Blue Ash: A Family City now and in the Future

By William P. "Bill" Sikute

The residents of Blue Ash deserve a city which is safe, environmentally conscious, and family-focused. This requires a well-planned and controlled economic base.

The development of the City of Blue Ash is no different than the development of the school district. A master plan was developed with a great deal of citizen involvement several years ago. The input of those who were willing to devote time to this effort had a great deal of impact on the outcome. Unfortunately, all too many residents did not and do not take advantage of that opportunity. The development and maintenance of the recreational facilities that all of the residents of Blue Ash are able to enjoy would not be possible without the strong economic base afforded us by the commercial development and tax revenue associated with that growth. Is there a downside to that development? Of course there is. Our population at night is approximately thirteen thousand. During the day that swells to between sixty and seventy thousand. The increased population certainly brings with it an increase in traffic and an increased burden on our fire and police departments to provide a safe environment for residential and business residents. Also, the recreational facilities of which we are so proud can be stretched at times to accommodate all. Therefore, it becomes very clear that close control of current and future development, both residential and commercial, must be well planned and closely controlled. I believe that is best accomplished through very close cooperation between the city and the citizens of Blue Ash. That requires good communication between every citizen and their elected representatives. To feel that there is some mysterious entity called "They" is in my mind a sad commentary on the lack of involvement of "We." This city belongs to the residents of Blue Ash and those residents need to be informed and involved. As councilman elected by Ward 5 voters and representing the welfare of all of the citizens of Blue Ash, I will be committed to regular communication with my fellow citizens and will be available to anyone having questions regarding the services provided by the city. My position on the importance of personal involvement by citizens should be quite clear. While all citizens deserve representation and will receive it, I personally find it difficult to understand those who fail to accept the opportunity to become involved and yet are often the most active critics of the results achieved through the efforts of others.

Since the borders of our city are clearly fixed we know precisely how much territory we have. It is not difficult to ascertain that we have very little undeveloped land in our city. Therefore, the stewardship of that land is very important to me. I believe we must preserve as much green space as we can as we continue to implement the master plan of the city. Green space must be more than potted plants in a concrete jungle. One of the largest areas of undeveloped land available is the land associated with the Blue Ash Airport. To have that land owned by the City of Cincinnati and to have our citizens held hostage to the decision-making process of the Cincinnati City Council makes no sense to me. I have been a member of the Blue Ash Airport Advisory Committee from the time of its creation and am a former chairman of that organization. I represent the City of Blue Ash on that committee. A master plan has been developed for the airport by the City of Cincinnati with some input from the City of Blue Ash. To date no progress has been made on this plan and none seems imminent as the City of Cincinnati has been unwilling to act despite continuing efforts by Blue Ash. Once again my position regarding this issue is that any resident wishing input can provide this input by involvement. Regardless of whether a resident favors having an airport or not, I believe that all residents of Blue Ash want to determine the development of all of the land within our borders. I intend to be the voice of all of my neighbors residing in Ward 5 as well as representing the needs and desires of all of the citizens in our city.

My hope for the residents of Blue Ash is that they all have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful quality of life that my family has been privileged to enjoy. I am grateful to all of those who have made this possible. This includes city administrators, city employees, and most of all those private citizens who have given of their time and talents in various volunteer roles to assist our municipality in becoming such a desirable city in which to live and raise a family. By the way, I do not get asked anymore, "Why Blue Ash?"