Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

NIMBY

thanks joycie, all that land is surrounded by homes...thanks to the 1999/2000 crew. NIMBY BIG TIME

NIMBY & Spot Zoning


For the majority of us going out and buying a home is the biggest investment in our life time. This home is our castle and we will defend to the death, so to speak. Many times we move into an area and find that dream home and we never notice the vacant lot or the vacant field directly behind the house. Of course the first question to the realtor is what will go in there? That is if we think to ask that question. Then no sooner do we move in, we find out that the land behind us is zone commercial and we become enraged at thought of anything of commercial value being developed that close to our house.

The above scenario occurs common place all over this nation. What is even worse is that here in Violet Township you move in and the property directly behind you is zoned residential (you feel safe) and then the trustees get an zoning application and zone the property for commercial use. It has happened with the Sheffield sub-division and it has happened twice now on Busey Road. The trustees are not using any kind of expert study to determine if the properties in questions should have a zoning change and they surly are not listening to the affected residents. When I questioned the trustees about that zoning and the issues involved for the near by residents I was told they didn?’t know what they were talking about.

One way to help ease into what is placed where and how it is zoned, is to pay for and conduct a development study. Currently Pickerington is conducting that development study for the Diley Road corridor. I believe the cost for that study will come in around $35,000. Once they complete that study it will be opened to the public. This will enable the council and the consultants to judge public reaction and to make changes if necessary to help satisfy any concerns that will surly come in from the close neighbors and the public in general.

One of my criticisms over the years has been we never planned anything and ignored the land use plan and made changes on the fly. Clearly that is occurring in the township at this very moment. These development plans help ease the understanding of the residents and it gives a level of security to potential commercial developers. If the city remains committed to the plan then they reduce the risks for the commercial developer. This in turn and on its own encourages the desired development in any given area of the city. I believe this is a vital part of any city?’s planning and it should never be ignored or skipped.

According the Bloom Township Attorney, John Albers, he claims that a development plan is required for a JEDD. I know with other JEDDs I see that they do make provisions for a development study. I read in the JEDD of Northern Pickaway County that they are all sharing the cost of that study and future plan. The JEDD on the table here between the five parties being discussed has NO provisions for any study and if they did they have no provisions for who will pay for it.

Merely saying we will take care of this later only adds to my mis-trust of this agreement. I feel like the city is a bear walking through the woods and it is about to step on some fresh leaves left there by the trustees. Under the leaves is a BEAR TRAP.

Living in the past

jeffie, it's your turn now. Stand up and zone it commercial. Some of it's within the city's taxing authority and the other parts could be annexed. But oh I'm sorry. I forgot. You don't have the male fortitude to annex. Where's the line in the sand? Busey road? Will everything be residential to that point? The commercial has to start somewhere. You'll have to check with the trustees and kiss their aa, I mean rings. They'll want a piece of the pie though. Like the 3 acre JEDD. Let us residents pay for sewer plants and water plants, then give them a signifigant portion of the tax money for a dump truck with a snow plow. Puh-lease... Show some stones and start acting like a man. Or sooner than you think, the postings will be it was the mistakes of the 2007/2008 crew.

By It's your turn, Jeff

I Guess that was my point

When I said where, the choices were areas where the local residents are going to fight tooth and nail against it because it is in their backyard. Similar to the expansion of Diley Road. The only other choice is annexing, which means it's not in the city now. As to my original question, per the posting I referenced, where in the city is all this area we can develop?