BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
PIERCE TOWNSHIP -- The shiny yellow golf ball arched nicely, the thwack of the 5-iron disappearing in the drone of nearby construction on another stately home.
The evolution of Pierce Township continues.
From Doug Wenk's spot on the new Legendary Run driving range, one can see the modest farmhouse of William and JoAnne Bucksath, who sat at their kitchen table minutes earlier and wondered what would become of themselves. They are great-grandparents on a fixed income who fear a property value increase and the tax hike that invariably would follow.
For 25 years, they looked out over horses, cattle and, for a while, a soybean field.
Now, they see developments where town houses and brick two-story homes will fetch between $175,000 and $800,000.
Such are the cultural collisions at Legendary Run, Pierce Township's new crowned jewel, which was unveiled this month. The tree-lined development is bordered by Behymer, Bradbury, White Oak, Locust Corner and Merwin-Ten Mile roads.
"Pierce has great location," said Tom Humes, president of Great Traditions Land and Development Co., comparing Legendary Run to his company's Wetherington development in West Chester. "But there's more natural beauty here."
After three years of negotiations, cautious township officials agreed to the developers' 502-acre vision of affluent homes, nine landscaped lakes, tennis courts and a championship golf course.
The 502 homes to be built there include about 180 upscale "empty-nesters," or ranch-style homes preferred by middle-aged couples whose children are grown. A few homes are nearly completed, some others are under preliminary construction. Empty, numbered lots abound.
Reactions on the Legendary Run plan from nearby residents fueled contentious public meetings. Some strongly supported development because it would improve surrounding property values and attract upper-income residents who will eventually contribute significantly to the local tax base.
And they bring stature.
"I think a lot of people were concerned in the beginning," Mr. Wenk said as he practiced his approach shots during his lunch break on a recent afternoon. "But it's a good mix, and I think it'll be good for the community."
Detractors said the overwhelming size of the development would destroy green space, create traffic nightmares on former "country roads" and overburden schools and other community services. But for the Bucksaths, there was another fear.
"I think they're going to tax us out, I really do," said Mrs. Bucksath, whose home on White Oak was built with white clapboard in 1925. The first owner, "old man Knaus," couldn't have envisioned Legendary Run -- but the concept wasn't foreign.
Local legend has it he carved up his property and sold lots on both sides of his home that were so small development was impossible. It still is. Today, the Bucksaths' immediate neighbors include horses.
There were some very nice new homes in Pierce before Legendary Run, including nearby Turnberry and Hunter's Run developments. But heeding the perils of overdevelopment in neighboring Anderson Township and other "boom" communities, Pierce officials have taken a much more conservative approach.
It's not a new philosophy. Pierce in 1961 became the first "zoned" Clermont County township and has steadfastly maintained its rustic charm despite suburban sprawl from Cincinnati, a 20-minute drive to the west.
And it embraces its historic qualities. In an 1891 atlas of the area, Pierce had nine one-room schoolhouses. Eight still stand, including two on Nine Mile Road that are now homes.
"Used to be a 2-acre code," Mr. Bucksath lamented, his finger curled around a coffee mug with a photo of his 3-year-old grandson, Brandon, on it. "Now you can reach out the window and touch hands."
The Bucksaths love Pierce and have great respect for its police and fire - EMS departments and road crews. When they moved to Pierce from Blue Ash a quarter-century ago (ironically to avoid development there), they paid $128 a year in local taxes. Now it's more than $800.
They say they can pay no more.
If a property reassessment is done after Legendary Run is completed, they may have to.
Township Trustee Karen Register, who supported the Legendary Run development, is sympathetic.
"It's going to be a benefit to the total community," said Ms. Register, who grew up in Anderson. "Residents need to understand their leaders are committed to protecting their current lifestyle." For some of those residents, the sell wasn't a difficult one. Janet Atkins, who has lived on Bradbury Road for 7 1/2 years, supports Legendary Run.
"I think it's wonderful; it's a huge asset for the township and the county," she said as she sat in Pierce Township Park with her two grandsons, Christopher, 2 1/2, and Tyler, 8 months. "It's not the normal subdivision, it's the high end."
She noted that residents who can't afford a property tax increase can sell their homes for far more than they could have without Legendary Run, a point Mr. Humes reiterated.
Ms. Atkins said she attended the public meetings and summarized, "People were afraid of change. . . . Traffic will be different, but the benefits far outweigh that."
Township officials hope Legendary Run will one day generate a significant amount in property tax revenue, but it won't pay one additional penny for an estimated 12 years.
That was part of the deal.
In the "tax-increment financing" agreement, Pierce Township agreed to keep the current property tax level where it is: $66,000 annually. The selling price to developers was $5 million. So while the property tax intake won't decrease, it won't grow either.
The short-term loss to the township is in unrealized revenue: The value of the Legendary Run property will increase dramatically years before it is reassessed.
And to finance the cost of public utility installation on surrounding streets, the township issued bonds.
Mr. Register said that the allowances to developers are cost-effective and that the focus is on long-term community investment.
Many residents agree, others aren't sure. But both sides have more common ground than just the highly coveted land with the sprawling views.
Speaking for those who lament Legendary Run as well as those who want to move there, Ms. Atkins said simply, "I can't think of a better place to live."
