Plan to create SID is welcome sign of Franklinton revival

Recent talk of forming a special improvement district in Franklinton is one more mark of the neighborhood’s progress from distant potential to vibrant new life.

Under state law, if enough property owners in a defined area agree, all property owners can be assessed an extra fee on their property taxes, with the proceeds going to pay for improvements in the area. Typically, efforts focus first on making the area cleaner and safer.

That’s the approach being taken by Trent Smith, head of the Franklinton Board of Trade and the point man for the effort to create a Franklinton SID.

Even as new developments like the River & Rich apartments and Gravity join Franklinton’s pioneering art studios and trendy bars, businesses have to contend with chronic problems such as panhandling, litter and homelessness.

The special improvement district is an effective way to harness the energy of an up-and-coming neighborhood to offer services beyond what City Hall is able to provide. It also brings property owners together; because they’re paying to support the improvement efforts, they’re motivated to participate and voice their opinions about priorities.

Smith’s task over the next few months will be to talk to property owners and find out whether they’re willing to be part of a district and what they’d like to see accomplished. If enough property owners agree, a many-month process will ensue to elect trustees and work out how much property owners will be assessed and how the district will operate.

The soonest a Franklinton SID could receive any money from assessments likely is March or April of 2021.

Success will depend on whether enough Franklinton owners are interested enough in a collective effort to tax themselves for it. A new SID won’t likely generate enough money right away to launch efforts as elaborate as those of the longer-established Capital Crossroads and Discovery District SIDS, with their uniformed bike patrols and other services.

But the budget and capacity can grow along with Franklinton property values. The proposed SID could hasten Franklinton’s rebirth as a healthy, prosperous neighborhood.

Chat with real people builds cultural understanding

Just about every public organization these days strives for diversity, and schools put a premium on teaching children about other cultures. The Olentangy Local School District deserves credit for going beyond textbooks and videos to a real-life exchange with people from other cultures.

On Feb. 2, a workshop at the district’s annual One Community conference will offer conversations with first- and secondgeneration immigrants from Colombia, Somalia, India and Ethiopia. “No question is off-limits,” the district promises; that’s a welcome invitation to the sort of frank, curious dialogue that could build real understanding.

Kudos to 18-year-old Zaida Jenkins, the Orange High School senior who is organizing the culturalconversation workshop, which she’s adapting from a similar event she staged last year for district fifth-graders.

“It’s not about just saying ‘everyone’s different’ and that’s it,” Jenkins said. “It’s important to talk about our differences, even if it might cause disagreements, and celebrate them.”

As all of central Ohio grows more diverse, that approach could enrich every community.