Grandview Heights / Marble Cliff Historical Society

An Annexation Which Did Not Annex

From the Norwester - September 1920

They say around the Court House that no protest meeting for many years has approached the proportions of the one held at the CommissionerÕs office on August 5th when the petition of the city of Columbus to annex about two square miles between the city and our village was the subject of a public hearing. Nearly two hundred residents of the territory in question, Grandview Heights, Marble Cliff and Upper Arlington gathered for the purpose of objecting to the annexation. The demonstration was effective and the petition of the city was dismissed a week later.

The city ordinance, passed April 26th, sought to extend the city line across the Olentangy river just north of King Avenue and straight west to the village of Upper Arlington, thence following around the eastern lines of Upper Arlington and Grandview Heights to Grandview Avenue and so south across the Scioto.

The subject was discussed at the May meeting of the [Grand View] Brotherhood and a committee appointed to investigate and report as to the advantages and disadvantages of the annexation. The committee reported adversely at the June meeting, and the Brotherhood unanimously voted to oppose the petition and to attend the hearing in a body.

The meeting overflowed the CommissionerÕs office, necessitating adjournment to one of the Court Rooms. Mr. A. R. Markel of the Board of Education. acted as master of ceremonies, stating the objections on the part of his Board, and introducing in turn Mr. T. H. Winters, Mr. Ed. Howard, Mr. J.O. Northcraft, Mr. J. H. Nau. Mr. Ben Thompson, Mr. J.O. Thomas and Mr. J. F. Stone, who addressed the Commissioners, presenting so complete an array of arguments that little could be said in reply by the representatives of the city.

The principal objection made to the annexation was that the territory all lies in the Grandview School District and includes the school buildings, so that the village would have been left without schools or sufficient taxable property to build and maintain new ones. The financial inability of the city to keep outlying streets and roads in repair was touched upon, as well as the improbability of the Third Avenue Improvement going forward if removed from County jurisdiction.

Behind the whole movement was the evident desire to perpetuate the natural boundary established by the broad river valley and to maintain the individuality ,and community spirit so greatly enjoyed by the three villages and the adjacent territory. It was realized that if this annexation was completed. Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff could he forced into the city by the school situation, and the same would probably be true of Upper Arlington through water and sewer requirements, as the last named village has no contract with the city for these utilities.

The Brotherhood is to be congratulated on its energetic and effective work in blocking the proposed annexation.

The dividing line [the 3rd Street Bridge]