Piqua's City Commission Approves New Housing Subdivision

A Four Hour meeting yields a split vote on a contentious issue

On Thursday, the Piqua City Commission sat in a nearly four-hour meeting, with dozens of residents, talking about one of the largest residential developments the city has contemplated in decades. The proposed development was revised from the original application that was put forward to the City Commission. This publication talked about this application in an earlier newsletter.

The updated proposal for the Deerfield subdivision had been revised to address concerns raised by the City Commission. These revisions focus on preserving existing tree lines, maintaining buffer lots between new and existing developments, ensuring retention ponds meet EPA requirements, and retaining parking on both sides of streets.

The developer has committed to preserving natural tree lines where possible, particularly along the western edge of the property. They've also relocated retention ponds to protect nearby tree lines and added a buffer area with a mounded landscape feature in Phase 5. To address the buffer lot concern, seven lots have been designated as "buffer" lots, providing a transition between existing and new development. These lots are approximately 80 feet wide, meeting RE-10 standards and offering similarity to adjacent properties.

Regarding stormwater management, the developer has provided more detailed information on how the proposed system will treat both water quantity and quality according to City of Piqua and Ohio EPA standards. The plans now show parking on both sides of proposed streets for all but the town home roadways, with street widths increased to meet city standards.

The revised plan proposes 198 single-family homes and 132 town homes, a reduction of three single-family lots from the original plan. This represents an increase of 17 units compared to the original Deerfield approval from 2003. The staff analyzed the existing Deerfield subdivision and the proposed completion, noting that the current mix is 60% RE-6 and 40% RE-10. With the new development, this would shift to 79% RE-6 and 21% RE-10.

The revised report from the city staff took great effort to address concerns about property values, examining nearby areas of Deerfield and finding average appraised values ranging from $232,600 to $245,712, with estimated market values between $275,477 and $302,858. It also discusses the city's aspirations to become an "upper-class community" while acknowledging that market demands differ from cities like Centerville or Mason.

The staff report also emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting an increase in crime due to similar developments in other communities. The Police Chief has reviewed the plans and expressed no concerns about managing service calls from the additional residences. The report also explains how residential growth can attract businesses by demonstrating a growing workforce and thriving community.

Regarding public notification, which was a real concern brought forward by residents in previous discussions, the report compares Piqua's practices with those of other Ohio communities, showing that Piqua's methods are generally in line with or exceed those of similar cities. The staff is considering adjustments to notification procedures for large and impactful cases, while balancing fair timelines for applicants and public input.

In the meeting, residents spoke both for and against the proposed development. There was one resident, who lived near the proposed development, who was particularly eloquent. While, as a neighbor, he didn’t want the development to move forward, as a city resident, he did. He knew that this would help the community grow and broaden the city’s tax base. His dilemma encapsulated a great deal of the angst that hung over the four-hour meeting.

Even Commission Frank Debrosse felt that angst. Speaking from the Dias and explaining his “no” vote, he made it clear that he ran for the City Commission because he was tired of seeing the city stagnant and wanted to see growth. Yet, his ward is filled with neighbors that were vocally against this project. The Commissioner saw his job as speaking for his ward, and he cast his vote accordingly. In the end, the two resolutions that would allow the development to move forward were both narrowly approved by a pair of 3-2 split votes by the City Commission.

Local government can be messy and muddled. It is not easy to come up with a solution that can be easily accepted by a majority of residents. I wasn’t at Thursday night’s four-hour meeting, and I am sure as people left the meeting, they were more than a few that were disappointed in the end result. But, I would venture to guess, that even in their disappointment, those residents would also feel that at least they were afforded the opportunity to have their concerns heard and that the Commissioners who cast their votes did so in a reasonable and respectful manner.

Far too often, government bureaucrats prize efficiency in decision-making as the gold standard in how a government operates. There is some sliver of wisdom in that line of thinking; governments are expected to act in a rational and consistent manner. Decisions can often be stripped down to a set of facts and a resolution can easily be found.

But working too hard for a quick decision, often gives the impression that residents are left out of the equation. That is often because residents aren’t facts, residents are people. And as people, we aren’t programmed to think in black and white with sharp edges. Residents have hopes, dreams and ideals and more often than not, these are things that can’t be stripped of their emotional and relational aspects; these are things that can’t be measured or formulized to make a completely rational decision.

The Piqua City Commission deserves credit. The City Commission grappled with an important issue, and they arrived at a decision in an open and transparent manner. Everyone else who was at that meeting deserves credit as well. The commission was well served by their staff that prepared a report that addressed the concerns that the earlier meeting brought forward. The commission was well served by residents that made compelling arguments both for and against this important proposal.

In the end, what the community saw on Thursday night was how local government was supposed to work.

What Do You Think?

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