This week, Worthington City Council unanimously approved the rezoning for a 248-unit housing development after a lengthy public hearing where the majority of speakers opposed the project.

I support this proposal, and I believe it's the right decision for Worthington's future. 

During this process, the neighbors deserved to be heard. City Council's responsibility was to listen.   But it was not to simply agree with residents who opposed the project. 

Much has been made of a neighborhood survey showing overwhelming opposition to the development. I don't doubt it accurately reflected the views of many nearby residents. But a neighborhood survey measures the opinions of one neighborhood, not the interests of an entire city.

Neighborhood surveys don't include people hoping to move to Worthington, young adults who grew up here, older adults looking to downsize, or future residents who don't yet have a voice. Representative government requires elected officials to consider their interests, too.  

City Council must also consider Worthington's future - how the city remains economically strong and continues to be a community where people can live and work throughout different stages of their lives. 

Balancing these competing interests is exactly what we elect City Council to do. 

If every neighborhood could stop development nearby simply because enough residents opposed it, almost no meaningful change would ever happen. Housing, parks, businesses, roads, schools - every proposal would face the same obstacle: "Put it somewhere else."

Listening is not the same as following.

The job of elected officials is to hear public input, review the evidence, apply the city's plans and zoning standards, and then exercise independent judgment on behalf of the entire community.

Some residents have responded by saying they regret voting for certain council members. I understand the disappointment. But we don't elect representatives to simply mirror the loudest voices in the room. We elect them to make difficult decisions after weighing competing interests.

Worthington has said it wants more housing choices, a stronger economy, and opportunities for people at different stages of life to remain in the community. Those goals require making difficult decisions about where housing belongs.

Reasonable people can disagree about this project.

What deserves recognition is that this Council listened, deliberated, and then decided what they thought was best for the city as a whole.

They did what we elected them to do - govern.