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Residential development is very big business in central Ohio. All around I-270, the vast fields which have been farms for over 100 years are being converted into housing developments at a rapid pace. It all began with the lawsuit Penick vs the Columbus Board of Education. The plaintiffs in this case asserted that the Columbus Public Schools violated Federal anti-discrimination laws. Judge Robert Duncan heard the case, which was decided in favor of the plaintiffs, and in 1977 he ordered that mandatory busing be implemented to achieve racial balance in the Columbus Schools. That decision accelerated the process of "white flight," in which families who could afford to do so moved into the suburbs to escape busing and forced integration. As a result, the Columbus Public Schools have become poorer and blacker (see the separate discussion about the Win-Win Agreement). Residential developers were ready and eager to satisfy the new demand for suburban housing. While some developers and home builders have come and gone in the ensuing 30 years, some have survived, and their owners have become influential members of our community. Few large businesses in Central Ohio have the degree of interest in local politics as do the residential developers. For many major corporations in Central Ohio, Columbus is home, but not a major market for their products. But for the residential developers, Central Ohio IS their product. They buy land, build houses, and sell them. When they are done with one development, they buy more land, build more houses, and sell them too. The raw product they consume, vacant land, is heavily regulated by political entities including the county and municipal governments. To get what they need, developers need politicians to make decisions in the developers' favor. They also need a decent school system, because that is perhaps the most important component of the buying decision for homeowners. The developers don't really care who pays to keep the school system going as long as it isn't them. And the developers don't necessarily care if the school system is in good financial shape when the last home is sold either. Attached is a letter from Hilliard Mayor Don Schonhardt announcing to HCSD Superintendent Dale McVey that he had struck a deal with the City of Columbus to allow the HCSD to build its third high school in the area to be managed under the terms of the Big Darby Accord. Note that in the letter, the Mayor also notes that this would create a nice residential development option. From the beginning, the process of selecting a new school site has involved the residential developers. Here is a list of meetings between school officials and various parties concerning the search for a site. I count at least sixteen meetings with developers. The developers like it when communities don't ask too many questions, and just blindly pass levy after levy. As long as we -- the current homeowners and taxpayers -- keep the district alive while the developer has building lots to sell, that's good enough. It's also okay with the developers if we fight amongst ourselves, as long we keep them out of the picture and pass more levies anyway. We need to put an end to this. |
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