Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

TWP zoning densities

Brian

When I started this web site, one of the first things I posted on the our pages section was a listing of the zoning densities in Violet Township. (Recent Trends in Single Family Zoning in Violet Township) Scroll down to the left to the very last ''our pages posting'' click on it and it will give you some excellent numbers.

I also provided this list to city council members at a council meeting in December 1999 when they first passed the ''emergency'' ordinace pre- annexation agreement on the Diley Farm property assigning an R-4 zoning classification. I spoke to council stating that I believed the density they were allowing was too high. Additionally, we did an extensive analysis on this annexation which is also posted under Diley Associates items on ''Our Pages'' just above the density numbers and compared it to development if it was to build out under Township zoning.

The city continues to provide inaccurate information stating that they zone annexed property to the same density as Township zoning classifications and developments. That is flat not true and has been proven in writing on many occasions.

They also claim that if their densities are higher, they are only slightly higher which is also untrue. An example: The numbers may be 1.89 per acre in the Township (which is higher than most they rezone) and 2.5 per acre in the city. If you take this seemingly small difference in numbers and spread it out over the thousands of acres that are now planned to become single family rooftop acres, it adds up to hundreds of more homes PER CITY PROJECT versus Township project, and that folks, will hit us right in the School Levy Wallet each and every day for the next 30 or more years.

TWP densities cont'd

It is time to level the playing field. The annexations in the Northern part of the Township were zoned and platted according to Township zoning except for the Condos Mr Berry wants to build. We did not plan PR-10 apartments (Berry)next to the new High School. I believe the developers only annexed to the city to get the tap fee reductions and other incentives the city provides to them, which will add millions of dollars to their profit. That is the only main reason they annexed..period. On the David Ruma Virginia Homes (Wellington Park on Milnor Road) property the city played a little hardball with the developer. The Western Edge of his property sits next to a 9 acre parcel in the city on SR 256 which has been planned for apartments. Ruma needed an access road here from his property to 256. The city said to him... annex or no road. This lack of road connection would have made the condo portion of his plan fail. The condo portion was added at citizen suggestion since it was going to abut a planned apartment area and the addition of the 2 bedroom condos lessened the impact on the schools. He eliminated over 100 single family homes in this change to his plan. This reduced the impact on our schools by over 100 children.

You see, in the Township, the developers have to go to a zoning hearing and present a detailed plan to the community BEFORE a zoning is granted. This gives the community an opportunity to have a voice in what the development will look like and many changes have occured in many developments which are positive because of this process. I have served on several citizen commitees which discussed these changes with the developers. The zoning board backed the citizen's viewpoints and have allowed the process to improve the quality of the developments that now occur in the Township.

The city sets the zoning in pre-annexation agreements BEFORE any public input. Mrs. Bushman, the Mayor and maybe one or two council members and the planning and zoning staff make the deal with the developer and present it to council for what has become the rubber stamp. In fact, they do not even have a decent layout of the developments in SOME CASES before they choose the zoning classification they put in the pre-annexation agreements! They also allow higher density zoning classifications tahn the number of homes they really want stating that they will not approve any more homes than the lower number that they choose. My view is that once the developer gets his zoning classification, allowing 4 homes per acre, he may he promise the city to build only 2.5 homes per acre. Well, the economy changes and all of a sudden this developer wants to now build 4 homes per acre because that is what the market will support. The city says No. W I believe the developer could sue the city for his right to utlilize the maximum allowed number of homes the aoning allows because they granted him a zoning classification for 4 homes per acre, regardless of his promises! This has not happened yet, but there will be somebody who pushes that button in the future.

Hold Their Feet to the FIRE

Brian,


As you can see there have been numerous citizens out in the Township that have stepped forward and held the Township Trustee?’s feet to the fire when it comes to these zoning issues. Unfortunately we have also burnt out some very talented people with this constant running to the voters with petitions. Lisa Ross has been a leader in this area and I hope she continues her work. I have heard that there are some that have already given up and are planning to move away. No matter how many facts these elected leaders have they still ignore their own citizens and provide false information to the voters just to keep their positions of power. This hold true for not only our Pickerington City Government but also the PLSD. The Township government is kept in check with the constant watchful eyes of the Township residents.

I talked with a lady last night who moved to Pickerington in 1969. Her children all live in the area and she told me that when they first moved here and attended a few council meetings if you complained you were asked to leave. It might give you all some insight on how we got here. Instead of walking away from the political problems it is time to stand up to them. It is time for CHANGE!

Lisa Ross pointed out some documentation of zoning issues on this WEB site. Please also note who donated money to the current Pickerington Government for their election campaigns, it is also in the pages to your left. Do you think that our Pickerington City Council members are the least bit influenced by donations of the city engineer, local builders who do business with the city regularly? Is it time for a financial disclosure ordinance?


What is their motivation? Why are they so afraid of letting the Pickerington voter decide their own fate in these zoning issues?


Brian, please continue to ask your questions. Much of what you see here on this WEB site is public information; it contains very little opinion except in this discussion page. I doubt we will agree on every subject, but I do believe the vast majority in this community what less residential and more commercial. YOU MUST STAY ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!

intelligent discussion 1.

Brian,

I would love to have an intelligent conversation regarding the multiple questions and points you have posed. I?’ll begin with what history I have been able to uncover, Township, Village ?– later City, realized then late mythical threats, and the general state of affairs in our greater community.

To understand the whole, it is important to study the past. In about 1960 our area was mostly rural farms and there was a perceived concern of the urbanization of a Columbus threat for this geography. A popular vote was taken by the residents of that time to zone everything (Township) to residential land use. In so doing the ?“threat?” of becoming inundated with ?“smoke stack?” industries was thwarted. Columbus then proceeded in a mammoth expansion of sewer & water infrastructure undertaking and with it contractually signed up outlying communities with terms that would continue to let the City of Columbus grow. Outlying communities couldn?’t fund the infrastructure and were all too willing to sign up for what was termed as a win-win situation. Well win-win metastasized into Columbus wins (along with it?’s denser zoning) and the satellite communities loose. The Pickerington area, for the most part was able to avoid getting sucked up into the win-win, yet our school district was not able to completely protect it?’s borders to the west. Columbus zoning was latter implemented in the Tussing ?– Hines Road area. With our community?’s (Township & Village) zoning of everything residential we began the ?“myopic?” road toward suburbia. Live here ?– work there was the ?“solution?”. Now you need to understand that Pickerington is not Upper Arlington, Bexley, Worthington, or others ?– we are a potential 35 square miles of nothing but residential units. And that is a heck of a lot of homes, children and load for the ?“live here?’s?” to afford in school costs, roads, safety services, etc. with no supporting commercial tax base.

In the 70?’s our local sewer & water fights really began cooking. The Village of Pickerington was ?“stuck?” trying to expand residentially by limits on sewer & water services. Local services were poor and actually limited residential building. Village officials played both sides (Columbus & Fairfield County) against one another and later came out with their own municipal services.

The 80?’s (better know as the ME decade) saw growth, as services were available and NO one tackled the consequences of residential land use without balancing commercial land uses. I can make a buck selling my agricultural land to a residential developer and move out of the mess created.