Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: letter to editor

  • Cindy Zetterberg: Either stop reporting one side of an issue or don’t report anything political at all

    Cindy Zetterberg: Either stop reporting one side of an issue or don’t report anything political at all

    Letter to Editor

    Dear Editor

    I have been a Loveland resident for 32 years and an avid supporter of the Loveland Herald and Loveland Magazine. It has been a delight to read articles about our community, the wonderful things our schools and businesses are doing, and the fabulous events that Loveland has to offer. It has always been a positive form of communication and has rarely shown bias until recently.

    I am saddened that Loveland Magazine has become an ally of the Democratic Party, showing one-sided reporting on abortion to the recent issue of Speaker of the House.

    Loveland has seen division over the recent school levy. Please don’t continue to divide us with political issues. Either stop reporting one side of an issue or don’t report anything political at all.

    Please continue to be a positive, encouraging voice that unites rather than divides.

    Sincerely,
    Cindy Zetterberg

  • I believe that we have to look at new models of Urban Planning

    I believe that we have to look at new models of Urban Planning

    by Kim Lukens

    YOUR QUALITY  OF  LIFE – YOUR COMMUNITY IDENTITY – YOUR COMMUNITY VALUES

    My name is Kim Lukens. My home is located in the Brandywine Subdivision which is on the east side of Loveland. I need to access 275 West for my lifestyle probably 70% of the time. I have to drive by what some call Historic downtown Loveland, to Loveland Madeira Rd. over to 275 West to live out my lifestyle. This transit can take me 20 to 40 minutes because of congestion. I have been a resident of Loveland City for just over a year. My name is on the Nov 2nd, 2021 ballot for you to choose as one of Loveland’s City Council Representatives.

    I have seen the current City Council which includes the Mayor and City Manager influence Loveland City’s identity and quality of life. Loveland city has been altered through zoning, voting, and saying YES to developers that want to build homes instead of supporting the development of a park. Saying YES to 25 multifamily townhomes on a dense amount of land, the annexation of 95 acres owned by a single owner for a development that would build 200 to 250 homes. The historic blueprint of downtown Loveland has changed. There is an increase in the number of restaurants. The product of alcohol seems to be heightened to the public such as advertised ‘’HAPPY HOUR”, emphasis on BAR food, DORA, musical bands inside some of the newer owned restaurants, the new Civic Center, over 70% of the CITY EVENTS involve accessibility or linkage to alcohol. I see this direction as not sustainable and having a negative impact on the Quality of Life.

    What has happened to the value of the State-funded Historic Bike Trail that rolls for 100’s of miles from Southwest to Northern Ohio? The value of the Little Miami River which is a natural tributary and Lake Isabella. Where have the mature trees and woods disappeared too?

    How important are historic preservations of buildings to you?
    The Joy of making a homemade picnic lunch, the Joy of reading a book, playing a game of cards, playing chess, or reading the newspaper at Nisbet Park.

    Do we need curbside service or valet parking when we enjoy downtown Loveland?

    Can we create a one-of-a-kind Walking City and work with the space we have for parking without building a garage? Can we walk one, two, or three blocks to work in and enjoy Downtown Loveland? Can we provide closer parking spaces for those who need wheelchairs, walkers, canes, or who have some sort of handicap?

    I believe that the United Nations Sustainable model of how to achieve a High Quality of Life can work. Loveland City is currently not in a Sustainable Zone.

    I hope that we can preserve our past, embrace our present and prepare for our Future.

    I believe that we have to look at new models of Urban Planning. We need to embrace Colleges that are on the cutting edge of Sustainability, Security, and Resilience. Our world has been altered due to COVID, technical advances, our current situation with natural resources,
    immigration and other concerns and fears.

    Thank-You!

  • Tim Butler: “I humbly ask for your support for the next four years on City Council.”

    Tim Butler: “I humbly ask for your support for the next four years on City Council.”

    by Tim Butler

    Four years ago, you trusted me with your vote to City Council. Now I humbly ask for your support for the next four years on City Council. With over 32 years of living in and raising our family in Loveland, I have a strong commitment to speak for our citizens. Our family is invested in the success of Loveland. We started a successful track and cross-country program which launched the running careers of hundreds of Loveland’s boys and girls. Our family has invested its time, financial resources, and energy in the creation and operation of Mile 42 Coffee in downtown Loveland. Our roots are firmly planted in Loveland. 

    We have a great city. Our downtown is vibrant and unique with its access to the bike path and the Little Miami River. We have a strong community spirit. We have successful local businesses. With our growth comes inherent challenges. 

    We are at a point where the decisions made by your City Council will affect the character, look, and feel of Loveland for future generations. Here are a few key areas where Council’s decisions will impact Loveland going forward: 

    • The first is zoning and development. Our Council has approved the rezoning demands of developers which increased the density of development and will contribute to further congestion. I listened to your fellow citizens and voted against this rezoning. Council will face similar zoning and development questions over the next four years. 
    • Second is how we manage traffic and parking downtown. Our Council is considering a multi-million dollar parking garage and we do not know whether it is even financially sustainable. The location of the garage will cause overcrowding in the busiest part of our downtown. There are other options we can explore before we change the landscape of downtown for the next 30 years with a garage which may not even solve the problem. I have consistently asked Council to explore these options and explain to our citizens the financial impact of the garage and the availability of alternatives. 
    • The third is ensuring we fully involve our citizens as we make these and other decisions, including annexation of new property into the city. Unfortunately, our Council has not been fully transparent in this decision-making process. 

    As I talk to our fellow citizens, I hear concerns about the direction of our city and some of the decisions made by our City Council. How much development is too much? Are we spending your taxpayer dollars on pet projects? Are we sufficiently planning for the next generation of Loveland’s families so they can enjoy the kind of childhood our own children were fortunate enough to have? 

    Let’s take a breath and engage in thoughtful, analytical growth. Let’s seek out the opinions and gauge the wishes of our citizens. Let’s spend our tax dollars wisely. Let’s think and talk about what is best for the city of Loveland for the next ten to twenty years, so future generations will continue to think of Loveland as a wonderful place to live, work, and raise their families. 

    I ask for your support for reelection to Loveland’s City Council. If you trust me with your vote, I pledge to continue to serve as your voice on Council. Together, we can plan and build the best Loveland for the present and for our future. 

    Meet the candidate nights

    Candidate List and Voter Information

  • Old storm sewer causes sink holes in local neighborhood

    Old storm sewer causes sink holes in local neighborhood

    by Tom Vargo

    Dear Loveland Magazine Reader,

    Let me start by saying my family and I have been residents of Loveland for over 25 years. Our children have gone through and graduated from the Loveland School System. Of all the areas we looked at when we moved here from Columbus, we felt at home in Loveland. Until recently.

    There is a storm sewer line that runs between mine and my neighbor’s house. The line sits equally on both of our properties.  This storm sewer takes the rainwater from a great many homes around us and runs it out to the main sewer in the street.

    Over the years, the storm sewer has come apart and has started to cause a large sinkhole between the 2 houses. 

    Not only is this an eyesore but it is extremely dangerous.

    Now we have 2 additional sinkholes starting on the sewer line. We have had a company come out and run a camera through the line and we can see where the pipe has come apart and water is leaking through.

    My neighbor has reached out to the City of Loveland and had some communications with City Manager Dave Kennedy about this issue.  During a phone call, Mr. Kennedy agreed with my neighbor that we have a problem and the city should look into the issue. In fact, Mr. Kennedy suggested we meet and discuss the problem in person.

    Under a prior City Administration when my neighbor called and complained about the other sinkholes appearing in his yard, the City sent out a crew to fill in the holes. So you see, this is not our first time reaching out to them on this matter.

    My neighbor did receive an email back from Mr. Kennedy stating that since the storm sewer is on a “Private Easement” the repair is not the responsibility of the City of Loveland. 

    This property was surveyed way before we moved in. So we had no input into the private vs public easement classification. Nor would we know the difference. We are not surveyors or lawyers. 

    There are seven other storm sewers in our subdivision and only two are private. The other five are public and the city takes care of them.

    This is my opinion is an outrage. How can some surveyor 30-40 years ago arbitrarily pick a description and the City let it stand? Do not the City’s past repairs indicate that they felt the problem belonged to them in the first place?

    When we have reached out to Mr. Kennedy to meet and discuss, we have not received a response back. Again this is an outrage.

    To anyone living currently in Loveland and anyone planning on moving to Loveland, I say take a good hard look at your decision.  The city government has no problem taking your tax dollars but when you need their help, they are nowhere to be found. 

    It makes you wonder why anyone would want to live here in the first place.

  • Matthew Kapszukiewicz: Loveland schools can count on my support

    Matthew Kapszukiewicz: Loveland schools can count on my support

    by Matthew Kapszukiewicz

    In 2018-19 the Loveland School District invited me and hundreds of other community and business leaders to provide input into their facility master plan and the “Portrait of a Tiger” to identify the community’s vision for the student experience at Loveland. I truly believe they listened.

    The classrooms are overcrowded and desperately need to be modernized to keep up with the type of education required to prepare our students for jobs in the 21st-century workforce. The administration has been straightforward that the cost of regular maintenance of current facilities is outpacing the cost to upgrade or build new. If we don’t build new, we will spend more money keeping old buildings functioning, than we would with new ones!

    While my children will be graduated before they see a benefit, Loveland schools can count on my support, because now is the time that we must invest in our community and our schools for everyone’s benefit and ensure a prosperous future.

    Common sense says we move forward with the proposal or we will spend more to maintain inadequate facilities, thus wasting money. The availability of land in Loveland also creates urgency to move forward. If we miss this opportunity, we will lose a lot of flexibility and likely make upgrades more costly. We must act now. Of course being prepared to compete in a global economy where artificial intelligence, bots, etc. require students to be agile like we’ve never seen.

    Today our school holds classes in hallways and in trailers!  This will only get worse if we do not support the ask. We need better space, more flexible space, more cost-effective space to ensure this community prepares the workforce of the future.

    Let’s be smart about this and not throw good money after bad. Let’s move forward in a deliberate and intentional way that secures our future and leaves us with options for a very bright future.  There is a cost no matter how you vote.

  • Have you been chewing on something you’d like others to know about?

    Have you been chewing on something you’d like others to know about?

    lovelandmagazine@cinci.rr.com