Goals and Strategies

Over the next four years work along these strategic lines of effort will have to continue. Economic development agreements should be signed in 2026 before a new administration is elected in Columbus. The Columbus trunk and initial sewer line installed by Delaware County will not be completed until 2028 at the soonest. This provides the township with the wonderful gift of time to keep planning. The decisions made over the next four years are creating a solid foundation upon which future trustees can build Harlem Township. We are planting trees under whose shade we will never sit.

Old timers in Harlem Township lament the loss of a sense of community experienced when most residents enjoyed an agrarian way of life together. All lived on the same schedule, planted crops, raised animals, participated in local fairs, shared fruits and vegetables with neighbors, fixed one another’s broken equipment, enjoyed the weather when it was good, and cursed the weather when it was not.

The common ties that bound together the former residents of Harlem Township are threadbare. We are suburbanites who enjoy living in the country; we love the country aesthetic, and we love autonomy. New common values must be identified and built upon. What binds together the current residents of Harlem Township? What are the cultural values around which we can collaborate and celebrate?

Refer to the strategic priorities identified by the residents.

  • A commitment to a country-suburban lifestyle embodied in choices made about values, aesthetics, architecture, development, and preservation/conservation efforts. A commitment to create a vibrant, close-knit enclave with a strong sense of place, protecting its rural feel while accommodating thoughtful, well-placed development.

  • A commitment to proactively partner with developers and growth partners who share the strategic priorities of Harlem Township and are committed to investing in the community to that end. A commitment to make wise financial decisions that do not place the township in unreasonable debt.

  • A commitment to build and maintain collaborative relationships with residents, employees, neighboring communities, counties, municipalities, and with whomever the township partners.

  • A commitment to invest in concrete expressions of the shared cultural values of the residents of Harlem Township. For example, an exploration of the vision for Center Village should result in a tangible expression of shared values, from the kinds of residences, schools, commercial establishments, parks, etc., that might be included in such a plan.

  • A commitment to continue to invest in the Harlem Township Fire Department, to provide a plan for Big Walnut Schools to expand in Harlem Township, to align with Preservation Parks to build a network of parks and biking/walking paths, to envision recreational (ex. youth leagues and pickleball courts) and educational facilities (ex. library), to encourage/incentivize cultural experiences to include theater performances, concerts, community events (ex. Harlem Days, Fireworks display) and other expressions of the arts.