Mayors from New Albany, Gahanna and Johnstown came together Wednesday at the Columbus Metropolitan Club to discuss how their communities will change as they prepare for the arrival of the $1 billion Intel manufacturing plant.
The mayors say some people are worried that their communities will be unrecognizable, that taxes will increase and that housing and infrastructure won't be built fast enough to keep up with the growth.
Johnstown Mayor Donald Barnard said his small city of 5,000 went through the stages of grief as they realized their proximity to the New Albany site would alter their town forever.
"It was a lot like the death of a family member. The city went through grief, losing farm lands, losing things like that," Barnard said.
But, he added, "They've seen the benefits of what Intel is going to bring. They've seen the opportunities that are going to come. So, for them, it's been stages of going through this and I think right now, the majority of the citizens of Johnstown are really excited about Intel."
Barnard said the city, which only recently saw enough population growth to become a city, is still very rural, and "people don't want to lose that."
Barnard also said that is why the city needs to carefully plan their expansion and pay for it as funds come in from new industry.
Much of the uncertainty is based on access to resources like water and housing, and services like improved roads that can handle increased traffic.
New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding said most are excited about the future, but anxious about the pace of change their community will see.
Unlike denser parts of the region, Barnard said there is land to build on.
"We've got the room for housing. But, just throwing housing into a small city like that is not the answer for the city," he said.
Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin said she has seen a mixed reaction to the project in her community. Many are optimistic, but "there is trepidation, a fear of the unknown," she said.
Jadwin said most of Gahanna is already developed.
"So we have to really be strategic and smart about how we want to approach housing, but if we want to attract the jobs, we have to have the housing to support that. They are intrinsically linked, so having that strategy moving forward is a priority," she said.
She said Gahanna wants to increase their housing stock and ensure the types of housing is diverse, and doing it in a way that respects the history of the community. She said the developments won't encroach on park land.
"I think you have to find a way to balance celebrating the past, honoring the present, but then planning for the future," Jadwin said.
She said the city is examining what land and which corridors can be strategically redeveloped.
Spalding said population growth will increase demands on the school districts and inevitably lead to higher taxes, especially if the state fails to reform the way it funds education.
"We are going to have to ask our tax payers to help support that growth with additional tax increases. There is just no way around it," Spalding said.
Barnard said it is concerning that so many services will be needed before cash starts flowing in from the new industry.
Spalding said the need for housing is already high, and nearly 300,000 new housing units will be needed over the next few decades.
