December 30, 2004

Council ponders makeup of community dialogue

By Robert Mihalek

At Village Council’s meeting on Dec. 20, Council president Tony Arnett suggested that Council ask for proposals for a community dialogue about growth and other development issues in Yellow Springs.

Arnett proposed that Council ask villager Jay Rothman, who along with his wife, Randi Rothman, runs The ARIA Group, a mediation business, to give a presentation to Council on how he would organize a community dialogue. Arnett noted that he had been speaking to Rothman about such a dialogue.

Rothman has discussed creating a mechanism that would “maximize participation in the community” and “not just leave it to those who bother to show up,” Arnett said. “The more people we get involved the better,” he said.

Arnett invited other people, including Council members, to suggest others who might be qualified to lead a dialogue.

Council member Jocelyn Hardman suggested that Council consider Jane Dockery, the associate director of the Center for Urban and Public Affairs at Wright State, who organized the Men’s Group “Cost of Living Study” in 2002.

Dimi Reber, a member of VALID, or Villagers Addressing Land Issues and Development, the group that formed to oppose the annexing on the Fogg farm into the village, read a letter from the group asking Council to work with the group to organize a “larger visioning process” that would address how economic development affects the community’s “ecological well being and its social vitality.”

VALID offered to convene a community meeting next month organizing a visioning process. Council did not directly respond to the offer.

Earlier this month, Council agreed to organize community forums on growth-related issues. This pledge came after Doug Miller, the broker/owner of HRI Commercial Realty in Beavercreek who owns a half interest in the Fogg land, withdrew his request to have the Fogg property annexed to give Yellow Springers time to work with him on possible development plans for the property.

Council member George Pitstick said that he wanted to hear Rothman’s proposal to bring the community together. He added that “we’re all talking about the same thing,” but some see the cup as half full, others as half empty.

“Right now, I’m sorry to say, we are [sending] a lot of negative [information] to the outside world and we might be turning away people who might be interested in bringing business here,” Pitstick said.

Judith Hempfling disagreed with Pitstick’s assertion, saying that the response by some villagers to the Fogg farm annexation is not negative, and noted that the community’s response to the Whitehall Farm auction in 1999 was seen as positive. She also said that many people who grew bitter over local politics in recent years are now reengaged.

Hempfling said that Yellow Springers would see the type of sprawl seen around the country as “not good for our country or region.”

Pitstick noted that he grew up around farmland that has since been developed into five-acre parcels. “This boy is absolutely against sprawl,” Pitstick said. “That’s why I say you need moderate, controlled growth.”

Sue Abendroth urged Council to develop a dialogue process that people “can have confidence in,” which, she noted, would increase “the likelihood of finding agreement.” She suggested that the process help villagers “determine things we agree upon” and build around.

Hardman summarized the discussion by saying that people want objective information that is overseen by an objective facilitator, followed by a visioning process.