Address to Council

Address to Council

2-12-2012

Thank you, Ari, for those very eloquent and heartfelt words. Your mom and dad grew up in Amberley and your grandparents still make Amberley their home; you grew up in Amberley, and now you have chosen to stay here and raise your own family in Amberley. While your situation may seem unique in any modern community, it is not at all unique to Amberley. In fact, it is what sets Amberley Village apart in its own uniqueness.

I recently saw some data that indicated how much Amberley residents spend per household for services. The number itself was inaccurate, and I am not sure if it was ever corrected, but it is really irrelevant. I know of very few people – none personally, in fact – who choose to buy a home in Amberley based upon a comparison of how much each household pays for services. There is, in fact, no other community in Hamilton County that is appropriate for which to make a comparison to Amberley, although we have a committee that has spent over three months trying. In 2012, we have as a community something that can’t be quantified or invented: we have a very special BRAND here in Amberley. When you say “Amberley Village” you immediately think of something.

It is that something that Amberley has been building since even prior to its incorporation as a Village in 1940 (primarily to gain police and fire protection, by-the-way). I’ve identified 7 primary reasons that people choose to buy a home and raise a family in Amberley Village:

1. Nostalgia. My husband, council members Muething, Bardach, and Doering, and Ari, all have something in common: they grew up here and decided to move back. Many of our residents even bought the house they grew up in.
2. Large lots. Now, even more so than before, you can get a very good deal on a house in Amberley Village. That home is likely to sit on a large one acre lot, often bordered by trees. Maybe there is a creek running through the property. I guarantee you won’t be able to find a comparable property for a comparable price anywhere in Cincinnati.
3. Access to synagogues. There are five synagogues in Amberley. We have the largest Orthodox population of any other municipality in Cincinnati. Our only competition for the Orthodox who walk to synagogue on the Sabbath is Blue Ash. Access to synagogue, as well as proximity to Cincinnati Hebrew Day School and the Regional Institute for Torah and Secular Studies -- or RITSS – both located on Losantiville Avenue in Golf Manor – is the primary reason many of our residents buy homes in Amberley.
4. Proximity to three major highways. We used to be able to say we could get anywhere in 15 minutes. Now it’s 20 minutes, but you still can’t beat Amberley for convenience.

5. Schools. Yes indeed. Walnut Hills High School, SCPA, and Clark Montessori high school attract legions of CPS kids and for good reason.  They are terrific schools. There is an extensive waiting list to attend Clark. Walnut Hills and SCPA attract students from all over the region who are willing to pay tuition to go to both of these outstanding and unique public high schools. Tuition can range from $8000-10,000 a year depending on whether you live in state or out of state. Our residents are fortunate to live within the boundaries of the Cincinnati Public School System.
6. Proximity to parks and green space. When I think of Amberley, I think of driving on Ridge and Section Rds. and seeing beautiful trees on either side of the road. This is our BRAND. It is on our letterhead and street signs.  This is part of Amberley’s identity, and it is an ASSET to our village and an amenity to our residents.
7. Finally, Amberley’s architecture is unique as well. If I was a realtor trying to sell Amberley, I would familiarize myself with mid-century modern architecture. We have an extensive collection of mid-century modern homes and the residents who currently live in these homes know and appreciate how special they are. We also have solid, older homes built in the ‘30s and ‘40s which Scott and I refer to as “old Amberley homes.” They are beautiful homes which cannot be replicated anywhere else. Believe me – when Scott and I couldn’t buy the old “Wolf” home, we tried to build our own version of it but we could never come close in craftsmanship and charm to these older homes.

8.  And let us not forget the element that is imperative to making all of these intangible and unique things run smoothly – our services. Where else can you live where the police know you either by name or by face as well as where you live? Where else can you call 911 and know that police or fire will respond in less than a minute?

When you vote on the levy next month, please take a moment to remember WHY you moved to Amberley in the first place. I don’t believe for a minute that Issue 3 passage will cause our property values to go down. I believe without it, our Village will suffer irreparable damage to both to our property values and to our BRAND and for those reasons, I strongly encourage our residents to vote for passing Issue 3.