Moving forward with shared community vision

As we watch the Spire Institute saga play out, with negotiations stalled and likely a game of foreclosure chicken on the horizon, the only word that comes to mind is disappointing.

It is disappointing something started with good intentions from someone who has done and invested much in the community — Ron Clutter poured millions of his own money into the project to get it off the ground — has devolved into a bitter point of contention.

It’s disappointing that, while we’re sure it was never the intention to harm local businesses, many contractors took deep, and in some cases debilitating, hits when various vendors and contractors were not paid what and when they should have been during construction — leaving wounds in the community that have definitely not fully healed.

It’s disappointing that the intended halo effect of Spire, with millions of dollars’ worth of hotels, housing, restaurants and amenities popping up in Harpersfield Township and the surrounding areas, has not yet come to pass.

It’s disappointing that what should be a slam dunk victory for Geneva Area City Schools when it comes to accessing state-of-the-art athletic facilities has not worked as intended.

Mostly, however, it’s disappointing that what should be a shared, community vision for a nationally recognized attraction has been lost in the fog of the facility’s past and future tax burden . ...

... Spire officials and the school board must come back to the table, and not under the gun with foreclosure proceedings hanging in the air. And certainly, having Spire circumvent the will of the community by going around the school board via the Legislature would make a tense situation even more untenable.

Forming the managing authority in a way that enables long-term sustainability is the most important thing going forward. These are not easy questions, but to preserve a great community asset and what should be a shared vision, they must be answered.

Read the full editorial from the Ashtabula Star Beacon at bit.ly/2sjRfX2