Council eventually turned down the rezoning by a unanimous vote after hearing repeated comments about added traffic; possible increased semi-truck activity in the Hyatt Street area, where four schools are located; and damage to the area’s environment including deer and other wildlife; and the overall small-town atmosphere.
Said Abby Bowling, who frequently attends council’s meetings, “I think people here are saying, ‘We don’t want to be a Vandalia.’ "
Decisions on expansion
City council will be facing more growth-related questions soon, City Manager Tim Eggleston said, adding the decision on how far the city grows lies with council.
At an upcoming meeting, Eggleston said he plans to talk with council for direction on whether members want to develop the west side of the city.
“In all the communities I have worked for in one capacity or another, the residents eventually take on a provincial mindset that we don’t want to lose our small-town feel, which are more emotional than factual,” said City Manager Tim Eggleston. “They object to growth, but they helped create it because they want to get out of the big cities and the problems that are associated with urban living. Sooner or later protectionism kicks in.”
If a decision is made to look at expanding westward, more participants will be involved in discussion — Monroe Twp., possibly along with Concord and Union townships; residents; and school districts including Tipp City and possibly Troy. The city also would need to conduct a water and wastewater study to determine the best way to provide additional service. In addition, meeting electric demands could be an issue until a planned new substation is built, Eggleston said.
Residents’ voices
Chelsea Lay told those at the North Hyatt Street rezoning discussion that she moved to Tipp City from Cincinnati two years ago and opposed the rezoning. “You don’t want to lose the small-town vibe,” she said.
Similar concerns were aired during earlier meetings on successful proposals for warehouses on land north of Evanston Road between Interstate 75 and County Road 25A and apartment buildings near that area.
Resident Jeff Monce said he considered himself to be pro-economic development, but was concerned about the impact that light industrial development on this property would have on quality of life. He suggested residential or commercial use would be better.
Teanna Lambert and family live in Monroe Twp. next to the land proposed for light industrial rezoning. “Is an industrial city where you want to see our city going?” she said.
City council perspective
Council President Kathryn Huffman said the city needs to take a look at its Comprehensive Plan, which is a guide for development decisions and eight years old. Council needs to balance growth with what people tell its members they want to see, she said.
“I know a lot of the council members here support change in the community, but that includes improving where we’re living,” Huffman said during council discussion.
Councilman Ryan Liddy said he is for growth, but also controlled growth. “It’s important that when we rezone things, we rezone them with the citizens in mind,” he said, adding that in the case of the proposed light industrial rezoning, he supported citizens and their concerns.
Councilman Robert Schwab said he, too, is pro-development but in this case agreed with Liddy.
“One of our conversations, at one of our past meetings, somebody stood up and said, ‘Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.’ There is a lot of speculation and God knows, speaking for myself, I agree with a ton of it, this evening, there’s some of it that I think is overstated, just to be fair,” said Schwab.
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Eggleston said the city has maintained moderate growth.
“The downtown is the attraction to Tipp City and is vibrant. It is a destination and will continue to be. The old town will exist and the areas that are growing around it will take on their own identity, but downtown will prevail,” he said.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.
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