This article is written in response to an article in last month’s Common Ground. Readers of that article would infer that the only acceptable use of a 30-acre parcel of school-owned vacant ground in the 8200 block of Ditch Road would be a public park. Among some misrepresentations in that article was the notion that “all three Neighborhood Associations (700+ homes) surrounding 8200 Ditch have requested the land…be preserved and used for a park/open/greenspace”. There are many residents of the area and taxpayers in Washington Township who differ with that assessment. We thank McANA for the opportunity to present another land use option for this vacant parcel.

It is to the credit of the Washington Township School Board that they have been very responsive to neighborhood concerns and will consider all options for the use of the land. So far, they have held SIX public input meetings. There are five parks within the near community, with the farthest distance to Holliday Park only 3+ miles and the closest at the Greenbriar School playground right across the street. We have requested that, should the School Board decide to dispose of the Ditch Road property, they consider a specialized housing development.

Enrollment in Washington Township Schools has remained steady for about 34 years at approximately 10,000. With an aging population and no recent or expected future baby boom, no increase in total enrollment is projected. Sale of the 8200 Ditch Road parcel would generate significant revenue, allow the School Board to retain access to 6 acres for school use without paying for huge infrastructure and development costs, and add the property to the tax rolls, benefiting all taxpayers.

Extensive and costly infrastructure improvements are necessary for any development of the 8200 Ditch Road field, whether that development is housing or a park. If the School Board or Parks Department does these improvements, they will require substantial new tax revenues. If housing is selected, the developer will be responsible for the infrastructure costs, and there will be no additional tax burden on Washington Township taxpayers.

The 8200 Committee of the School Board recommended low-density of about 3 homes/acre for single-family homes or about 4 homes/acre for low-density elder housing. The latter could be in the form of “paired garden homes” which give the appearance of larger homes on larger lots. Elder housing usually includes a 2-bedroom, 2-bath, one-story living space with wide hallways and doorways, less square footage, less yard to mow, and lower taxes from a smaller home. Area residents have expressed high interest in this type of housing, either for themselves or their parents.

If such elder housing is selected, it will meet a need in this area of Washington Township, which has the greatest over-65 population. The elder population will only increase as more people retire and the length of life increases. Both trends will keep the demand for this type of housing high for many years. It would not add more children to the school system.

Because there is so little land left in Washington Township, there is a crying need to develop such housing NOW. This use for 8200 Ditch Road would enable seniors to live independently and stay in the area where they have established relationships with family, friends, medical professionals, businesses, banks, etc.

Of particular concern to neighbors are traffic, noise, lights, taxes, and property values. Elder housing would minimize the negative impacts while stabilizing adjacent property values.

In summary, the School Board has a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Washington Township. While the School Board is not in the parks business, they have been sensitive to requests for parkland. A current proposal for the three Ditch Road parcels creates TWO parks (8900 Ditch and the perimeter of Greenbriar School) at minimum cost to the School Board and taxpayers. Development of elder housing on this property would provide much needed specialized housing stock so that financially independent residents of Washington Township can remain near family and friends in their golden years.