Notes from my Knapsack 7-7-22

Notes from my Knapsack 7-7-22
Jeff Gill

Preservation one step at a time
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How can we preserve the best of our village?

That's the question of the year. This time next year, if you think the last six months have been dramatic, just you wait.

Purchase prices are already up some say around 40% for homes, and for undeveloped land to the west of Granville, depending on the where and the which way, it's beyond that.

New builds and parcels changing hands are what's top-of-mind for many, but I think if the question is about how we preserve something of value in our community and region, step one is to get to know it.

When the Intel project was announced, I drove out there and meandered a bit. I was curious that next day if I'd be part of a parade, but it was just me driving down Green Chapel and Miller and Jug Street. I'm told by nearby residents the looky-lous did increase, but not so much. Not as much as the bulldozers and backhoes did to start widening roads and demolishing already purchased houses, within weeks, months at most.

What I wanted to do, though, was see what was being lost, and to consider it. I observed at the time that in fact, for much of the land in question, you could see the giant warehouses and spec builds already going in along the expressway to the south. Much of the reaction I got from that was to say "yes, but that's as much as we thought would go in."

I'm curious as to how well we know what it is we're mourning the loss of here, closer to my own home, with a slight bit more cushion than they have west of Mink Street. Charing the Board of Zoning and Building Appeals, I have to note that it's still surprising to me how often a person brings in a request for a variance (our primary stock in trade along with conditional use permits), and when I ask "have you spoken to your neighbor about this?" the most common response is a baffled "uh, no…"

Of course, those are worse when the neighbor has come to object and is sitting right there. I not infrequently introduce them, and regularly try to defer our action until — wait for it — they've actually spoken to each other. Sometimes, and sometimes with a little third party assistance, a solution can be found to mutual satisfaction.

So while our days are still warm, and long, I have a request of all of my neighbors writ large: go take a walk. Stroll the sidewalks. Look around, at the trees, the surrounding hills, maybe even saying hello to passers-by. See what we've got.

What I think will work much better is if we get a very specific, even granular sense of what we want to keep, to hold onto, to not lose. A general sense of alarm is understandable, but not helpful. Some losses are inevitable: no tree is forever, and homes get remodeled, even as we're all aging and some moving on.

A goodly series of strolls might help us all get a clearer sense of what's at stake, and what we want to maintain. As I keep saying, freezing the whole place in amber isn't an option, and really never was.


Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he likes a good saunter and should take more of them. Describe your favorite walks at knapsack77@gmail.com or follow @Knapsack on Twitter.