October 13, 2005

By Diane Chiddister

In the year since Yellow Springers began talking about smart growth, the concept has become central to discussions of development, based on a candidates’ forum that took place last Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Senior Center.

Most candidates for Village Council and Miami Township Trustees who spoke at the forum supported smart growth principles, as did many audience members who asked questions. The event was sponsored by the Smart Growth Education Task Force.

A standing room only crowd of about 70 people filled the Senior Center, where candidates made statements and answered questions.

Participants were Village Council candidates John Blakelock, Kathryn Chase, Frank Doden, Judith Hempfling, Kathryn Van der Heiden and Karen Wintrow, and Miami Township trustee candidates John Struewing, Mark Crockett, Lamar Spracklen, Suzanne Patterson and David Heckler. Council candidate Bruce Rickenbach was absent.

School board candidates were not asked to participate in the forum.

The forum was moderated by Steven Conn.

Village Council debate

Several Council candidates stressed a need for higher-density housing, which is a smart growth principle.

Citing the prevalence of cluster housing in many European communities, Van der Heiden suggested that Yellow Springs use zoning laws to allow greater density. She said she supports smart growth principles, “but not at the expense of other business ventures,” adding, “I’m concerned when we act out of fear.”

Blakelock said that building cluster housing close to downtown could provide homes for older residents who currently live in large, almost empty houses, and also open up houses for families with children. Blakelock said he believes that “smart growth is absolutely the way to go.”

Wintrow said that recent changes in the Village’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning would allow for creative development.

She said her vision for the village includes a vibrant downtown, a strong employment base, population restored to 1970s levels and strong local schools.

“None of these are in conflict with smart growth,” she said.

To promote growth, she said, Yellow Springers need to approach developers in a “friendly way” to get the kind of development they want, rather than being perceived as antagonistic.

Chase said that a decline in Yellow Springs’ population, along with lower tax revenues and job loss, has contributed to a “looming” financial crisis. She described the financial crisis as “real, imminent and unprecedented.”

To counter the decline in population, Chase said she supports “careful, thoughtful, modest growth.” However, she said, Council must also respect the rights of private property owners to develop their land as they wish.

“We cannot restrict the expansion of the village” to maintain diversity and sustainability in the community, Chase said.

Hempfling, who is a member of the Smart Growth Education Task Force, said that Yellow Springs needs to follow similar efforts by other towns. “We need to learn from smart growth activists and other communities,” she said. “We are not alone. Other cities and towns are facing similar problems and are finding creative solutions.”

She said her first priority is creating jobs, due to her concern that, given a likely energy crisis, Yellow Springs needs to be a sustainable community.

“A bedroom community is not sustainable,” said Hempfling, who stressed the need to “keep the village affordable.”

Critical to having a sustainable community is a vital downtown, Hempfling said. She would advocate “buy local” campaigns to encourage local residents to shop in Yellow Springs, she said.

Doden said the community visioning process, which is currently being developed by a committee, is an important means of creating the sort of change that fits Yellow Springs’ values. Like other American communities, the village will confront “looming energy problems, water problems and land use problems” said Doden, who suggested that the Village seek sustainable energy businesses for the planned Center for Business and Education at East Enon and Dayton-Yellow Springs Roads.

“Council needs a longer-term vision,” said Doden, who said he agrees with smart growth principles.

During questions to Council candidates, Dimi Reber, who is a member of the Smart Growth Education Task Force, expressed concern about development plans at the west edge of the village.

“I feel great concern over annexation and foresee the possibility of a domino effect, as one piece of land is annexed, it becomes more acceptable,” Reber said, adding, “I’m very concerned about preserving the greenbelt.”

Several Council candidates responded that they support green space preservation.

“It’s critical,” Wintrow said. “The Jacoby greenbelt should be protected area.”

Van der Heiden and Doden also expressed support for greenbelt preservation.

Chase said that she “doesn’t think annexation is the issue. More important is what people build.”

Blakelock said he does not support green space preservation because “it’s an elitist idea to have a green doughnut around Yellow Springs to keep out foreigners.”

In response to a question from about how far candidates would go to legislate affordable housing, Van der Heiden referred to the Glenwood Springs development on Birch III, which includes $300,000 to $500,000 homes, and said that if developers build “so many expensive homes, we need an equal number of less expensive homes. We need to think in terms of cluster housing.”

Joseph Giardullo said that affordable housing developments wouldn’t help him pay his local taxes, which, he said, are too high. Giardullo said he would like to work in town and shop downtown, but items are too expensive. He asked candidates if they perceive the high cost of living in Yellow Springs as a problem.

Chase said that she thinks it’s a problem, and that she advocates restoring higher population levels as the most effective way to spread costs over more people.

Hempfling said she believes job development will bring in more revenue than housing developments. She said she would like to see local employers “going after local people for local jobs.”

Blakelock said he would “go over the Village budget with a fine-tooth comb” and possibly cut Village administrative jobs to lower costs.

Township trustees debate

Issues of land use in Miami Township dominated the discussion by the candidates for the Township Board of Trustees.

Crockett, a current member of the Board of Trustees, said that he supports “smart growth as a concept,” and that the challenge is finding a balance between preserving green space and protecting the rights of property owners.

Crockett also said that as a trustee he has been trying to work on increasing communication between the Township and the Village.

Patterson, who is a member of the Smart Growth Education Task Force, said the Township needs to preserve working farms to protect green space. She also said that buying from local farmers is more sustainable than shipping food from across the country.

The trustees must make an effort to help local farmers prosper, she said. To do so, the trustees need to work with landowners to gain easements that allow farmers to keep farming their land, she said.

“We need the whole township to become a greenbelt,” she said.

Spracklen, a longtime farmer and current member of the Board of Trustees, cited the Cooperative Economic Development Agreement that the trustees negotiated with the Village as a step toward controlled development.

“I’ve always said we need development to pay our bills,” he said.

Spracklen said his role as a trustee involves “balance and patience,” citing the need to balance funding for township concerns ranging from Miami Township Fire-Rescue to road repairs.

He also expressed frustration with the lack of a Township land use plan, which the Miami Township Zoning Commission is writing.

Struewing said the lack of such a plan, and the need for one, helped motivate his run for a seat on the Board of Trustees.

“Over the years we’ve had no rules in the township,” Struewing said, adding that his “passion” is to help define “how much development will be allowed.”

During his years on the Village Planning Commission, Struewing said, he has worked on several smart growth-oriented projects, including the new PUD zoning and helping make Yellow Springs more bicycle-friendly.

Heckler said that if he is elected, his “first priority” would be strengthening the fire department. Heckler said he was “disappointed” that the Township made an error with its application to get the fire levy on the Nov. 8 ballot, which will force the Township to seek a second levy in the spring.

“I like to think that had I been on the board” those errors wouldn’t have happened, Heckler said. “I would have sought clarification on wording” and the board “wouldn’t have waited until the last minute to file,” he said.

Heckler also said he supports increased collaboration between Antioch University, the Township and the Village, and that he would “work for cost containment” in the Township budget.

Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com