Marysville and Union County are both rich in history. As one of the fastest growing counties in the state, the area has cultivated a following that others now covet.
At a recent Marysville City Council meeting, Councilman Donald Boerger said he wants to see a noise ordinance put in place so a future development in his ward doesn’t affect the quality of life of residents. We agree with Boerger and here is why: Ben Potts was the owner of Pottsies BBQ restaurant that located in the old Marysville Produce store, near where Walgreens is now. He ran a simple operation with plastic plates and rolls of paper towels on the table for napkins.
Potts came into town from Dublin after establishing a successful BBQ catering business there, and quickly started up his operation here … so quickly that he bragged at a Taste of Marysville meeting that he was granted his occupancy permit with out having to pave his parking lot.
The issue with him was that his lot was all gravel so as customers came and went during operating hours, white clouds of dust would pillow out onto Delaware Ave. Even though the car washes loved it, residents began to have problems with safety as they drove on Delaware Ave. The city battled back and forth with Potts to get him to pave his parking lot after the fact, but he continued to ignore the idea. He later closed and left town.
It’s not that hard to see what is happening. As the city grows more and more, some want to take advantage of cheaper properties already zoned according to their plan. But that doesn’t mean restrictions like noise ordinances should be cast aside and only put in place if a problem arises. We doubt that the original zoning ordinance planned for developments like an outdoor entertainment center in the middle of town where residents live.
Think of it as if you were a longtime resident in town – wouldn’t you want restrictions in place to protect your quality of life? Those who live in residential areas of town have spoken up and said they not only want to enjoy reading their newspaper peacefully in the evening on their front porch but also they want to come home from work and be able to park in front of their house and get a good night’s rest.
The other example of why the city should set up boundaries to protect residents for the future is something that current City Councilman Alan Seymour pointed out 20 years ago when he was involved in city planning. He suggested, and rightly so that developers operate in a way to comply with the higher standards set by the city rather than having the city lower its standards just to satisfy the developers.
He was successful in making his point and it still applies in the current issue involving the noise ordinance – the city should not wait to put it in place just to get a new project.
We encourage those making the decisions to reflect back on how Marysville got to where it is today and see all sides of new proposals that could uproot residents. After all, it’s residents not businesses who voted in council members.