Tuesday night, the Niles Township planning commission unanimously denied a special land use application that would have permitted a waste treatment facility to open in the township.

The decision followed a lot of contention in the township due to many residents’ concern over the environmental and safety impacts of having such an establishment in their backyards and so close to Brandywine Creek.

The people of Niles Township made their voices heard by circulating a petition, speaking during public comment at commission meetings and working with local officials to ensure their views were made clear.

And it worked.

We commend the residents of Niles Township for voicing their concerns, and the members of the planning commission for taking their views into consideration before making the final decision.

This conflict showed exactly how democracy is supposed to work. Officials elected to represent their neighbors are supposed to cast votes in accordance with fellow residents’ opinions, and, judging by the number of names on the petition protesting the new waste treatment facility, planning commission members did just that.

The commission was right to evaluate the concerns of the citizens, as well as how the waste treatment plant would have fit in with the township’s master plan.

While planning commissioners should certainly keep their minds open to new businesses in the township they serve, as Commission Chair Dan Smotherman pointed out, the risks outweighed the rewards in this case.

The residents of Niles Township should feel comforted by the fact that the officials elected to make decisions on their behalf have their best interests in mind and are therefore serving the citizens well.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.