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P&Z commissioner cites oil crunch in vote against subdivision
Richard Olson voted against the Stoney Creek Subdivision Tuesday night, saying the city's planning and zoning rules are leading the community down the wrong path in a time when energy resources are being depleted.
BEREA – Citing the skyrocketing cost of fuel and theory that the world oil industry has reached its peak level of production, a Berea planning and zoning commissioner voted against a 400-acre subdivision in north Berea.
The preliminary plat of Stoney Creek Subdivision, a planned urban district (PUD) development was ultimately approved in a 5-2 vote.
But Richard Olson expressed concern that the sprawling development would continue the city’s course on what he said is the wrong path for creating a community that can thrive in a world when there is half as much oil as there used to be.
“You played by the rules, but I’m going to vote against this because the rules are leading us down a path that’s not sustainable,” Olson told Darin Darnell of ABR Construction. “I think under any sensible rules for energy efficiency – the ability for the city to provide itself with energy, food, transportation – this doesn’t fit what those rules should be.”
Increasing fuel costs, combined with what many researchers believe is a diminishing oil supply, will drive the cost of transportation and goods higher, said Olson. When oil becomes more scare, communities need to be more energy self sufficient by cultivating a local food supply, making homes more energy efficient, and adopting methods of transportation that require less conventional fuels, he added.
But the city of Berea’s current building codes and subdivision regulations do not encourage a move toward adopting greener practices, Olson said.
“The rules that we have now are designing a future community that is not sustainable,” Olson said. “The world is changing. The rules that we don’t set – that are global and economic -- are changing. The question is how can Berea adapt and make a transition to something that’s more resilient?”
Stoney Creek Subdivision is located near the corner of Richmond Rd. and Herndon Ln, and could eventually offer between 1,400 and 2,000 housing units. The development will consist of single family homes, condos, and commercial dwellings. If fully occupied, Stoney Creek would prompt a 20 percent increase in the population of Berea. Berea’s population is currently estimated at 13,000, city officials said.
Darin Darnell disputed Olson’s view, however, suggesting that the way to create a community that is ecologically friendly is to provide housing that will encourage people to live and work in town.
In addition, Darnell pointed out that approximately 20 percent of the land of the development will be green space, and that a small portion near Richmond Rd. will include commercial property for gas stations, restaurants, and small markets that will encourage people to shop closer to home instead of going to big retailers across town.
“You won’t find any other subdivision that has as much green space,” Darnell said. “I think we’ve been very environmentally sound in our construction of this project.”
Several residents expressed concern about other facets of the project, including suggestions that the flood of housing into the real estate market would devalue surrounding homes.
Carma Heller, meanwhile, expressed concern about how the additional traffic would impact Richmond Rd.
“I’m still concerned about the traffic on [U.S.] 25,” Heller said. “When it rains, it’s even more crowded. Is it [U.S. 25] really going to be able to tolerate more commercial property?”
When the vote was cast, Don Buchanan, Andrew Gardner, Ronnie Terrill, Sr., Sean Clark and Betty Ollinger voted in favor of the project at Stoney Creek. Richard Olson and J. Carroll McGill voted against it.
McGill said he voted against the project because the city engineer said complete drawings had not been submitted for the project as required by city codes. “I do believe Mr. Olson raised some good questions about the future of this city, though,” McGill said.
For his part, Olson said he hoped his vote raised some awareness about the city’s policies regarding future development.
“What I hoped tonight was just to get people thinking about where we want to go and what sort of packages and guidelines do we need to get us there? Because I think right now we have a set of rules that won’t get us there.”
Olson is a professor of sustainability studies at Berea College, and the president of the non-profit environmental advocacy group Sustainable Berea.
sustainableberea.org
The preliminary plat of Stoney Creek Subdivision, a planned urban district (PUD) development was ultimately approved in a 5-2 vote.
But Richard Olson expressed concern that the sprawling development would continue the city’s course on what he said is the wrong path for creating a community that can thrive in a world when there is half as much oil as there used to be.
“You played by the rules, but I’m going to vote against this because the rules are leading us down a path that’s not sustainable,” Olson told Darin Darnell of ABR Construction. “I think under any sensible rules for energy efficiency – the ability for the city to provide itself with energy, food, transportation – this doesn’t fit what those rules should be.”
Increasing fuel costs, combined with what many researchers believe is a diminishing oil supply, will drive the cost of transportation and goods higher, said Olson. When oil becomes more scare, communities need to be more energy self sufficient by cultivating a local food supply, making homes more energy efficient, and adopting methods of transportation that require less conventional fuels, he added.
But the city of Berea’s current building codes and subdivision regulations do not encourage a move toward adopting greener practices, Olson said.
“The rules that we have now are designing a future community that is not sustainable,” Olson said. “The world is changing. The rules that we don’t set – that are global and economic -- are changing. The question is how can Berea adapt and make a transition to something that’s more resilient?”
Stoney Creek Subdivision is located near the corner of Richmond Rd. and Herndon Ln, and could eventually offer between 1,400 and 2,000 housing units. The development will consist of single family homes, condos, and commercial dwellings. If fully occupied, Stoney Creek would prompt a 20 percent increase in the population of Berea. Berea’s population is currently estimated at 13,000, city officials said.
Darin Darnell disputed Olson’s view, however, suggesting that the way to create a community that is ecologically friendly is to provide housing that will encourage people to live and work in town.
In addition, Darnell pointed out that approximately 20 percent of the land of the development will be green space, and that a small portion near Richmond Rd. will include commercial property for gas stations, restaurants, and small markets that will encourage people to shop closer to home instead of going to big retailers across town.
“You won’t find any other subdivision that has as much green space,” Darnell said. “I think we’ve been very environmentally sound in our construction of this project.”
Several residents expressed concern about other facets of the project, including suggestions that the flood of housing into the real estate market would devalue surrounding homes.
Carma Heller, meanwhile, expressed concern about how the additional traffic would impact Richmond Rd.
“I’m still concerned about the traffic on [U.S.] 25,” Heller said. “When it rains, it’s even more crowded. Is it [U.S. 25] really going to be able to tolerate more commercial property?”
When the vote was cast, Don Buchanan, Andrew Gardner, Ronnie Terrill, Sr., Sean Clark and Betty Ollinger voted in favor of the project at Stoney Creek. Richard Olson and J. Carroll McGill voted against it.
McGill said he voted against the project because the city engineer said complete drawings had not been submitted for the project as required by city codes. “I do believe Mr. Olson raised some good questions about the future of this city, though,” McGill said.
For his part, Olson said he hoped his vote raised some awareness about the city’s policies regarding future development.
“What I hoped tonight was just to get people thinking about where we want to go and what sort of packages and guidelines do we need to get us there? Because I think right now we have a set of rules that won’t get us there.”
Olson is a professor of sustainability studies at Berea College, and the president of the non-profit environmental advocacy group Sustainable Berea.
sustainableberea.org