Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Let me first of all say that I am not associated with the building industry in any way. I think they?’ve gotten off far too easy and they?’ve taken too much from our community and it?’s time for them to start giving instead of just taking. In fact take a look at central OH as a whole. We are not much different than any other school district and the problems being faced. A lot of that can be attributed to uncontrolled residential growth.

One thing mentioned in a prior posting about stopping growth was that our tax base sucks. No doubt about that. So more commercial is needed, correct? We are NEVER going to be a Dublin with the businesses they?’ve attracted ?– we have to accept that. We may be able to get other types of commercial industry in here but we have to be realistic.

So the grand plan now is to stop housing completely and embarrass the BIA and every homebuilder we can? Let?’s think about this for a minute. Who is going to want to locate their industry in a town where growth has stopped? Who is going to want to locate their business where the city government or school district has made national headlines for attacking a business or tried to punish them by boycotting their supporters?

So the city stops the sewer plant and housing stops, along with commercial because there isn?’t anywhere to send the sewage. How does that help the tax-base? How about the township? What?’s going to stop the township from building more homes since they?’ve already got plenty of capacity now with their recent expansion? What is the cost of tying the city and county sewer systems together as proposed? How much more construction would be required to do something like that? Who?’s going to foot the bill for tying these systems together? Who?’s going to stop the other townships that resided within PLSD from building houses? The builders are going to sell homes in PLSD ?– it is still a huge selling point ?– they will find a way ?– whether it is in Violet Township, Pickerington City, or some other Township. So we can force the building to go somewhere else were we have no control, or we can try to ?‘persuade?’ the builders to contribute more to the schools than they have in the past.

The city does have some lawsuits in front of them right now about the moratorium and the 2 homes per acre. The ugly fact is that they could get their butt handed to them by the courts. Most people want to pay less in taxes, not wait in traffic all day long, maintain the value of their homes and have a quality school system. That is going to take cooperation on all levels of government and real ideas; it may even take working with the building industry.

An all out ban on houses is a passionate, popular theme but it won?’t solve anything-long term, not unless all the land within PLSD is under the same restrictions. Unless you?’re wearing blinders you know that isn?’t feasible.

Get in front of your elected officials ?– city, township and school district. Tell them your ideas ?– offer to get involved. Offer solutions and real ideas. The schools and the city have new officials. Let?’s see if they?’ll live up to their promises of a new more open government.

While I agree no more homes sounds good on the surface I don't think it is truly a workable solution.

By Managed growth

Rebuttal to Sports

Now about sports:

I agree FAR too much emphasis is placed on sports, however pay-to-play is NOT just about sports ?– it is about band, and choral and the chess club. And blaming the media for the over emphasis on sports is laughable. Where were you during the OSU 2002 championship game, the last Super bowl or World Series? Were you at the game or watching from home or were you at a library, a Play, a Concert? I am not a sports fanatic. I go to 1 or 2 Pickerington games a year and watch maybe 1 OSU football game the entire season.

I dread OSU football season however I accept the fact that it is important to some people, no matter how much I think it is a waste of a Saturday afternoon.

Pay to play is emphasized because the reality is that the public has spoken and sports are an important part of our lives. Sports are leading the list in the media regarding pay to play but it affects far more than athletics. Sports may not personally be that important to you but as a whole they are considered worthwhile. If sports weren?’t a priority then I doubt the PASA and PYAA fields would be jammed every weekend in the spring and summer like they are now.

I?’m not sure how banning the media because they are over-emphasizing sports is going to work into your proposal for getting into all the newspapers and trashing the BIA and builders.



By Managed growth

Dear Managed Growth 1

Regarding your posting of Rebuttal to Zero Growth I think we have some common ground and I believe that we have some very uncommon ground.

First, we agree that the builders and developers have gotten away with far too much and given little to nothing back to this community. In their zeal to profit they have damaged everyone?….. the PLSD, the City, the Township

Second, I concur that they (the BIA) have done this in all of Central Ohio?…. and likely other parts of the state where the public hasn?’t established the desire, will, and determination to be visionary and participatory in defining their community?’s destiny. However I am hopeful knowing that other communities have stemmed this builder onslaught?…?… and I believe we need to also.

Third, we are not Dublin?….. where did I say we were? I agree that we have to be realistic?…?… however I believe we are very much behind the curve in commercial or industrial development. Let?’s face facts?…?… we haven?’t even established any land or zoned for commercial development, of significance, within the PLSD?….. that?’s appalling. Show me the Commercial Park, Business Park, or Industrial Park here. Nothing gets off the ground until the zoning is established.

Next you go on to the tried and true defense of looking everywhere while focusing nowhere. I believe in my earlier posting I mentioned status quo won?’t do, right? You parrot the Gray, Hughes, Postage, Bushman, old City Council ?….. and coincidentally BIA lines of the development will go elsewhere.

So let?’s focus.

Can we agree that the previous City Council?’s, Mayor?’s, Manager opened the floodgates and approved 2,000 or more lots recently?
Can we agree that the builders went nuts in the last year and snaked through 600 home building permits in the City alone?
Can we agree that approximately 300 homes of last year?’s glut remain as unoccupied in the City? Is this not roughly over a one year normal additional load on our schools? ?….. a per year load increase I feel is still too high for the health of the PLSD?….. If so, the City has a one year tax base cushion built into any real moratorium when they occupy these homes with the tax increases of property & income taxes get realized with occupancy.

So of the various zoning, permitting entities it seems reasonable to conclude that the City of Pickerington presently represents the far greater damaging potential to the PLSD?….. if you disagree show me the Columbus, Violet Township, Reynoldsburg, Canal Winchester, Liberty Township, Baltimore,?…?…?… or other entity that presents the greater or equal threat to over populating the PLSD to the extent of the City of Pickerington. Not the lame history figures?….. the past is the past. Not the land mass figures?…?…?…. those acres don?’t have the plats already approved.

Now if we can get this far by facing the facts?…?…. doesn?’t it make sense to put the efforts to correct this mess at the greatest threat and work backwards to the least threat? After all if you got someone in lets say Baltimore ?…?…?… which might only add 10 houses in two years to agree to slow them down ?…?…. it would be a spit in the bucket to another 800, 1000, or 2,000 in the City of Pickerington.


Am I disgusted with this excuse so that the process never starts?…?…YES.
Do I agree that to be fair all entities need to cooperate?…?… YES.
Do I believe that it is important to begin with the largest threat?…?….YES.

Summation of this point:

Get started now or we all get buried.


By also concerned

Dear Managed Growth 2

Continuing to your points within Rebuttal to Zero Growth I believe that you are being unrealistic, over dramatic, assuming, and under informed when you continue to make the generalization that a moratorium is ZERO GROWTH. I will list the facts that I?’m aware of to make my case?…?…. and state that nowhere in my previous posting did I ever say ZERO GROWTH.

Facts:

I?’ve already pointed out that the City of Pickerington has approximately 300 homes left to occupy?…?….. that?’s not Zero Growth and not something any moratorium will impact.
The United States Supreme Court has determined in their Tahoe ruling that moratoriums are legal with the following conditions?…?…. they can only be for a limited time?…?… they must be for a legitimate, identifiable reason?…?….. that?’s not unreasonable via the decision of the highest court in the land.
The Ohio Attorney General has affirmed a position that moratoriums are legal in Ohio when there is an identifiable reason of services.

Opinion:

Can we have a moratorium forever?…?…. don?’t be ridiculous.
Can we utilize the wisdom of the United States Supreme Court and the Ohio Attorney General ?…?…. in conjunction with the documentation that our current sewage handling is not adequate to the regions needs to institute a moratorium ?…?… I believe so.
During the limited time of a moratorium can the governing entities in the region develop a much needed cooperative growth approach?…?… I would hope so.
You complain that the cost of cooperative lines in the area for Pickerington and Fairfield County Utilities ?….. could be too much?…?… compared to another millions of dollars plant expansion?…?… when the last expansion isn?’t yet paid for?….. I doubt your financial conclusion. Please provide your documentation.


Questions for you ?– Managed Growth:

Managed Growth can be a nice catchy phrase. I would appreciate your definition?…?… is it ?“X?” number of homes per year? A certain percentage?….. if so based on what?
Managed Growth has been the buzz phrase of many?…?….. but like the phrase quality?….. without definition it?’s virtually meaningless.
How do you propose to justify your level of managed growth ?…?…. without a system that would stand up to a developer legal challenge?…?…. like those already outlined by the Supreme Court or Attorney General via moratorium?


Further opinion?…..questions:


You conclude that no business would move here with your zero growth rhetoric?….. could it then equally go to say that no business would move here if we?’ve clogged our roads with commuters leaving town? ?…?… could it equally be determined that no business would move here under the tax burden to support nothing but continual school bonds?
Do you conclude that businesses don?’t want a well educated, above average, work pool of potential employees?


By also concerned