Tactics By Developers Leave Walden Divided

  • Friday, October 11, 2024

The charming town of Walden is under siege by deceitful developers, and our community is paying the price. As a resident, I am heartbroken to witness the division that has taken root among us. This once tight-knit community, where neighbors supported each other through thick and thin, is now fractured, and the cause is an out-of-state developer and masked LLC who have misled and manipulated us for their gain.

The developer and LOP, LLC, falsely branded their center design as the “Walden Land Use Plan,” misleading residents and undermining the actual award-winning plan. Their deceitful tactics didn't stop there. When the genuine plan was approved, they retaliated by suing Vice Mayor Schmidt for $12,000,000, attempting to tarnish her reputation. The false backstory they created, along with the suit, angered and misled 11 residents of Walden. With the help of the attorney representing LOP, LLC, these residents filed an ouster petition against the vice mayor. Without the false language used in the suit, there would have been no grounds for the petition.

These lawsuits were so baseless that they were promptly dropped when the petitioners were asked questions under oath. The judge even ordered the developer to reimburse the Hamilton County Court system for the expenses incurred due to their frivolous actions.

During this time, an attorney representing an LOP, LLC member, approached Lizzy’s attorney, offering to drop both cases if she resigned from office. They later denied any knowledge of this conversation, adding another layer of deceit to their actions.

Now, as the election for Walden’s Alderman approaches, the frivolous, baseless lawsuit is back in play. The lies continue, and LOP, LLC, and the out-of-state developer are at it again. This time, they found a new mouthpiece, a pro-developer candidate, Lou Zeibolt, running against Lizzy. The tactics are more manipulative and deceitful than ever.

They have rebranded the developer’s center design and are telling residents it is the award-winning Walden Land Use Plan again.

They leverage the baseless lawsuit, that they dropped, to continue their attack on our vice mayor.

They claim Mayor Davis supports the LOP, LLC candidate, even though Mayor Davis has publicly endorsed Lizzy Schmidt.

The developer is the proverbial “Oz behind the curtain,” pulling the strings for their financial gain, and every resident of Walden is a victim of their actions.

We must recognize that our community is being torn apart by those who do not have our best interests at heart. It is time for us to come together, to stand united against these divisive tactics, and to protect the integrity and unity of our beloved town.

Remember this— these developers do not live in Walden. And when all is said and done, they will walk away, leaving our town divided and our community spirit in tatters.

Let’s not allow outside forces to dictate our future.

We deserve better.

You deserve better.

Our community deserves better.

Jared Anders

Opinion
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