Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

SOME VERY INTERESTING READING IN TODAYS DISPATCH (TUES. 25 FEB. 03) PAGE B9 HEADING VOTERS WILL DECIDE DEVELOPMENTS FATE. APPEARS THAT TWSP. DECISIONS CAN BE CHALLENEGED BY REFERENDUMS. THIS IS TAKING PLACE IN KINGSTON TWNS. IN DELAWARE OH. IT WILL BVE VERY INTERESTING HOW THIS PANS OUT
THANK YOU
BRUCE ROOKSTOOL

Referendum always an option

In our current Violet Township government configurartion, referendum is always an option because the Trustees do not have the ability to pass any measure via an emergency declaration such as is routinely done in the City of Pickerington.

Citizens threatened referendum on the Ashley Creek development in Violet Twp when the developer, then Donley Homes, who had the option to develop the land, wanted to place 48 condos on the property in addition to single family homes with a density over two homes per acre. Donley won approval for the zoning change plan from the Violet Twonship zoning board, despite strong citizen opposition to the plan. Citizens then threatened the referendum if the Trustees approved the plan.

Considering this threat, Donley considered its options and decided to back out of the purchase contract for the land instead of trying to do anything against community will and the zoning change plan never reached the trustees. The Edwards Land Company then had the option for the land and negotiated with community groups to develop something that was a compromise proposal, the density of the homes in this development is now 1.67 per acre as approved by the zoning board and trustees. Donley ended up buying the majority of the lots from the Edwards Land Company and they built homes in Ashley Creek along with DiYanni homes. The development contains three park areas, a 7.5 acre wooded reserve area, a tennis court and playground equipment for community use.

The original Donley plan was all homes or Condos with NO greenspace or parks.