Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

My Opinion

Pickerington City and Violet Township officials should get together (AND AGREE) regarding planning and zoning within our community. What is wrong with mutual zoning regulations? The Township calls it an orange and the City calls it an apple. And one is an orange and the other is a watermelon.

How about something that means what it means?

(Streets, sidewalks, parks, and easements do not count in the equation)

R1 - Developer can build one residential unit per acre = 43,560 square feet per lot
R2 - Developer can build two of the above = 21,780 square feet per lot
R3 - Developer can build three of the above = etc?… *Voters should approve this zoning. *
R4 - Developer can build four of the above = etc?… *Voters should approve this zoning/rezoning *
PR-WHATEVER - Developer can build as many units that will fit on each acre?… *Voters should approve this zoning/rezoning*

Apartments should not be considered COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, regardless of location

Pickerington and Violet Township officials have negotiated before and for one reason or another talks were halted.

How can the Village of Canal Winchester hold a negotiation with Violet Township and ultimately come to an agreement regarding a CEDA, then Pickerington can not do the same? Obviously some animosity exists between the governing authorities within our community. I say GROW UP! Quit bickering about who has, and who has not done what! Go sit down and work it out publicly. Make our community a better place for everyone.

I also find it troublesome that the PLSD Board of education does not speak out publicly regarding the overcrowding in our schools. How much does each porta-class cost? Are newly proposed portables figured in the budget? If so, why were they figured into the budget? Does the board discuss the impact of new housing on the district? Is there a market for the portables once the district is finished using them? Once the district is ?“built out?” & ?“aged?” the portables will be for sale? Once again, How much did each portable cost and what is the resale?

To the City of Pickerington: Can we expect cooperation soon?

To the Township of Violet: How about a CEDA or JEDC with Pickerington?

To the PLSD: Should the taxpayers expect a school levy soon?

Thanks,

Tim Bryant


By Tim Bryant

Opinion Shared - pt.1

While your opinion is shared by many in the community, you must understand that it is not shared by all. The people most needing to share your opinion in more than press releases and publicity statements, are the City Manager, the Mayor and the City Council (henceforth called the Triad of Power). Since you appear to be a very informed individual, you undoubtedly see, as the rest of us do, that their actions do not support their words. It is more than fruit comparisons and more than zoning decisions. It is about their insatiable thirst for power.

You can?’t imagine how embarrassing it was for the Mayor to approach the Township residents with his proposal to merge. It was his, and his trusted advisor?’s opinions that the Township residents couldn?’t possibly refuse such a generous offer.

Or was it?

What better ammunition for the Triad of Power? They can forever play off the overwhelming rejection of their offer as they continue to annex acre by acre, farm by farm, parcel by parcel, the entire Township. How could victory be sweeter than to take land from the very landowners that rejected them? Oh sure, some of the landowners approach the City for annexation. But ALL? No, I don?’t think so. There are landowners, probably fearing to come forward, that have been approached by the Triad or one of their trusted agents proposing annexation. Those proposals ultimately end in several ways; one being hostile annexation and another being balloon and string annexation.

Well, I?’m preaching to the choir here. By your questions, you are informed and you certainly see the handwriting on the walls. If such a document exists, I?’m sure the City has a comprehensive land use plan that shows every acre of the Township annexed to the City and covered in houses, apartments and condominiums. There is no hope to have a Violet Township within the next 10 years.

How can the Township and Canal reach an agreement? The answer is simple. They desire to attain the same goals. Balanced and controlled residential/commercial development. The City has no such goals. Period! Their emergency legislation and their behind closed doors meetings and agreements prove that. When is someone going to publicly come out with the exact figures and their classifications showing us the true commercial/residential ratio and the benefits to the City and schools? All we get is smoke and mirrors. Show us exactly how much the new Drug World and all the new Fitness Centers will benefit us City residents and the Schools. EXACTLY! To the penny. Convince me with data that this continued questionable, at best, quasi-commercial development brings in to the City. Sort out the condos and apartments and give us the numbers again. Don?’t forget to quantify the numbers when you are saying that the Township has a 27:1 residential development with the fact that as soon as commercial development is begun in the Township, the City annexes it away.


By Maverick

Opinion Shared - pt.2

Some School board members do speak out against not just the overcrowding, but the root cause of it. They also speak out about a number of other issues affecting the taxpayers and most importantly, the children. However, those that are speaking out are in the minority of the Board. They, unlike the majority of the Board and the School Administration, are not in bed with the Triad. They don?’t sit idly by while the Triad places an almost unbearable burden on the District. No, they speak out. Time and again they speak out, but they are attacked by their peers for it. What they have to say is summarily discounted because it does not reflect the majority opinion. You read it in the papers when an astute reporter documents the meeting. You?’ll see it in person if you attend the meetings. Body language, rude behavior and the like are what the majority of the Board displays and what is approved by vote.

Don?’t think the overcrowding is the only issue facing the District. Look at the benchmarks that the District is rated by. Are they tough, challenging and stringent standards? Or are they simply the minimum standards? If we?’re ?“that darned good?”, then let?’s establish new standards and challenge the State and other high performing Districts to match them. Call it a friendly challenge among Superintendents. Look at the power block in the District represented by the Athletic Boosters. I hope the Boosters don?’t take this as an attack, for that is not the intention. The Boosters are an invaluable asset to both the Community and the District. However, as a voting block they are over 3,000 strong. You understand that to remain a Division I school, a certain student population has to be maintained, right? That is a whole other can of worms that I don?’t have space here for.

I?’ll close with the answer to your last question. Absolutely, the taxpayers should expect another levy soon. How does next May grab you. There is a renewal levy that needs to be addressed at that time and at least 2 more levy issues will be on the table before November. They might not both be on the ballot, unless they are combined (remember $77 million dollars), but they will both at least be a subject of discussion by then. Don?’t believe me? Just attend the next Junior/Senior High Boundary meeting this Thursday at the Junior High at 7:00 and ask around.


By Maverick

Change in 23 months

Tim

The city will never work with or cooperate with the other local governments. This constant war with the township only helps them when they go to the developers to ask them to annex into Pickerington. If they did what you said we would have controlled residential growth and an industrial park already here. They don?’t care about the citizens and the taxpayers in the school district. They are there to only serve the local residential developers.

The only way to change how this city does business is to change the city government. Starting with the firing of Joyce Bushman. Then elect a new mayor and three new councilpersons. We will have that opportunity in 23 months. Start working on it now. Attend council meetings, find and recruit council candidates. And let everyone know the truth about how things are.


By Dr. Pepper