July 28, 2005

By Robert Mihalek

Village Council took action last week to sell one acre of the Glass Farm for a housing development while agreeing to preserve as open space another 14 acres of the farm.

Council agreed to sell the acre of land to Phillips-Brown Homes, which is operated by Cathy Phillips and Jonathan Brown, as part of the company’s residential development, Thistle Creek. The land abuts the former Catholic Church property off King Street that Phillips-Brown purchased in the spring and on which the company plans to build the development. Phillips and Brown will purchase the one acre of the Glass Farm for $57,500, more than double what they originally offered the Village.

The 14 acres of the farm that will be preserved are located off King Street and are often referred to as the eastern portion of the Glass Farm, which is approximately 44 total acres. Council plans to place a conservation easement on this part of the farm, excluding it from commercial and residential development.

The one acre of land that Council is selling to Phillips-Brown is also part of the eastern third of the farm.

At its meeting on July 18, Council made its decisions related to the Glass Farm by unanimously approving two pieces of legislation: a resolution that designated 14 acres of the eastern portion of the Glass Farm as a “permanent part” of the Village’s open space program, and an ordinance agreeing to sell just over one acre of the farm to Phillips-Brown. Council’s vote on the ordinance was the second and final.

Phillips-Brown wanted the extra acre to build more houses in Thistle Creek and provide a new road into the development that would provide a safe intersection with King Street and Kingsfield Court.

Council’s decisions do leave open the possibility that the rest of the Glass Farm could be developed. The green space resolution, for instance, notes that development is planned on land adjacent to the center and western portions of the farm, a situation that will make these areas “more accessible for future development.”

Council president Tony Arnett said that Council does not yet have plans for the funds the Village will receive from the sale of the one acre of farmland. He suggested that Council discuss this matter at its next meeting, on Aug 1.

Council members described their move as a compromise between promoting the construction of housing and preserving green space around Yellow Springs. They also said that selling one acre of the farm and setting aside as green space the remaining eastern portion of the farm puts to rest debate over the use of this part of the farm, on which twice previous Councils developed controversial plans to build affordable housing.

One of those plans was the subject of a referendum and was defeated by voters by a 20 percent margin in 2002.

“It is a long-standing issue, and I think it needs to end,” Council member Denise Swinger said of the use of the eastern portion of the farm. Swinger participated in the discussion and voted on both pieces of legislation, even though she lives across the street from the Thistle Creek development and down the street from the Glass Farm.

Arnett said Council’s intent is to leave fallow the 14 acres of farmland that will be preserved. He also said that Council has “no plans to formalize it with any park structure.”

Council members also noted that preserving this part of the farm will help with what the Village calls the streambed restoration project, which is designed to control flooding on the north end of town. The project involves the widening of a stream that runs through the eastern third of the Glass Farm and building a detention pond through which the stream will run. The pond and enlarged stream will more water during heavy rains and, therefore, alleviate flooding downstream.

Last year, Council agreed to use green space funds to pay for the stormwater retention project.

Council member Bruce Rickenbach noted that preserving part of the farm sets aside land that could be used to address future stormwater retention issues if development continues to occur in the west side of Yellow Springs.

Swinger called Council’s plans for the farm creative and an “out-of-the-box solution” because, she said, the plans addressed housing, preserving farmland and a stormwater issue.

The two pieces of legislation prompted a sometimes intense debate between Council and audience members present at last week’s meeting.

Steve Deal, a member of the Village Planning Commission, told Council that he was concerned that the Village does not have a “comprehensive plan” for the use of the Glass Farm. He suggested that Council delay its decision on preserving the 14 acres of the farm and instead convene a task force to devise a plan “for the best use of that land.”

Paul Abendroth, however, said that using part of the Glass Farm to control stormwater drainage is a good use of the property.

Joseph Giardullo, who is married to Swinger, said that he supports fixing the stormwater problem for people downstream, providing land for “families to enjoy,” and selling property for Thistle Creek.

Bill Bebko, who is also on the Planning Commission, urged Council to move forward with both the sale of one acre of the Glass Farm and the stormwater retention project.

Judith Hempfling urged Council to delay its decision on preserving part of the Glass Farm and suggested that Council pursue a “swap” of the Glass Farm with the Fogg farm, on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.

The idea of swapping properties has circulated around town for at least several weeks as a way to promote growth within Yellow Springs on the Glass Farm and preserve green space around the village’s border. The owners of the Fogg farm, Doug Miller, a broker with HRI Commercial Reality and the Lucy Van Ness Fogg Living Trust, would like to develop their property.

Miller told the News earlier this month that “there are things in my mind that would make the swap difficult.” He also said the location of the Glass Farm was less desirable than the Fogg farm, which is located across the street from the planned Center for Business and Education.