrubs, or other obstacles which may impact traveling in a straight line between the two points."

To walk across a bridge to get the the stadium and fieldhouse the distance is 2,275 feet.

The appeal could take up to a year.

Steve.Baker@WHIOTV.com