State shouldn’t miss the chance to spur Y’town transformation

When “Youngstown 2010,” the city’s transformational blueprint, was being developed more than a decade ago, consensus was sought on a key element: The need to “right-size” (shrink) Youngstown.

After much discussion, including public hearings in every ward, it was agreed that the city, with an estimated 500 miles of road, could not be sustained. Visionaries, both in and out of government, warned that a declining, aging population, coupled with a deteriorating tax base, would force City Hall to reassess its spending priorities.

“Youngstown 2010” was formally adopted by city council nine years ago, and while bits and pieces of the planning blueprint have been initiated, the right-sizing of the city is proving to be a hard nut to crack. Residents who have lived in their neighborhoods most of their lives aren’t interested in relocating.

A front-page story in the Feb. 23 edition of The Vindicator about James Hushower, 60, the lone resident on a street on the East Side, illustrates the problem confronting City Hall.

Hushower is living in an area that is mostly deserted and that the city wants to return to its natural state. There are 90 acres that the government would buy. Vacant homes would be demolished, streets would be vacated and utilities disconnected.

The area is west of Jacobs Road in the Sharonline section.

To accomplish this forward-looking plan, city government is seeking a $323,500 grant from the Clean Ohio green space conservation program administered by the Ohio Public Works Commission.

We would think that Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is seeking re-election this year and who has long talked about communities reinventing themselves to meet today’s economic pressures, would jump at the chance to be a part of Youngstown’s transformation. A call from him to the public works commission would work wonders.

State funding cuts

Local governments, especially in older, urban communities, have been feeling the pinch of the cuts in state funding. Without the ability to make up the lost revenue (because of shrinking tax bases), they have been forced to tread water.

That’s why the “Back to Nature” initiative — as the headline in The Vindicator described it — is deserving of state support.

The project cost is $431,550, which means the city also will be committing its resources. The land banks of Youngstown and Mahoning County would supply 100 parcels totaling more than 24 acres, which they now control, as the in-kind match to the state grant.

Former Mayor Jay Williams, who was the city’s Community Development director when “Youngstown 2010” was developed, gave voice to a majority of the city’s residents when he said of the right-sizing initiative:

“It’s a long time coming, and the city of Youngstown was heralded for its acknowledgment ... that a smaller city doesn’t mean an inferior city.”

Williams is now serving in the Obama administration and is soon expected to be confirmed by the Senate as the head of the Economic Development Administration.

We certainly would welcome the White House’s participation in this major step toward the transformation of the city of Youngstown.