Chaos at Delaware County’s Door. (Pixabay)
Roller-coasters. Indoor skydiving. An e-sports video-gaming arena.
Sounds great, right? Not everyone, however, is on board with the business venture of Planet Oasis, a $2 billion entertainment venue project, coming to Delaware County, OH.
Following the public announcement of Planet Oasis’ plans on June 28, an opposition group created a Facebook page called “Protect Delaware County from ‘Planet Oasis,’” asserting that the introduction of significant numbers of tourists into the area would detract from the sense of community that the locals value and share.
Having amassed over 850 followers and 700 likes, the profile remains active today, with opponents posting frequent updates and calling for fellow concerned residents to attend their district township trustee meetings. It is the hope of the anti-Planet Oasis group that if enough people speak out against the development, that stricter zoning rules will be imposed, preventing the project’s groundbreaking which is set to take place this December. The proposed site is on 350-acres of untouched countryside and in close proximity to the Tanger Outlet Mall.
Besides the loss of community, other possible drawbacks of large-scale attractions include increases in traffic, noise, crime, and arguably, an overall reduced quality of life for the park’s nearby residents, most of whom had previously chosen this pastoral setting specifically to raise their families. Planet Oasis will be a money maker for its owners and shareholders. But disrupting the peace and beauty on and around this land will destroy this rural “oasis” of Delaware County.
For those who don’t reside in Delaware County, Planet Oasis would be a place that they could enjoy for a couple hours. But tourists leave. And it will be the locals who have to live with the potential consequences of these high-end sideshows and other attractions. It makes sense that the population who will be affected most in this scenario should have more of a say in whether the plans go through.
The opposition group has spoken through its Facebook page, but the Planet Oasis developers have yet to listen.
