Springboro Commission rejects plan, Resident writes in...

On Wednesday morning, the Springboro Planning Commission rejected a general plan for a proposed commercial development on Lytle-Five Points Road.  The plan included the potential of a day care center.  The rejection is not the final say. The vote was simply a recommendation for City Council to reject the plan.

On the agenda for tonight's Regular City Council Meeting is to decide on to approve this plan or reject upon recommendation of the commission.  The plan proposed is a rezoning of six acres on Lytle-Five Points east of 741.  The council could approve the plan even though it was rejected by the commission.  It will be interesting to see how Council votes.

There are many neighbors and residents of Springboro that are opposing such a plan.  Leslie Marsh, resident of Springboro, has submitted a letter to City Council and to The Springboro Voice.  Here is the letter that Marsh has submitted for Council and Residents to consider.

Council members,

I am writing to oppose the proposed rezoning of the acreage on Lytle-Five Points, and the construction of daycare and office buildings there.

Once again, Springboro is asked to destroy some of its green acreage, this time in a much sought-after area of town. While it may be immediately lucrative to rezone and accept building plans, the destruction of goodwill in the city as well as the new scarring to the green areas of our city will bring about more bad than good in the long-term.

Springboro has many areas which would benefit from revamping and use, including those close to the city center at 73 and 741. Leaving those properties to languish allows the beginnings of decay and urban blight to destroy the beauty of the town. The corner lots at Pennyroyal and 741 were stripped to bare dirt and construction scarcely began when all ground to a halt because of rampant bankruptcy. They still sit idle. Where are those developers?

It is the responsibility of this council to prevent the wholesale rape of our landscapes, and the responsible purchase and use of properties within the boundaries of the city. Any move on the part of this council to continue allowing unnecessary rezoning and construction when prior projects are still languishing is irresponsible at best.

Let us remember, the council sits at the pleasure of the voting community, for whom they work. The community has expressed its displeasure with this proposal. It would be wise for the council-members to listen to their constituents.

I applaud Council members Belpulsi and Vomacka for opposing this proposal. Thanks also to Planning Commission member Dr. Becky Hartle for her voice of reason.

It is time to put the brakes on rampant overdevelopment, and hold developers responsible for the projects they began and abandoned, or place a clause in any agreements that allow Springboro to take back property for re-selling to new developers if a project is abandoned for over one year. It is time to rethink land use to require better RE-use of existing properties, rather than continuing to allow developers to destroy the last pristine properties in our city.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Leslie Marsh

For a full story concerning the matter by Lawrence Budd of DDN click here.
Image by Thomas Roche via Flickr