The Well-Being of Bexley's Identity

It seems to me that the Land Use Commission satisfies a core human need in the development of Bexley as a city. "Who we are" and "why we love Bexley" are essential questions with answers that must be branded in our minds so that a vision for the land use development of this city can be successful.

We have been asking members, "Why do you live here?" "What do you love most about Bexley?" "How do you use Main Street?" "How do you use Livingston Avenue?" "How do you use the trails, parks, library?" "How does its architecture make Bexley unique and alluring to you?" "What are your favorite things to do here?" "How can we make it better and make you more satisfied with the city?" "Is there something missing from our city that would fulfil your local needs?"

Most answers are descriptions of everyday happenings that please people and make their lives enjoyable. And--when the joys greatly outnumber the trials--that is truly what makes a great city:

One member talked about walking through tree-lined streets to a coffee shop admiring the houses along her peaceful walk.

One member rides his bike or walks to work every day from eastern Bexley to Drexel and Main.

One member likes to stop at Graeter's and stroll through the Capital University campus.

Many in my neighborhood enjoy taking their children to the Library for storytime or to the Montrose playground for a couple of hours before stopping at Starbucks or Johnson's for a treat.

Many people I know have expressed sadness that there are no Bexley markets or grocers to satisfy a quick need for a missing dinner item, or for dishwashing, or a fly-swatter, or anything. If we can walk or ride our bikes to the library and the schools, why can't we as easily or safely get to the corner market?

It's all about what our natural needs are as people in search of "home." We all desire the comfort of a strong civic identity to enhance our individual well-being!

That is why this blog is so important, too. The input of the experts who sit on this Commission will develop schemes for Bexley's built fabric- both the gaping regions that need tender loving care and the smaller pockets that need equal love- yet these schemes need the community's ideas and input to truly be part of the identity of Bexley.

Look for upcoming posts on the Commission's areas of concentration and please post your comments! We need to hear from the people of Bexley on what makes this city "home" for them and how they would see it improved so that we can continue to make Bexley more beautiful.

Bill Heyer

Bill is a member of the Land Use Strategy Commission and an architect living and practicing in Bexley.

What's In a Name?

The "Bexley Land Use Master Plan Commission" had our second meeting last night. Among other things, we settled on a mission statement. You wouldn't maybe think a mission statement is so important, until you get 12 people in a room and realize you need a focal point - a raison d'etre - to help the group focus on the task at hand and keep their eye on the goal. So after a tenuous sketching out of a mission statement, and several revisions by various commission members, the official mission statement of the Bexley Land Use Master Plan Commission is this:

"The mission of the Bexley Land-use Commission is to develop a strategic planning framework and land-use vision for the City of Bexley that protects and enhances our unique community assets by:

• Identifying and addressing short and long term planning options and land-use challenges.
• Recommending opportunities for civic improvement and beautification through land-use policies and initiatives."

Once we had penned a mission statement, the question was raised as to the name of the commission. Several members felt that the phrase "master plan" evoked images of large swathes of undeveloped suburban land that needed planning. Others felt the word "master" should be reserved for an overarching community plan that addresses all elements of a strategic community plan, not just land use.

Choosing the appropriate name is important in communicating to the community what we are trying to achieve. We'll be working on honing in on a commission name that adequately communicates the purpose behind the commission. In the meantime, myself and other commission members will be posting to this blog to communicate more about why we are engaging in a comprehensive land use planning process, how we will go about creating the plan, what it will look like, and how it will be enacted.

P.S. If you would like to keep posted on the progress of the commission and on the posts to this blog, I recommend subscribing to this blog's feed by clicking on the "subscribe to posts" link at the bottom of this page. If you're not familiar with blog/RSS feeds, see this FAQ - I recommend Google Reader as a good starting point. It and other RSS subscription services make it easy to stay up to date on regularly updated web content such as this blog.

- Ben Kessler

Ben Kessler is a member of the Bexley Land Use Strategy Commission as well as a council member of Bexley City Council. When he's not blogging about Bexley's Land Use Strategy he is a commercial real estate appraiser at Samuel D. Koon & Associates.