Carthage Fairgrounds

[CarthagePrez]

Per the Enquirer, the sale of the property is restricted by the deed.  The Fair Board and the Commisioners must agree to the sale.  If the Commisioners dangle a big enough carrot I beleive the Board will cave.

Once the land is sold it will become a dumping ground for commercial vehicles and debris.  It is important to save the Fair as a means to save the Farigrounds.  Below is the official Carthage stance on the issue:

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As you know, Commissioner Heimlich proposed a sales tax to pay for a new jail.  Commissioner DeWine opposes that and has presented an alternative plan.

Part of Commissioner DeWine's plan is to sell the Hamilton County Fairgrounds located in Carthage, a Cincinnati neighborhood in the northern part of the city.  The Carthage Civic League opposes the sale of the Fairgrounds for a number of reasons:

The Hamilton County Fair has been in operation for 151 years and is an integral part of our neighborhood.  The sale of the fairgrounds would result in the end of the Fair, making Hamilton County the only county in Southwest Ohio without an annual Fair.

The property is zoned Commercial Community-Automotive.  This is defined by the City zoning code as: "CC Commercial Community.  To identify, create, maintain and enhance areas suitable for a wide variety of commercial and institutional uses along major transportation corridors and in shopping districts or centers. Although these centers may reflect elements of both pedestrian- and auto-oriented development, they typically accommodate larger-scale retail and commercial service uses, such as auto-related businesses and recreation and entertainment, as well as a variety of public and semi-public uses. Future development must reflect a complementary and compatible mix of uses, and may include residential uses. "
<bPermitted uses in this zone include:  Commercial vehicle parking, refuse storage areas, commercial laboratories and private vehicular storage.  Positive uses include: various residential,, schools, parks & recreation, religious assembly, restaurants and retail sales.

In an area already overrun with low-cost used car dealers, we fear that we will get stuck with more of the same.  The combination of flood plain and the presence of high voltage power lines make it more difficult and expensive to develop the bulk of the land for any positive use and therefore the land will most likely become a parking facility for trailers and other commercial vehicles as these uses already occur on surrounding properties.

It has been suggested that the site could be developed for industrial use.  Between the Cross County Highway and I-75, both Carthage and Hartwell have lost enough  property over the years.  The green space provided by the fairgrounds is a positive in a sea of industry abutting a strong residential area.  We feel that the current land use already constitutes the highest and best use.

In short, The Carthage Civic League feels that the Hamilton County Fairgrounds should not be sold to finance, or used as a location for, a county prison.  The City of Cincinnati should oppose this effort by the county.  The county's own shortsightedness and failure to plan for a prison in recent years should not become the problem of a small city neighborhood.  If the property MUST be sold, we will oppose any and all development that does not provide direct benefit to, and improve the quality of life for, the Carthage and Hartwell communities.


--
Rob Kern
President, Carthage Civic League
(513)948-8944

"Deeply Rooted, Planning to Stay."

[Dawn Longworth]

I stand with Cathage and the Hamilton County Fair Board in opposition to selling the Hamilton County Fair Grounds.  The Fair has been here for over 200 years...and it will continue to be.  I personally dont think they have any way of breaking a lifelong lease. 

So Heimlich..for your increased taxes idea and DeWine for your selling of "Hamilton County" property...

Back to the drawing board..

[Valley Cat]

Perhaps Mr. DeWine should read the lease before talking about selling the Fairgrounds.

[CarthagePrez]

DeWine wants to sell the fairgrounds to pay for a prison.  Here's the Carthage response as sent to City Council, HAMCO Commissioners and a few media outlets:

 

As you know, Commissioner Heimlich proposed a sales tax to pay for a new jail. 
Commissioner DeWine opposes that and has presented an alternative plan.
 
Part of Commissioner DeWine's plan is to sell the Hamilton County Fairgrounds
located in Carthage, a Cincinnati neighborhood in the northern part of the city. 
The Carthage Civic League opposes the sale of the Fairgrounds for a number of
reasons:
 
The Hamilton County Fair has been in operation for 151 years and is an integral
part of our neighborhood.  The sale of the fairgrounds would result in the end
of the Fair, making Hamilton County the only county in Southwest Ohio without an
annual Fair.
 
The property is zoned Commercial Community-Automotive.  This is defined by the
City zoning code as: "CC Commercial Community.  To identify, create, maintain
and enhance areas suitable for a wide variety of commercial and institutional
uses along major transportation corridors and in shopping districts or centers.
Although these centers may reflect elements of both pedestrian- and
auto-oriented development, they typically accommodate larger-scale retail and
commercial service uses, such as auto-related businesses and recreation and
entertainment, as well as a variety of public and semi-public uses. Future
development must reflect a complementary and compatible mix of uses, and may
include residential uses. "

Permitted uses in this zone include:  Commercial vehicle parking, refuse
storage areas, commercial laboratories and private vehicular storage.  Positive
uses include: various residential,, schools, parks & recreation, religious
assembly, restaurants and retail sales.
 
In an area already overrun with low-cost used car dealers, we fear that we will
get stuck with more of the same.  The combination of flood plain and the
presence of high voltage power lines make it more difficult and expensive to
develop the bulk of the land for any positive use and therefore the land will
most likely become a parking facility for trailers and other commercial vehicles
as these uses already occur on surrounding properties.
 
It has been suggested that the site could be developed for industrial use. 
Between the Cross County Highway and I-75, both Carthage and Hartwell have lost
enough  property over the years.  The green space provided by the fairgrounds is
a positive in a sea of industry abutting a strong residential area.  We feel
that the current land use already constitutes the highest and best use.
 
In short, The Carthage Civic League feels that the Hamilton County Fairgrounds
should not be sold to finance, or used as a location for, a county prison.  The
City of Cincinnati should oppose this effort by the county.  The county's own
shortsightedness and failure to plan for a prison in recent years should not
become the problem of a small city neighborhood.  If the property MUST be sold,
we will oppose any and all development that does not provide direct benefit to,
and improve the quality of life for, the Carthage and Hartwell communities.
 
 
--
Rob Kern
President, Carthage Civic League
(513)948-8944
 
"Deeply Rooted, Planning to Stay."

[Valley Cat]

Rob,

The commissioners have no idea they have entered into a snake pit. They are so use to dealing with the likes of high-power people that always play games, they do not understand the working people of the world that care beyond their own wallet.

I proposed today that the Society collect enough signatures to place a tax levy on the ballot. Somewhere in the neighborhood of .02 mils, that would cost the owner of a $125,000 home about 80¢ a year. It would raise about $110,00 for the Society. This would enable the board to update the HVAC (actually to add the AC + V part), renovate and add restrooms and do other things so groups will want to rent the facilities for bingos, wedding receptions, etc. One bingo per week ($400 - $20,000/yr) plus two rentals per month ($800 - $19,200) puts them above the loss they suffered last year due to the weather. Add in things like a Farmers Market, Taste of the Valley and a few other things and the Society can last another 100 years. but the important thing is for people to get involved. The Society welcomes "outsiders" to their meetings. They want volunteers. They want to be able to get to the point where they can invite everyone from Carthage, Hartwell, Arlington, Elmwood and bunches of other communities to have an "Old Fashioned Valley Picnic."

They need your help.

[CarthagePrez]

Okay, after meeting with a few of the fairgrounds reps - Bill, Darryl and Janyl - it seems the thing they need most is help.  The fair is put on by volunteers, many of whom dissapear until next year's fair.  Great for the fair, but not much help the rest of the year.

If anyone wants to volunteer with the Hamilton County Agricultural Society (HCAS) to help develop more programing for the fairgrounds they would love to hear from you.

Dick Ingle - dickingle@fuse.net is the manager and can direct you to the people and meetings that can use your help.

As far as getting evicted, there is a lease that grants the HCAS use of the grounds for the lifetime of the society, but politicians can do what they want.  Thier current strategy appears to be to refuse to maintain thier own property until the place cannot be used anymore.  Once it's uninhabitable they can use that as an excuse.  If the grounds are making money outside of the fair then they have less argument.

[Valley Cat]

Rob,

To clarify a little - it's not limited to making the "Fair" more successful. It's the whole Fairgrounds and Agricultural Society. If the grounds could host six major events such as the Spanish Festival and Taste of the Valley, plus some smaller ones like a Farmers Market, the board would not need the help of the commissioners. Or if they were to recieve a large grant from a charitable foundation or company, ditto.

It was also pointed out that if one or more of the larger buildings was air-conditioned it would make renting them far easier. Anyone want to donate a large air conditioning unit? 

[CarthagePrez]

Looks like we've been set up!  After last night's meeting at the fairgrounds, it is apparent that the COUNTY wants the fair to fail so they can take the land (it is the county's land after all) and develop it for heavy industrial.

The county rep wants the fair board to look at renting other locations to hold the fair and vacate the fairgrounds altogether.  They have agreed to give the fair board enough money to get through this years's fair and then they have to show a profit or they're gone.  This is like giving someone enough rope to hang themselves.  This problem is 6 years in the making, it won't turn around in the next three months.

With the most to lose, Carthage needs to make a big investment in time and effort to help save the fair and this meas we have to get the whole COUNTY fired up to save it.  From Anderson to Harrison, Loveland to Cleves, we've got to figure out how to make it clear that the fair is important to everyone.

Any ideas?

[CarthagePrez]

I'm not confident that a Valley yard sale would get much participation.  I have enough trouble draggin my crap to the curb, much less loading it up for a trip.  And bringing it home again if it doesn't sell is not going to happen.  We'd fill up some dumpsters on the grounds for sure.  That starts getting to the flea-market thing again, too.

Dawn, I'm glad you're planning on getting into this more.  I haven't had time to add more meetings and have trouble enough getting ready for teh CCL monthly.  I beleive my wife still plans on going to the Fair Board meeting Thursday so I will make sure she has a print-out of this topic to take with her.  Hopefully some others will be able to join her and the current members.

[Dawn Longworth]

My head is spinning and I cant keep up      You guys have been busy.  Just to throw in my 2 cents...Hartwell is having their second annual Community Yard Sale the 1st weekend After 4th of July (July 7th-9th).  I promise, as soon as I get done with these meetings with the city and county about Galbraith...you will have my full attention.  I just have to make sure Hartwells issues are being addressed at this time before I feel comfortable.  Believe me...I have been talking to everyone I can about the Farmers Market idea and the feedback is great!  I also have a list of things to look into (including visiting Hyde Parks, Northsides and Boone Countys Farmers Markets for ideas and to ask questions.  And believe it or not, checking into permits is at the top of that list.  Give me another week guys, and I will be able to devote more time to this ....Promise!

[Valley Cat]

I was talking with mom today and she came up with this idea - A Valley Yard Sale. I know Carthage has one but this might make it even better. It would cost people $10 for a booth, but they would get lots of free publicity plus Yard-Salers would know they could park and walk and visit maybe 50-100 different booths.

[Valley Cat]

Another possibility I want to propose is a Fire Fighters Rodeo/Safety Fair. Have fire fighting equipment on display, challenges for FFs, allow FDs to pass out smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, etc. Find a couple of sponsors to pay for it (Eckert, FireStop, etc.) and make it free to the public.

[CarthagePrez]

I just discovered that the Fairgrounds are on the Metro's 76X Wyoming Express bus route.  Has anyone talked with SORTA about using the fairgrounds as a Park and Ride location?  A lease would bring in more money, and the traffic would bring more attention to the fair itself and increase attendance.

[CarthagePrez]

I love the idea of a food festival.  The Taste of Cheviot (or is it Cleves?  Those west-side things are beyond me) usually gets a good writeup in the Enquirer and it's only a couple of years old.  With the entire valley to draw from and presumably lower participation costs than Octoberfest this could really take off.  I know the food at the Hispanic fest is the biggest draw for me and I'd love to see some ethnic offerings that you wouldn't see at Taste of Cincinnati or Blue Ash.  With a Mexican restaurant in Elmwood Place now and a Greek place in Sharonville and the Italian place in Reading we'd have a Taste of the World event going on that could demonstrate the diversity of the Valley.  There really is a serious potential here and the more I think about it the more I wonder it hasn't already been done!

The Farmer's market would also compliment this quite well as some of the produce sold there could be used at the food fest.  " Get your broiled corn here, we just got it from the farmer in the next booth - couldn't be more fresh!".

I know the community garden idea was thrashed, but I think the concerns could be addressed if there were enough interested gardeners and it is right in line with what I would expect from an Agricultural Society - I haven't given up on this one yet.

It looks like there are at least 3 events/activities aside from the fair itself that can help the Fair Board:  Taste of the Valley, Farmers' Market and the already-proven Hispanic Festival.  Now we need the people to make these ideas reality.  Any other ideas anyone?

Is there an organization that markets locations to groups looking to do events?  How did Cincy Cinquo end up at River Bend?  Why did the Appalatian Festival end up at Coney Island when most of Appalatia lives in Carthage?  How can the fairgrounds be marketed as a location for other event planners to consider so that the fair board and other volunteers are relieved of the burden of creating the events?  Would the Convention and Visitors Bereau be the place to start?

[Valley Cat]

Rob,

Just got off the phone with Dick. He is thrilled, excited, happy, (insert wheel of adjectives here!) about people wanting to get involved. He wants to host a "Taste of the Valley" sometime this summer and invite restaurants from all over to participate. This could be a HUGE success.

Mike