OUR POSITION ON THE UMCH DEVELOPMENT

Building Worthington’s Future (“BWF”) is not currently in support of nor against the most recent proposal made by Lifestyle Communities for the UMCH property. It is BWF’s position that we, as a community, allow any developer the opportunity to go through the review process and take into account feedback from our planning commission and residents to refine and improve their proposal.

The end goal of both the developer and the planning commission should be to find a way to work together to make a project that is both feasible and beneficial to our community. BWF is focused on respecting Worthington’s heritage and maintaining our quality of life while ensuring the City’s continued economic vitality into the future. We must make the most of our limited opportunities by allowing reasonable developments to come to life. Speaking specifically about the UMCH property, BWF has reviewed the proposal and has met with the developer to discuss its merits. Upon doing so, our organization would like to see the following elements incorporated into a revised proposal:

· As much contiguous green space as possible accessible by the entire community as a public benefit

· Utilizing as much of the frontage for mixed-use commercial development as possible (office, retail, restaurant, etc).

· More variety of housing stock including patio homes/empty-nester housing.

· Better connectivity and more focus on the bike and pedestrian paths.

BWF believes in a collaborative approach where residents work hand in hand with experts to craft a balanced plan, offering constructive input on the elements we'd like to see while allowing professionals to design a harmonious and economically feasible vision.

BWF continues to express gratitude to developers who consider Worthington for investment. We highly encourage developers to actively engage with the community, listen to their feedback, and work collaboratively to integrate it into their plans. We understand that investment dollars are limited, and we're thankful that our community is being considered for such developments.