LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: jamie smith

  • Council endorses request by residents for Grailville grant application filing

    Council endorses request by residents for Grailville grant application filing

    The request must still go before Miami Township and Clermont County leaders

    David Miller is the Managing Editor of Loveland Magazine

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – On Tuesday the Loveland City Council approved a request by the Cardinal Land Conservancy to put their mark of support on a plan that could save 89 acres at Grailville as dedicated green space in perpetuity. Andy Dickerson, on behalf of the Conservancy, appeared at the meeting requesting a vote of support for a grant application that would be submitted to the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund, for funding the purchase of the 89 acres of Grail property that is within the city’s corporation boundaries.

    After their successful effort to convince Loveland Council to support the plan they worked on for a year, some members of the Grailville Land Preservation Group posed for a photo. Laurie Kiley, Kevin Kiley, Sharon Scovanner, Andy Dickerson, Elizabeth Murphy, Elizabeth Robinson, Mary Lu Lageman, Jamie Smith, and Loretta Rokey.

    After Council unanimously approved the request Dickerson expressed caution because the Conservancy will still need the support of the Miami Township Trustees and the Clermont County Commissioners.

    This is the site where Drees Homes was denied the zoning change they requested in 2022 after local residents filled Planning and Zoning chambers to urge that the site be protected. The Kentucky home builder had requested the land become a Special Planning District which could have allowed 209 homes on the site. The same parcel is also where the Loveland City School District proposed building a campus until the funding they wanted was denied by voters in 2019. The site is bounded by O’Bannonville Road and State Route 48 (Oakland Road).

    After the re-zoning Drees requested was denied, local Grail members and other local residents coalesced to find the solution that was presented to City Council on Tuesday. Many of them sat in council chambers to hear the presentation.

    The Grailville Land Preservation Group worked together to stop the zoning change for Drees. Four members of the conservation subcommittee of the larger group consisted of Lauren Enda, Kevin Kiley, Jamie Smith, and Sharon Scovanner.

    Sharon Scovanner told Loveland Magazine today, “I want to make it clear that both the big group and our subcommittee were very important to our success. This was a case of many members of the community coming together with the goal of preserving the land. We are grateful that ‘corporate’ Grail agreed to provide a 25% match for the grant and to the local Grail women, several of who worked alongside us wanted to find a solution. Of course, we have been honored to partner with Cardinal to help facilitate an agreement that is good for the Grail and the community.”

    For background: History of Grailville – The Grailville Archive

    If the grant application is successful, the 89 acres of land would be deeded as dedicated green space in perpetuity. The proposed purchase by the conservancy would be adjacent to the 100-acre Clermont County Park District property, which was also acquired from the Grail using Clean Ohio funding.

    In this first LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, Andy Dickerson explains the details of the grant and what he was asking the Council to do.

    In this second LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, Council members ask questions and vote on the resolution of support.

    In this third LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, residents and Grail members spoke with cautious optimism about the first public step they made in announcing the plan they had worked toward since Drees first proposed building 209 homes on the site.

    About Cardinal Land Conservancy

    Their address is 790 Garfield Avenue in Milford.

    Cardinal Land Conservancy is a private, nonprofit, 501c3 tax-exempt conservation organization, incorporated in September 1999 under the laws of the state of Ohio. Cardinal is a member of the Land Trust Alliance (LTA), a national organization, and Coalition of Ohio Land Trusts (COLT). Cardinal earned LTA accreditation in 2019 and uses LTA’s “Land Trust Standards and Practices” to guide our work as we grow. This accreditation confirms that Cardinal practices sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.

    Cardinal Land Conservancy, formerly known as the Citizen’s Land Conservancy of Hamilton County (“the Conservancy”), is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) land preservation organization and land trust. Cardinal holds the title to 11 nature preserves.

    Cardinal Land Conservancy is a land conservancy in Southwest Ohio whose mission is to preserve natural habitats, waterways, agricultural lands, and open space in Southwest Ohio.

    We protect and restore natural lands with significant habitats that support native wildlife and create scenic vistas for public enjoyment, as well as agricultural lands suitable for the production of food, timber, or other cultivated or natural products. Cardinal acquires conservation interests in real properties which it then monitors and stewards in perpetuity. These include conservation easements, fee simple title, and other conservation interests which are acquired through donations and purchases guided by, and executed through, Cardinal. Once obtained, Cardinal monitors and otherwise stewards the properties and interests through regular oversight, periodic assessment and, if needed, protective action and legal defense. Our service area includes the Southwestern Ohio counties: Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland, and Warren.

    Rinsky Woods Nature Preserve

    Clermont County

    There are few woods like this in the world. Those woods that exist are found only in Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. Rinksy Woods is the second largest woods of this kind in the world. In fact, it has been designated as an Ohio Natural Landmark by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. These wet flat woods are adjacent to Stonelick State Park, adding to an admirable stretch of greenspace in the area. Details & Trail Map

    Todd’s Fork Nature Preserve

    Clinton County

    Native prairies give way to a 100+ acre woods on this preserve, which also includes the Todd’s Fork of the Little Miami River. Cardinal has several stewardship projects ongoing here including maintenance of the prairie. Maintenance includes prescribed burning which is meant to discourage unwanted invasive plants on an annual basis. Details & Trail Map

    Kope Hollow Nature Preserve

    Brown County

    In Southeast Brown County, the Kope formation (a bedrock formation unique to Southern Ohio and Indiana) runs through incredibly diverse woods. A recent native plant survey listed over 100 native species. This property is also graced with five waterfalls that contribute to Roup’s Run. This water flows into the Ohio River just beyond the bounds of the property. Details & Trail Map

    Bortz Family Nature Preserve

    Hamilton County

    This 119-acre preserve offers respite in deep and cool woods along with views of the wide Ohio and of the Little Miami’s emerald shores. This land appeals to both humans and wildlife because of its diversity. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources determined that this land is likely the home of the endangered Indiana Bat and several endangered species of mussels. Overlooking the confluence of these two great rivers is an American Bald Eagle nest, atop a towering cottonwood tree. Our eagles can be viewed by our Eagle Camera from January to June! Details & Trail Map

    Read about the other nature preserve of the Cardinal Land Conservancy.

    Send email to lovelandmagazine@cinci.rr.com
  • [Video] Jamie Smith: Grailville brought joy to her mentally and emotionally exhausted family

    [Video] Jamie Smith: Grailville brought joy to her mentally and emotionally exhausted family

    David Miller

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – Jamie Smith has lived her entire life in Loveland and raised five sons here. She said she has a “very deep connection” to this place, and her family’s favorite place is Grailville.

    She testified during the May 4 meeting when the Planning and Zoning Commission was deciding whether or not to allow 209 Drees homes on the 111-acre Graville site.

    She speaks of her very stressful lifestyle, most of the time as a single mother, and living with the father of her children who struggled with an opioid addiction his entire adult life. She added that he has been “clean” for the past ten years however the experience of dealing with the addiction within her family was traumatizing.

    She defined her financial situation as havoc and how she has maintained a full-time job and two or three additional part-time jobs for her sons’ entire lives. To be able to be a contributing member of society and a good mom, she designed their lives around something she could afford, spending time in nature. “Not only because it was all we could afford, but because it was healthy and fulfilling,” Smith added. “And it brought joy to a mentally and emotionally exhausted family.”

    She took listeners on a journey with her boys down the Grailville path to the respite of the cool waters of the O’Bannon Creek.

  • Call to action for attending Rally and Planning & Zoning meeting about Grailville rezoning

    Call to action for attending Rally and Planning & Zoning meeting about Grailville rezoning

    SHOW OPPOSITION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRAILVILLE

    (Reprinted with permission from a social media post of Jamie Smith)

    by Jamie Smith

    There will be a planning and zoning meeting at Loveland City Hall Wednesday, May 4th at 7 PM, with a demonstration beforehand at 6 PM to rally against the petition Drees is submitting for an (SPD) proposal.

    Jamie’s family is often on the Grailville Farm. “My dogs have their absolute biggest smiles here, as do my kids and I.”

    The granting of an SPD would allow them to build over 200 homes on the land that was annexed originally for “low-density housing.” This neighborhood of about 206 homes would sit on the south side of the old Grailville property, between Saint Columban Church and the north side of Grailville (their current offices).

    The building of yet another non-distinct neighborhood in Loveland would destroy several historically rich and architecturally beautiful buildings that hold much significance in the hearts of many Loveland residents. Even a stranger passing by, with no knowledge of the importance of the work that was done there, is struck at the beauty of the place.

    The women (and men) who started the mission here at Grailville were so dedicated to the righteousness of its cause that many of its early devotees are buried on-site, in the loveliest little cemetery on the north side of O’Bannonville Road.

    Some of the reasons I feel very strongly against the actions aimed at adding yet another subdivision to our previously rolling river valley and forested areas are as follows:

    1. It is my favorite place in Loveland, exactly as it is, in its natural state. My dogs have their absolute biggest smiles here, as do my kids and I.

    2. I and my children have gained much peace and happiness from our exposure to the blessings of the land, water, and sky at Grailville. We have shared this joy with others. This land has kept us healthy physically and mentally. I can feel instant decompression upon starting my explorations there.

    3. The place has a beautiful historical significance. You can explore the beginnings of the good that has been done on this land starting with this LINK. The historical films created, however, don’t even begin to touch on the good work that was done up until current times.

    4. Not only have many historic buildings of Loveland been destroyed that are tragically gone FOREVER, but the greenspace in Loveland is rapidly disappearing, to the point that Grailville is the “last of the Mohicans.” Losing the large stretch of greenspace that connects fields to the “wilderness” on the north side would have a hugely detrimental impact on local wildlife, as well as on the human beings that regularly seek solace in the fields and woods of its paths.

    5. TRAFFIC IN DOWNTOWN LOVELAND

    “I and my children have gained much peace and happiness from our exposure to the blessings of the land, water, and sky at Grailville.”

    6. GREED over NATURE

    7. Absolutely zero benefits to Loveland residents, only more destruction, construction, and overcrowding of our streets….adding to issues of congestion instead of working on solutions.

    8. Once this land is developed, the sanctity and purity of the place will be lost forever. We are Loveland, and beginning to look like Liberty Township, a “run-on sentence of subdivisions.” We are a town rich in farming and RR history. Let’s not erase YET ANOTHER part of our heritage. There is enough history at Grailville to erect a small museum to the humanitarian work and personal development that was achieved there and carried throughout other communities in the hearts of members of the Grail.

    9. The land is certified organic, which is no small feat.

    10. About 10 million reasons this ties into the bigger picture of the environmental crisis: urban sprawl (in turn, increasing urban blight), loss of greenspaces for migratory species, the immediate destruction of the habitat for countless plant and animal species, loss of biodiversity, etc., etc., etc.

    11. The thought of losing this place and the PEACE IT HAS BROUGHT MY FAMILY, and having to deal with the congestion of another subdivision literally breaks my heart….and I am not alone.

    Come show your solidarity. Let’s not let an out-of-state developer take what’s left of who we are! These historic places, YES EVEN OPEN PLACES, FARMS….this is what Loveland was, and part of it always should be! We need to retain a connection to what draws people to love this land.