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Looks
like there is a lot of agreement about the Ryan homes NOT being up to
our standards and therefore, NOT what the planning commission would
want. So, why is the planning commission wasting time on a long trip
to look at and consider something they (should) already know is wrong
for Sawyers Mill? Unless they intend to lower the standards (again),
in which case why have standards at all?
To
redirect the focus of this topic toward how the city wastes our money
. . . take note that Middletown’s major and continued expenditure
of time and money has contributed to the improvement, prestige and
monetary gain (in school tax revenue) of THE SURROUNDING AREAS of
Franklin and Lebanon, much, much more than to Middletown !!!!!!!
Aren’t
Renaissance and Sawyers Mill both in Warren County? A sign near the
entrance to The Renaissance touts that they are in Lebanon / Franklin
school districts. Students living there would not have to attend the
poorly rated Middletown schools, and of course Middletown gets no
school levy tax dollars (about 80% of real estate taxes) from them.
Could
this be a perfect example of why we should observe mistakes of the
past in order to avoid repeating or continuing them?
Mr
Kohler, a former city planner, revealed in an earlier planning
commission meeting:
“The
Master Plan called for the area east of I-75 to be a medical campus,
office complexes, future conference centers, office buildings,
retail. He said this area was going to be the new area, the
“Renaissance” of Middletown.”
On
the opposite side of St Rte 122 from The Renaissance development,
there are acres of empty fields adjacent to Middletown Regional
Hospital which remain undeveloped partly because the Renaissance
residents (rightfully) object to the too close proximity of
commercial or retail development which might lower the value of their
upscale properties.
More
thoughtful planning by
the city concerning
appropriate placement of residential properties adjacent to
commercial properties, would
have avoided this conflict. Better, more advantageous use of the
available and valuable space along the I-75 corridor, might have
included more of the original Master Plan . . . office complexes etc.
We could have had booming economic growth like our neighbor, West
Chester has along I-75. Think of the much needed tax revenues that
would have
generated
FOR
MIDDLETOWN.
Furthermore, why
aren’t we now rehabbing homes that are affordable for the average
Middletonian . . . the resident who for years has paid for all the
folly, poor planning and frivolous spending (on downtown) that
resulted in higher and higher taxes for fewer and fewer services and
amenities. Supporting the rebuilding and improvement of our
established neighborhoods all over Middletown should broaden our tax
base, and raise our residents’ hopes for a recovery that should
have taken place long ago. IF, at the same time, we improve our
schools’ academic performance (instead of wasting tax dollars on
the unnecessary replacement of school buildings) and improve our
infrastructure we will exponentially boost our ability to attract new
home buyers. It would be more timely THEN to begin building new
larger homes actually located IN MIDDLETOWN (so that OUR schools gain
the tax dollar benefits). Our time and money should benefit
Middletown, not Franklin or Lebanon. No field trips or highly paid
advisers doing unnecessary studies, are needed. Just use SOME COMMON
SENSE! Encourage and consider public input when examining the possible
consequences of proposed programs and plans. It won’t hurt ! And
it might just avoid some pitfalls and mistakes that a narrow or
single view point might not notice . . . Mr Adkins.
P.S.:
The higher standards for new housing which were adopted for upscale
Renaissance properties need not be applied to older neighborhoods
where it PREVENTS rebuilding on the empty lots where homes have been
razed (leaving gaping holes). The city is actually punishing, not
helping, our older (but still vital) neighborhoods.
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing" Edmond Burke
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