The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday the forming of a committee that will campaign against Issue 2 on the November ballot.
If approved, Issue 2 -a ballot initiative to be voted on directly by Athens residents -will institute a building moratorium preventing development of undeveloped space in the city for the next 18 months.
The chamber's committee, Citizens for Jobs & Progress, which is composed of area business leaders with representatives from O'Bleness Memorial Hospital and Ohio University Student Senate, had its first official meeting yesterday.
We're going to spend the next month working on really a full-court press
said Jennifer Simon, president of the Economic Development Council and a member of the new committee. Simon said this would entail an educational campaign with signs, TV and radio ads, door-to-door campaigning and yard signs.
Chris Knisely, one of three women who circulated the initial petition proposing the moratorium, said her group, the Athens Initiative for Smart Growth, is not threatened by this new organization.
With us being able to garner over 600 signatures over the summertime we're confident in our base of support Knisely said.
Opponents of Issue 2 argue that the moratorium will increase unemployment, limit housing options in Athens and prevent overall growth of the city.
This will completely stop all the progress
all the momentum
that we've worked hard on
Simon said.
Proponents argue that the moratorium calls only for a partial moratorium on commercial construction
and will not affect individual homeowners and small businesses. They also say the moratorium will give the city time to implement the Comprehensive Plan and the Wellhead Protection Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is a guide for business decisions made in Athens, and the Wellhead Protection Plan is a plan to protect drinking water.
It is to raise our concern that there are now developmental projects going on in Athens and there is no plan in place to guide them
Knisely said.
-Matt Zapotosky
17
Archives
