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March 31, 2005
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March 31, 2005 |
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EDITORIAL Tying common threads together Among the myriad strategies hashed out at Saturday’s Community Forum one clear theme was established: addressing development in a way that enhances, but does not harm, Yellow Springs. The groups discussing housing and education concluded that Yellow Springs needs to attract more young families to the village. The group focusing on the economy said that the community needs to achieve a consensus on development. The villagers who reviewed government services said the Village should focus on services that will foster economic development that supports community values. These ideas hit upon key strategies that can help make successful the move toward growing Yellow Springs’ residential population and economy. The community needs to reach a consensus on the extent and kind of growth people support; and the more that growth reflects the community’s values — a diverse population, kid-friendly, innovative building designs, green space preservation, pedestrian friendly — the more likely it will be embraced by the community. Sponsored by the Men’s Group, Chamber of Commerce and Community Resources, the Community Forum and the priorities selected by participants were influenced by some rather depressing information: a decrease of 19 percent, or 863 people, from 1970 to 2000 (half of this slide can be attributed to declining enrollment at Antioch College); a 31 percent, or 301 students, decline in enrollment in the Yellow Springs schools from 1975 to 2004; a decline of 272 jobs, or 12 percent, during the 1990s. A study by the Men’s Group, the 2002 “Cost of Living Report,” also shows that the community is becoming wealthier, older and less diverse. Declining employment and population ultimately affects the local governments and the economy. Downtown businesses, for instance, have fewer local customers to support them. The Village must pay for valuable services and needed capital improvement projects with stagnant tax and utility revenues. Declining enrollment can lead the Yellow Springs school district to cut staff and programs. Ultimately, as the number of people living and working in Yellow Springs declines, fewer people are asked to pay for more services. Some, if not all, of the priorities identified at the Community Forum are linked: more moderately priced housing could attract and keep young families whose children would go to school here. Young people would also be more likely to stay in town if more jobs were available. More workers and residents mean more customers to support local businesses. Good schools and first-rate government services are staples of a healthy community. How Yellow Springs grows, however, is also critical. This is why so many people at the Community Forum noted that the “Smart Growth Weekend,” on Friday, April 1, to Sunday, April 3, is a great opportunity to further discuss how the village can balance development with values that Yellow Springers find important. As Fred Bartenstein, a member of Community Resources, said, the community should spend this year and next on achieving consensus on the kind of growth that we support. Therefore, the timing of this weekend’s series, also called “Smart Growth for a Small Town,” may not have been better. Anytime you get more than 100 Yellow Springers together for a day focused on improving their community, good things are bound to happen. That’s what happened at the 2005 Community Forum. The same positive results are likely if many people also attend the various activities offered by the Smart Growth Weekend.
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