Our Committee has published numerous letters to the Editor of the Yellow Springs News to foster community awareness of the Mills Lawn greenspace and to promote discussion on pathways to preserving this vital asset of the Village.

Support Greenspace in 2022 - January 27, 2022

With the start of 2022, our second full year, Citizens to Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace continues to raise awareness of and support for the beautiful open space at the center of Yellow Springs. We are also working proactively to seek a path for its preservation. We believe we can work in partnership with the school district to find a preservation solution that fits the needs of our schools and community, and keeps the land open and green for future generations.

 Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace is an all-volunteer, citizen-led organization. Our goal during our first full year was to build and demonstrate community support for preserving the Mills Lawn greenspace. Thanks to the response from many villagers, we accomplished this with over 520 petition signatures from local residents and significant visibility in the community via yard signs, our presence at the farmers' market, regular News ads and more. As we shift into our second year and intensify our focus on preservation strategies, we want to pause and thank supporters, as well as make an accounting and appeal to the community. Our awareness-building expenses for the past year totaled just over $5,000, with a balance of $305.52 in donations remaining. We seek to raise an additional $5,000 in donations this year to continue and expand our work.

If you support the goal of permanently preserving the Mills Lawn greenspace, please consider a donation to this awareness and advocacy campaign. Our effort is focused on working with all parties to find a broadly beneficial approach to preservation. Visit www.millslawngreenspace.org for an overview of the history and significance of this greenspace and details on how to donate. And if you’ve contributed in the past, thank you! We appreciate villagers’ ongoing and renewed support. - Anna Bellisari, Parker Buckley, Laura Curliss, Mary Eby, Audrey Hackett, Phil King, Mary-Margaret LaViska, Bernadine Parks, Cessili Slaughter, Michael Slaughter, Terry Smith, Carol Young.

Mills Lawn Future - December 16, 2021

At the close of 2021, there is much to celebrate in Yellow Springs. Despite many real and ongoing challenges, our community has pulled through a difficult time. As members of Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace, we remain committed to working with school and Village leaders in the new year to find a workable, sensible and (dare we say) beautiful solution to protect the western portion of Mills Lawn into the future. We believe this greenspace is widely cherished, and we consider the preservation of its history, ecology, and unique sense of place a worthy goal.

We know that many villagers are with us on this issue, and we are grateful for their support. We also know that preservation is one issue among many facing our community. As citizens who have been working together for over a year, we bring a focused dedication to this preservation effort. If you haven’t yet visited our website (www.millslawngreenspace.org), please do. We think you’ll find a surprising richness of history and story connected to the “Central Park” of Yellow Springs. We have some ideas about paths to preservation that we believe could benefit villagers, the greenspace, and the schools. We recognize and respect our schools as owners and stewards of this land. Any future vision of the greenspace must include its current “first use” as a playground for as long as the elementary school is located on Mills Lawn. We also believe that the greenspace has even broader value as a place that nurtures community, enhances mental and physical well-being, connects our past and future, and links us to the land. With the school board and others, we seek to work toward honoring and protecting this value in the year ahead. - Anna Bellisari, Parker Buckley, Laura Curliss, Mary Eby, Audrey Hackett, Phil King, Mary-Margaret LaViska, Bernadine Parks, Cessili Slaughter, Michael Slaughter, Terry Smith, Carol Young.

Concerns Not ‘Hype and Fear’ - October 6, 2021

I joined the Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace committee in early September because I was, and am, concerned about the fate of the park-like setting that forms our village’s green heart. It is currently a school yard, and I personally would like to see it remain so. But opposing the school levy is neither the overt purpose nor the hidden motivation of the group — representing as it does 500-plus local petition-signers of varied views on the school facilities proposal who nonetheless share a common commitment to preserving the green character of the Mills Lawn land.

I’ve been surprised and dismayed by social media attacks on the group’s motivations and impact, and even more disheartened by the amplification of those attacks at last week’s Village Council meeting. The group’s concern for the greenspace was dismissed as “fear and hype”; its efforts to hold school district leaders accountable for the land’s fate were characterized as “holding the school board hostage”; and calls by many in the village for a more transparent and appropriately timed land-use exploration process were belittled as “crap.”

 That’s no way to treat the publicly voiced concerns of a sizable portion — about one-seventh—of the village’s population. The Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace group came together during the comprehensive land-use planning process last fall. But questions over the future of the Mills Lawn greenspace — and the school district’s commitment to it as a greenspace — stem from earlier explorations and comments from school district leaders. Specifically, the school district’s 2019 land-use analysis explored options for selling and developing the Mills Lawn greenspace, including a hypothetical proposal for locating up to 62 housing units there. Comments from some school decision-makers then and since have underscored the district’s willingness, even desire, to sell or develop parcels of district-held land and use the revenue to offset facilities project costs. To me, it is far from “fear and hype” to raise the question of whether the Mills Lawn greenspace will stay or go. The question was raised by the school district itself, repeatedly. Local residents no doubt have varying visions for the future of this land. But my vision is to preserve it, and I’m grateful there’s a group that is speaking for this vision — speaking for the land. — Audrey Hackett

Greenspace Issue Ignored - Sept. 30, 2021

I found the recent attack toward a Council member and her proposal that Council take action to begin the process of preserving the Mills Lawn Greenspace disappointing in the least.  Hearing these accusations from certain Council members has set a new low for respectful public discourse. 

In order to inform the community of the historical and contemporary importance of the Mills Lawn greenspace, the Citizens to Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace group has created a set of readily accessible tools (www.millslawngreenspace.org, a Facebook page, newspaper advertisements and letters to the editor) using public information.  We expressed our concern to elected officials about the need to preserve the greenspace long before the levy process began. We were ignored. Our comments were read and recorded at meetings but otherwise disregarded by the Village Council and the School Board.   

We believe some arrangement could have been reached early on (e.g., easements, rezoning, land donation/swap and leaseback, grants) to take the greenspace issue off the table. This would have benefitted the school board’s levy efforts.  However, the School Board has not indicated any commitment to preserve the much-loved greenspace, only repeatedly stated that there is no current plan to sell or develop it. The planning process recently announced by YSDC creates real concerns that the School Board might decide to divest itself of the greenspace for development.

Over 500 people with Yellow Springs addresses have expressed their desire to have the ML greenspace preserved no matter what happens on November 2.  They want action to preserve it.
— Michael Slaughter and Terry Smith

YSDC Question - Sept. 23, 2021

We are at a moment now when the YSDC is exploring possible future uses of the Mills Lawn property. In the 7-29-21 issue of the YS News, our Superintendent, Terri Holden, said in a Letter to the Editor: "… if the levy passes, the District will do two things: First, we will approach the YSDC to enlist their help in finding creative reuses for the ML building..." and "Second... So, should the levy pass, we will then engage with the Village Council to determine the best use for the acreage for the District and the Village." Why has the donor supporting this effort remained anonymous? And, why has the YSDC been given this power to start an exploration before the community votes? — Mary Eby

Position on Mills Lawn Greenspace? - Sept. 9, 2021

Having secured over 500 signatures for our petition related to the permanent preservation of the Mills Lawn greenspace, it is evident that preservation of this valuable community asset is of concern to a significant block of our local electorate.  To date, the petitioners’ request that our elected representatives on the School Board and Village Council meet to explore preservation has been ignored. While leaders of Citizens to Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace are committed to working with our elected officials to support a plan for preservation, the decision to preserve this public property remains in the hands of elected officials.

While the School Board has been consistent in its refusal to entertain public discussion regarding the future of the Mills Lawn greenspace, on August 10th Dr Holden met in a closed, executive session with the Yellow Springs Development Corporation (YSDC) with Mills Lawn as the topic under consideration.  That this matter should involve closed door discussions with a quasi-governmental group whose decision makers are not directly accountable to the electorate for their actions should be a source of concern to a community which values transparency and public disclosure.

The upcoming election will involve a significant change in the School Board as well as decisions regarding representation on the Village Council and the Miami Township Board of Trustees. Among the important issues facing our elected officials will be the fate of the Mills Lawn greenspace.  Since early voting for the November election will begin on October 5, 2021, candidates and current office holders have been asked to address the following:  What is your position on preserving the Mills Lawn greenspace, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming school levy?

In an effort to inform the electorate, responses will be posted on our website: Link to the responses.

— Anna Bellisari, Parker Buckley, Mary Eby, Mary Margaret LaViska, Bernadine Parks, Michael Slaughter, Terry Smith, Carol Young.

Mills Lawn a Gift to Community - June 23, 2021

A review of the archives of the Yellow Springs News reveals that the recent letter by Dr. Holden citing the wording of the deed to Mills Lawn ignores the context within which the school board came to hold the deed to this valuable property. Any decisions about the future of this property need to be informed by the history of discussions, public statements and understandings surrounding the gifting of this property to the School Board in 1949.

In 1945 Antioch announced its intent to gift the Mills Lawn property “to a local official or unofficial body which would see that its unusual value to the community be preserved and made available indefinitely to the community”.

A review of contemporaneous reports during the years prior to the deed transfer makes it clear that Antioch was making a gift of the property for the community, rather than making it available to commercially interested parties.  In discussions with the Village Council in May, 1946, Dr. Henderson, President of Antioch College, reiterated, “We desire to give the land to the whole of the community”, adding that there were “no strings attached” beyond its desire to know the general plan the village might have for the use of the Lawn, and to specify that some general civic use should be made of it, including, probably, some use as a park. (Yellow Springs News May 9, 1946). At a subsequent town meeting in June, 1946, “President Henderson stated that the College had not made highly specific conditions to its offer as it felt planning (for its use) should be developed by the whole of the community.” It was reported in the same meeting that the Village Plan [sic] Commission was unanimous in in its recommendation that the lawn should be preserved intact for general community use.

By the end of the war, the Village was faced with a housing shortage (deemed a “housing emergency” per several Yellow Springs News reports) as well as the need for a new elementary school.  The Village Council eventually declined the offer in favor of the Miami Township School Board.  Antioch was initially reluctant to gift the tract to the school board, believing that the property, if donated to the schools, would be underutilized by the community as a whole. Suggestions which would benefit the community at large included a civic center and auditorium that could serve what was a very active theatre arts community. Letters exchanged between Antioch and the School Board prior to the deed transfer outlined “the mutual understanding of the college’s wish and the board’s desire to use the property in such a way that it will be of value to the whole community and not the pupils of the school system alone. The letters also agree that as much as possible of the natural park area shall be preserved”. At the formal deed transfer ceremony, Antioch again publicly reiterated its desire that future actions related to Mills Lawn be guided by this mutual understanding.  Thanks to this agreement the taxpayers were able to fund construction of Mills Lawn Elementary school on the most valuable property in the village, without the additional costs which would have been required for the purchase of a school site.

Just as today, the post-WWII village was experiencing a shortage of housing. Antioch, like the rest of the Village, was impacted by this shortage and could have easily sold the Mills Lawn property for housing or commercial development to address immediate concerns.  They recognized that the irreplaceable value of the property to the community far exceeded whatever windfall would result from its sale. Their gift was founded in their desire that that the property would benefit the community far into the future.

For over seventy years, the upkeep and maintenance of the Mills Lawn property which the donors so generously entrusted to subsequent school boards has been supported by the taxpayers, who are the true owners of this public property.  It is in the public interest for the School Board and the Village Council to begin talks sooner rather than later to assure that that “the spirit of the law” surrounding the deed transfer be given as much weight in decisions regarding Mills Lawn as the “letter of the law”.  Any future decisions regarding the Mills Lawn property should be consistent with the well documented intentions of the donors as well as the pledges made by the recipients to use the property in a way that would benefit the whole community and preserve as a much of the natural park space as possible. (Springfield News, 4/22/49).   —- Bernadine Parks

Greenspace Group not Anti-levy - June 17, 2021

Yellow Springs has been home to the Slaughter family for 50-plus years. My sister and I are graduates of the Yellow Springs school system and my mother a retired Mills Lawn educator.  I have been and will always be a proponent of good schools in this community!  I take issue with the chatter suggesting the greenspace group of which I am a member is anti-levy. Our organization, Citizens to Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace (millslawngreenspace.org), values education as much as preserving the greenspace. Many of our members are current or former educators.  

Support for the greenspace is widespread in the village, not just among those who happen to live close to Mills Lawn. More than 400 people have signed the petition in support of keeping the western portion of the property as greenspace, and signs in support of this effort are all over town. Yes, I do cherish the open space adjacent to my home, but I have never said I am opposed to funding for the schools, and the group is neither for nor against the expected levy.

What I am concerned about is the possibility that the school district will choose to sell the Mills Lawn property for development, at the cost of the beautiful space that so many love and enjoy. I suggest everyone review the 2019 “McBride report," which states the school board has the ability to divest itself of the property to achieve its goal to build a new K-12 facility and which refers to the greenspace as “underutilized.” The Mills Lawn space is currently zoned for high-density residential and business development. None of us can simply assume the property won't be sold, as the school board has the option to do. A recent statement from the district that “being fiscally responsible in part requires considering options from the sale of our biggest asset to offset some of our current debt" should be of concern to everyone. 

So, what are the options to reduce the amount of the proposed levy – without the district selling off what serves as the village’s central park? And how can we as a village protect the greenspace if the district builds a new K-12 campus and no longer needs Mills Lawn School, while also making sure the schools have the resources they need? These questions should be discussed with the community sooner rather than later. — Michael Slaughter

Dialogue Needed on Greenspace - May 3, 2021

Dear Editor,
Last week the Citizens to Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace (“CPMLG”) was invited to give a presentation to the James A. McKee Association about the history and importance of the greenspace at Mills Lawn.  Because there is apparently some misunderstanding, we want to state clearly that the school levy and the community’s choice of building improvement--whether rehabilitation or new build--is not our issue.  We support whatever direction the community takes on that issue while continuing to press for the greenspace to be preserved.  We do not endorse a particular solution.

As for the greenspace, we encourage the School District and the Village to open a dialogue about how to permanently preserve Mills Lawn greenspace.  On behalf of the 300+ people who have signed our petition to preserve Mills Lawn greenspace, we will continue to advocate for that dialogue and action. 

In the meantime, we encourage you to watch the presentation made by Terry Smith, Bernadine Parks and Michael Slaughter to the McKee Group on Channel 5. We invite you to visit our website at www.millslawngreenspace.org to find out more about why this precious and centrally located greenspace should be preserved as Yellow Springs’ “Village Commons,” a place for all to enjoy when Mills Lawn school is not in session. Future generations deserve to have Mills Lawn greenspace permanently protected.
Sincerely,
Laura Curliss, Village Council Member, Parker Buckley, Carol Young, Terry Smith, Bernadine Parks, Mary Eby, Mary Margaret LaViska, Anna Bellisari, Michael Slaughter

Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace - February 25, 2021

The Citizens to Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace group holds the position that strong support for our schools and the preservation of the greenspace at Mills Lawn are not mutually exclusive endeavors.  We believe that options can be found that are advantageous to the School Board while ensuring that the greenspace at Mills Lawn, which comprises the western two thirds of the property, is preserved as a public park in the event that it no longer be needed for the school.

While our school board and our community have not yet made a decision on the future of the Mills Lawn property, we believe that a full exploration of all options makes for good decisions. At present. public documents include a land use study (the McBride report) that labels the property as “underutilized” and assesses the potential monetary value of the Mills Lawn property, given its present zoning for high density housing. Phrases such as “divesting the Walnut Street property,” and “fiduciary responsibility to sell to the highest bidder,” also part of the public record, would suggest that this is probably a good time for citizens involvement regarding the future of resources that are important to our community and its kids’ future.

As part of our mission to permanently preserve the greenspace at Mills Lawn, we are endeavoring to raise community awareness regarding the cultural, economic, historical, and overall health values of this greenspace. We are currently gathering signatures on a petition of citizens who understand, as we do, the importance of supporting quality schools and also of having a large central park in Yellow Springs. Community signature support is over 200 now and growing. We are looking toward keeping a resource that is important to the immediate and long-term interests of our community and its kids. For detailed information including public documents, artifacts, history, stories, and photos we have collected, please see millslawngreenspace.org.

Citizens to Preserve Mills Lawn Greenspace: Anna Bellisari, Parker Buckley, Laura Curliss, Mary Eby, Julie Ford, Mary-Margaret LaViska, Bernadine Parks, Michael Slaughter, Terry Smith, Carol Young. Note: members can be contacted at millslawngreenspace@gmail.com.

Let’s Keep History Alive - February 11, 2021

Among the letters supporting improved facilities for our local schools, it has been refreshing to also note the historic interests expressed by villagers regarding potential changes. Knowing the history of a place and keeping it alive and well and part of a place’s living character is integral to distinguishing this village from just any other small town in Anywhere, USA. Having creative and thoughtful decision-makers who understand how changes to one aspect of the village can drastically affect other aspects is also what distinguishes forward-thinking planners from those with shorter range agendas. When the streets of Yellow Springs were laid out in the 1840s using principles of the City Plan of Philadelphia, care was taken to implement ideas recognized as a “seminal creation in American city planning.” The central greenspace of Mills Lawn was located according to this plan. Consistent with the tenets of the Philadelphia plan, the grounds of Mills Lawn were open to the public and they were encouraged to enjoy the gardens and pathways. An 1855 map indicates the property was accessible through entrances on Xenia Avenue, Elm, Phillips, and Davis Streets. In later years, the beauty of the property was widely recognized with comparisons to New York’s Central Park.  A sense of place was the result of this planning, and for future planners, the whole community will be served to endeavor to keep the Mills Lawn greenspace while also upgrading school facilities. It would be great to hear a public statement that planners intend to preserve Mills Lawn as a public park. For more on the history of Mills Lawn, see millslawngreenspace.org.
—- Terry K. Smith

A Jewel in Our Downtown - February 4, 2021

We have an emerald gem in our midst! Mills Lawn has historical significance and provides myriad benefits to residents and visitors to the village. Its origin as green space harkens back to the mid 1800’s when William Mills acquired property in the area and began a thoughtful, intentional plan of development. Known as the “Philadelphia Plan”, which consists of business and residential areas having close proximity to park-like settings, the evolvement of Mills Lawn began. Presently, the area still provides a respite from the busy streets and shops of the business district. Its open expanse allows for varying activities for individuals, small groups, and supports local festivals - well loved and attended - such as Shakespeare on the Lawn and Art on the Lawn. 

As the community grapples with the need to create affordable housing and fund school building improvements that require land, let’s not forsake the jewel in our downtown. How fortunate that the school district owns a large swath of land on Enon Road. Think of the possibilities! Both of the aforementioned needs are worthy of our attention and I’m confident the village, school board, and community will come together to accomplish these projects. Just as a gem is cut into many facets to heighten its beauty, the area comprising Mills Lawn is a multifaceted opportunity. In addition to the existing majestic trees, imagine paths meandering through native wildflowers, school and community gardens, and strategically placed benches to encourage conversation or quiet contemplation. There is boundless potential and value to maintain Mills Lawn as green space to be enjoyed for generations to come! — Mary Margaret LaViska

Save ‘Central Park’ - January 21, 2021

Based on recent letters to the YS News, there is obviously broad support for having high quality schools in Yellow Springs. The difference in the letters seems to hinge on (1) enhancing the facilities we have or (2) building brand new facilities. Both of these lead toward the shared vision of quality schools for the Village. I’d like to throw into that mix that whatever direction is taken based on what the community prefers, that we keep in mind that we have a valuable central park space widely used by the public at Mills Lawn. Early maps show it as a park, and villagers as well as visitors have enjoyed it as such for years. Whatever plan comes together for the schools, many citizens are looking to see if the School Board is strongly on the side of making sure that the Mills Lawn property is not sold for development. I, along with many other citizens, hope that the greenspace west of Mills Lawn Elementary will be permanently preserved as a public park for now, and for future generations. People can learn the fascinating history of Mills Lawn as a public space at millslawngreenspace.org. —- Mary Eby

Keep Mills Lawn Greenspace - December 10, 2020

We would like to briefly respond to Todd Leventhal’s Letter to the Editor, “Win-win for schools, community,” in the Dec 3 YS News.  As do we, Mr. Leventhal recognizes the likelihood that the board of education may sell Mills Lawn to help reduce the cost of a levy for new schools, depending on which path they choose.   Unlike Mr. Leventhal, we see the value of preserving Mills Lawn for the enjoyment and future benefit of the entire community, in terms of quality of life, long term economic sustainability, and the environment.  A continuing concern is that development ideas have already been researched and suggested in a plan done by  McBride Dale Clarion, a Cincinnati-based planning, zoning and development firm in 2019.  The report referred to “underutilized land” that “could be considered for subdivision and redevelopment as residential properties.” It’s going to take a lot more than developing all of the Mills Lawn property with new houses to solve our affordability and demographic issues.

We were heartened by Mr. Leventhal’s vision of commercial/residential development only on the east side of the Mills Lawn property and preservation of the majority of the acreage of the green space to the west.   We who live across from Mills Lawn see how it is appreciated by the community.  We know that a significant portion of the village supports efforts to keep Mills Lawn green space, as evidenced by our recent petition to have the Comprehensive Land Use Plan modified to preserve the western two-thirds of Mills Lawn as Parks and Recreation, should it no longer be needed by the school system.  While Council chose not to consider our petition, we feel buoyed up by gathering 200-plus signatures in one weekend, in the rain, in a pandemic.  We will continue these efforts as we too want to arrive at a win-win situation for Yellow Springs.  We also appeal to village leadership to engage in this effort.  Mills Lawn green space is inextricably tied to the future of the next school levy, which is very much tied to the future of our village.  It’s time to sort this out.

Signed,
Maria Booth, Parker Buckley, Mary Eby, Julie Ford, Bernadine Parks, Michael Slaughter, Terry Smith, Carol Young

Yellow Springs Schools Future - December 3, 2020

I think the Yellow Springs School Board aired a very productive public meeting on Saturday, Nov 21.  Superintendent Terri Holden devoted a significant amount of time explaining some very detailed funding options and requirements (ELPP, OFCC, CFAP) in regard to school facilities approaches. It’s a shared concern among Yellow Springs citizens that some kind of improvements need to happen for the future of schools. To that end, five draft plans were shown which included variations of building new structures, renovating & building, renovating, and building a K-12 in one location. As far as I know those plans have not yet been published on the school board site, but the discussion of the plans can be seen using the video link available on the school board site under the Nov 21, 2020 Work Session Agenda. It was my understanding that some of the options are more favorable in terms of acquiring co-funding. Overall it was good to see that numerous options were being pursued in such detail. As we move forward with any of the plans for a vision of the Yellow Springs community, I know that many citizens are keeping in mind the beauty and value of the green space at Mills Lawn and how important it is to residents as well as our significant number of visitors. —- Terry K. Smith

Input not ‘last minute’ - October 29, 2020

We want to express our appreciation to Village Council Member Laura Curliss for helping citizens to be heard in the October 19 Yellow Springs Village Council Meeting regarding concerns with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) – specifically how the plan designates the Mills Lawn green space.  Because it says Public Use, anyone would think it was dedicated for use by all, a central green space for the people.  Not true, it is zoned as high-density residential (not marked on the map) which sounds more like a development than a green space. Laura Curliss presented this basic misunderstanding well in her presentation to the council and asked that it receive a more in-depth examination by the whole community before proceeding. Seemed like a reasonable motion, but the council did not agree. They went ahead with the vote and approved the plan right then and there. Why?

We were at this Zoom meeting and listened as council president Housh stated that this was last minute input.  In our way of thinking, it was not last minute but was brought to the attention of the council the moment it was fully understood and should therefore have merited discussion by the council to find out citizens’ concerns right then during the Zoom meeting.  Watch the meeting video here: https://bit.ly/2HrgXmX.

Council Member Curliss tried her best to make time for us to be heard in this meeting. She referenced a petition of over 200 signatures interested in saving Mills Lawn gathered in only a couple of days. Imagine how many more citizens would be represented if the petitioners continue in the coming days.  In sum, this is a significant issue involving a true vision for the village, as we look to support our schools, have affordable housing, and retain the treasure that is Mills Lawn green space. All of these goals can be met with creative efforts. — Terry Smith & Mary Eby

Full Input Difficult - October 29, 2020

I am writing to express my disappointment that Village Council decided to go ahead and approve the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, of CLUP, in the Oct 19 Village Council meeting after I, along with other citizens, expressed concerns about the plan. Specifically, I am disappointed in how the plan designates the Mills Lawn green space.
While we are in the middle of a pandemic and as our village and the whole nation is distracted by national issues, I question Council’s urgency in rushing to approve the CLUP last week in a Zoom meeting format. It made it difficult for the community to provide full input and discussion. Last week was my second ever Zoom meeting and I needed the in-house ”tech support” of my school aged kids to help me navigate the technology to participate and speak at the meeting.
I wonder how many other citizens’ voices were not heard due to their inability to navigate the Zoom meeting format and also by the lack of the needed technology in their homes. --- Maria Booth

Mills Lawn Use Plan Disappoints - October 29, 2020

We wish to express our appreciation to Village Council Member Laura Curliss for her efforts to support our voiced concerns related to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).  In mid-September we realized that part of the plan involved adding diagonal parking adjacent to Mills Lawn on Elm and Phillips Streets. We generated a petition signed by virtually every resident on these streets objecting to the new parking plan and took photos showing that diagonal parking is not needed.  At the October 5 meeting of Village Council, Council Member Laura Curliss supported our proposed changes and Council gave us time to comment and present our materials.  Her motion to remove the diagonal parking was seconded and approved by the Council in a 3-2 vote.  If Laura had not supported us, we believe the diagonal parking would have been included with no discussion or input from the stakeholders most directly impacted.

At this same meeting, we discovered that that the plan’s designation of Mills Lawn as “Public Use” did not mean what we had assumed.  We mistakenly believed that “Public Use” literally meant that the space is reserved for public use, and that Mills Lawn was envisioned to remain the village’s centrally located public green space it has been since at least the 1940’s. Upon further discussion, it became clear that “Public Use” did not reflect a vision for future use, nor did it accurately reflect the strong community support for Mills Lawn  to remain green space as was expressed by attendees who participated in public meetings as the CLUP was being developed.  This confusion about the meaning of “Public Use” resulted in some discussion about the appropriate designation related to Mills Lawn.  A motion by Laura to designate the (approximate) western 2/3 of the property as “Parks and Open Space” was defeated in a 3-2 vote. The subsequent discovery that Mills Lawn is zoned as High Density Residential only adds to concerns about the future of the current Mills Lawn greenspace.  

Disappointed with the Council’s initial response, and believing more community awareness and input was needed, we decided on October 15 to circulate a second petition, asking that the (approximate) western 2/3 of the Mills Lawn property be designated “Parks and Open Space,” which would preserve  Mills Lawn  as greenspace. Addressing the CLUP plan only, a change in the zoning status was not requested.  Despite the severe constraints imposed by time, weather, and the COVID-19 pandemic, we secured 122 signatures to submit to Council by 10:00 am on Friday morning, the 16th.  By Monday morning 217 people had signed the petition.

We joined the October 19th Village Council meeting in hopes that this portion of the long-range plan would  be reconsidered before approval. Given that our petition had garnered more signatures than the number of participants at any of the CLUP community meetings, and that the council meeting was a public hearing, we were hopeful that our concerns might carry weight.  In opening remarks, the Council made it clear that discussion of the concerns reflected by the 200 plus villagers who signed our petition, would not be considered   Since Council had determined that this was to be the final opportunity for public input on the plan before voting on the CLUP’s adoption, we were invited to make a few short comments.  Council Member Curliss made every attempt to allow us to be heard, validating our relevancy as stakeholders in any decision. Her motion to designate the western 2/3 of Mills Lawn as Parks and Open Space died due to a lack of a second.

We deeply appreciate Council Member Curliss’ efforts to be sure that community voices inform the Council’s decisions and thank her for her efforts to be sure that inclusive and opposing interests be heard.

We are disappointed with Village Council’s decision not to address the current designation of Mills Lawn in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The plan, which serves as the legal framework for zoning and subdivision, appears to give the community little voice in its future use. However, moving forward we trust that the council, School Board, Planning Commission, and any other relevant entities that may be involved, will work with the community to preserve Mills Lawn in the spirit of its original gift to the schools and as greenspace for future generations. 

—- Parker Buckley, Julie Ford, Bernadine Parks, Michael Slaughter, Carol Young