Alliance: JEDD will impede development
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 7:14 PM
By EVAN BROOKS
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Two members of the Fairfield 33 Development Alliance made their opinions clear Monday about the Northwest Fairfield County 33 Joint Economic Development District: They don't like it.
Fairfield County development director Bill Arnett and Realtor Carl Heister, a member of the alliance's marketing committee, told Canal Winchester Village Council that establishing a JEDD will impede development in the Route 33 corridor, not help it.
Canal Winchester, Pickerington, Lancaster and Bloom and Violet townships have participated in developing the JEDD agreement over the past two years. It was recently approved by Violet Township trustees but not approved by Bloom Township trustees.
The JEDD is meant to establish a mile-wide business district along U.S. 33 from the village of Carroll to Diley Road.
Arnett likened the JEDD to a man taking a hammer from a toolbox to bang the walls of his house: Without a picture to hang, his banging is futile.
''From my point of view, this is not about development,'' Arnett said. ''I think it's difficult to craft a JEDD without a need. The current JEDD contract will make it difficult to obtain investments.''
Village law director Gene Hollins noted that the JEDD was created to bring potential competitors together to help create more investment in the northwest U.S. 33 corridor.
Councilman Bruce Jarvis said the JEDD was created with the acceptance of all parties in mind. Now that Bloom Township trustees have voted against it, the whole idea of the district has come ''unraveled,'' he said.
''Fairfield County was noticeably absent from (JEDD) discussions, but we appreciate your comments,'' Jarvis said to Arnett.
Hollins added that he thinks the JEDD would be unsuccessful without support from Fairfield County.
Arnett said the JEDD would also compete with the Fairfield 33 Development Alliance, which has just recently hired a marketing firm to begin creating a Web site and logo.
''The Fairfield 33 Development Alliance is so much further along in every step of the way,'' Canal Winchester Mayor Mike Ebert said. ''The way I see it, we don't have anything to gain (from the JEDD) anyways.''
Ebert added that Canal Winchester owns no property in the proposed JEDD area.
Carl Heister, HER Realtor and marketing committee member of the Fairfield 33 Development Alliance, said the 2-percent income tax proposed for aspiring developers in the JEDD would deter investment.
''Us having a 2-percent income tax doesn't seem to have slowed down our good, well-planned development,'' Hollins said later in the meeting.
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