Trustee concerned with rapid growth’s impact on Jon Alder
Myron Mast, a trustee in Darby Township in Madison County, told the Jonathan Alder school board Monday that he has concerns over the speed and scope of development in his township. Much of his concern centers on land east of Plain City, along Route 161, shown here crossing all four colored sections....
Myron Mast, a trustee in Darby Township in Madison County, told the Jonathan Alder school board Monday that he has concerns over the speed and scope of development in his township. Much of his concern centers on land east of Plain City, along Route 161, shown here crossing all four colored sections. Mast said the colored areas represent areas of interest for developers, noting a possible interest in a 500-unit apartment complex in the yellow area between Iams Road on the left and the Franklin County border on the right. No actual plans or decisions have been made.
(Graphic submitted)
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One township trustee outside Plain City said development discussions are happening so often, his board feels a bit left out of the loop.
On Monday, Myron Mast, a trustee in Darby Township in Madison County, visited the first Jonathan Alder Board of Education meeting for 2024 to express his concern about the rapid growth in the area and how that will affect the school district in the future.
Darby Township is located in the northeast corner of Madison County, extending from Chuckery east to the Franklin County border.
Mast told the board that, until recently, developers have been in discussions with property owners east and southeast of Plain City as well as county officials but not with the township.
In those discussions, he said, ideas were floated regarding projects that could eventually bring students into the school district, but the township wasn’t aware of the ideas.
“With this scenario and a number of other scenarios…we were never contacted with any of that, so we were sort of in the dark like the regular taxpayer was,” he said.
“At this point, up until about a month ago, the only communication that was happening was between Schottenstein’s Real Estate Group (SREG) and the commissioners.”
The real estate group has been behind several large projects in Jerome Township in Union County and Mast said it is looking at property in northern Madison County as well.
He said he learned more about the planned projects once he talked to SREG directly, but he also has had more conversations with Madison County officials.
Much of the discussions taking place have to do with land along the Route 161 corridor in and around Kileville, an area of interest and development already for SREG on the Union County/Jerome Township side.
A 600-unit apartment complex along Kile-Warner Road and Route 161 in Jerome Township has already been discussed, board officials said.
Mast said what’s being looked at now pertains to a few areas of focus in Darby Township. Those sections of land are east of the intersection of Cemetery Pike and Iams Road, south of Route 161, and consist of a 253-acre section and an almost 228-acre section.
“There’s stuff in the incubator, apparently, and again, I don’t know what may be in the incubator,” Mast said, adding that he’s only aware of what may go in the 253-acre plot but not the other one. “That’s being looked at as 500 and some odd apartments.”
David Kell with Madison County Economic Development said those discussions have begun and the township has been brought in for conversations regarding the areas of focus, but there are no official plans in place or decisions that have been made.
Apartments would fall within the county’s comprehensive plan from 2022, something the township already signed off on.
According to the document, the land along the corridor, running south of Route 161 and east of Iams Road, is currently zoned as a Planned Commercial District.
Mast said while he was aware of the zoning and that the township agreed to the details of the comp plan, he had concerns that apartments could be going there rather than businesses.
He said though an apartment complex is technically commercial in name, it would bring residential growth and more specifically, students. He said that isn’t a concern, as long as the entities don’t ask for versions of tax agreements, such as a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement, that could divert money away from the district.
Board officials agreed, saying that is a concern for them also and they thanked Mast for discussing the developments. Officials urged Mast that, when further discussions do eventually happen, there are versions of agreements that keep schools whole.
“One of the things I really, really encourage is that no matter whether it’s a TIF or an abatement, or anything, you can hold schools harmless,” said board member Steve Votaw.
Mast said he would approach discussions with that in mind and that the township’s goal, at the end of the day, is to both be included in future development discussions and work to avoid putting schools in difficult situations.