Friday, September 15, 2000
Sprawl label is disputed
Mason area officials say plans solid
By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — Some of the worst examples of suburban sprawl in the nation can be found in Greater Cincinnati — but topping that list are projects in Warren County, Ohio's second-fastest-growing area.
That's what the Sierra Club contends. The Washington, D.C.-based environmental group released a national report Thursday singling out two proposed mall projects in the Deerfield Township/Mason area as examples of the most “irresponsible development” in the state.
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TOP TEN
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Top 10 most sprawl-threatened cities with a population of 1 million or more, according to the Sierra Club:
1. Atlanta
2. St. Louis
3. Washington, D.C.
4. Cincinnati
5. Kansas City, Mo.
6. Denver
7. Seattle
8. Minneapolis-St. Paul
9. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
10. Chicago
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DEFINITIONS
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• What is smart growth? According to the Sierra Club, it is:
Intelligent, well-planned development that channels growth into existing areas, provides public-transportation options, and preserves farmland and open space.
• What is suburban sprawl?
Irresponsible, poorly planned development that destroys green space, increases traffic and air pollution, crowds schools and drives up taxes.
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Township officials disputed the Sierra Club's conclusions Thursday, saying plans are in place to address growth issues, and noting that the area's development hasn't stopped people from wanting to move here.
The report examines growth trends in each of the 50 states and details 100 models (two from each state) of what the Sierra Club considers smart choices versus sprawling growth.
Smart growth, according to Sierra Club officials, is well-planned development that channels growth into existing areas, provides public transportation options, and preserves farmland and green space.
The group defines sprawl as irresponsible, poorly planned development that
destroys green space, increases traffic and air pollution, overcrowds schools and drives up taxes.
Glen Brand, director of the Sierra Club's Cincinnati chapter, said Greater Cincinnati is the fourth most sprawl-threatened area in the country. The problem is particularly acute in Deerfield Township, where a surging population and developments are chewing up farmland, destroying natural landscapes and forcing commuters to wait longer in traffic, he said.
But there is good news.
“Cincinnati doesn't have to settle for sprawl,” Mr. Brand said. “Across the country, smarter, better planned developments are being built that are walkable, accessible to public transportation, and strike a balance between jobs, houses, shops and open space.”
He noted even sprawl-choked cities such as Atlanta, Denver, Houston and Los Angeles are experimenting with innovative ideas to rein in poorly planned developments.
Sierra Club officials praised a Cleveland-area development concept that enhances and preserves open space while creating envi ronmentally friendly developments as the best example of smart growth in Ohio.
“I know of no projects in the Mason/Deerfield area that even resemble smart growth development,” Mr. Brand said. “The developers and government officials around here just don't get it. They don't see that a better way exists.”
According to the Sierra Club, that better way does not include an open-air retail centerand a mall anchored by Nordstrom within a stone's throw of one another, as are planned in Deerfield Town ship. Together, the two shopping centers could open more than 1.1 million square feet of retail space when they arrive in 2003.
“These proposed mall developments will only turn an already bad traffic situation into a catastrophic problem,” said Faye Smith, 44, of Deerfield Township Residents for Controlled Growth.
A 15-year resident of the township, Mrs. Smith's home is less than a mile from where the proposed developments will be built.
“I'm not anti-development,” she said. “I just think this mall is over the top. With six malls a half an hour away, I just don't see the need for yet another mall.”
Tracy Molitors, a spokeswoman for Balance, a Warren County citizens group, said the proposed malls will turn an already bad traffic situation on Mason-Montgomery and Fields-Ertel roads into a disaster.
“We question the wisdom of placing a mall where streets are already gridlocked, companies already compete for a shortage of workers and residents already have access to many retail options,” she said.
Dan Theno, Deerfield's administrator of development and community relations, said he disagrees with the Sierra Club's assessment of the situation. He said Deerfield Township trustees have tried hard to make intelligent, well-planned decisions when it comes to growth.
“We think what we have here in Deerfield Township, in fact, is smart growth,” Mr. Theno said. “We in fact do have a master plan for the community. ... and Deerfield Township has done a yeoman's job in the past few years preserving green space and acquiring park land.”
Trustees have bought close to 250 acres for park space over the past three years, Mr. Theno said. And regarding traffic congestion with the new malls, he said the township is ahead of the game in making road improvements.
“The Sierra Club challenges this development as going against the quality of life issues in the community, but the fact of the matter is that people have come out to Deerfield Township because we do have a good quality community,” Mr. Theno said. “We do have a good mix of open space and residential areas and commercial areas. That's why people are coming to Deerfield Township in droves.”
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