Andy Lawson of the Greendale Utilities Co. hangs a flag on a utility pole on Nowlin Avenue. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

GREENDALE -- Strolling past looming brick houses that haven't changed much since the turn of the century, residents of picturesque Greendale call their town "a throwback," "a garden place" and "the prototypical small town."

Most say they like it that way.

But the results of residents' 1995 vote to turn their town into a city are now being seen. The annexation of three square miles of property that doubled Greendale's size last year was just the first step.

City officials say they expect 500 new homes will be built in the north-side annexation area over the next couple of years. A highway bypass clearing the way for commercial traffic should be constructed BY 2002. And if they succeed in erecting an estimated $3.5 million flood levee along U.S. 50, there will be room for more businesses to come to town.

Already, the Greendale Economic Redevelopment Commission is spurring redevelopment of the defunct Schenley distillery into an industrial park.

And the town is beginning to rake in revenues from the Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg as well as the Grand Victoria riverboat in nearBY Rising Sun. Gambling revenue is typically distributed to a number of local governments, not just the host government. But the city council decided that only 25 percent of the gambling revenue will be spent right away -- the rest will be invested for the future.

Local jobs are plentiful, and downtown Cincinnati is a 20-minute drive away.

INFOGRAPHIC

Greendale at a glance

"(The local economy) is on an upswing that will probably be able to maintain its growth," Mayor Jack Braun said. "It's not "Here today, gone tomorrow.' "

Staying power is one thing Greendale has plenty of.

The town was laid out one moonlit night in 1868 BY settlers who wanted to keep their burgeoning community from being enveloped BY neighboring Lawrenceburg. Against the objections of Dearborn County officials, they pursued in court their right to incorporation. In some ways, the battle for identity and eminent domain is still being played out between the neighboring communities. Seventy-one percent of Greendale voters cast ballots in 1995 to turn their town into a third-class city -- in part, so that Greendale could legally annex land without first obtaining Lawrenceburg's OK.

Some officials say Lawrenceburg had wanted for itself the northern area that is now within Greendale's borders. If Lawrenceburg had moved in that direction, it would have encircled the smaller city. "We felt that with everything going on and with gaming now playing a part, we wanted more control of our destiny," Greendale Manager Marlow Smethurst said.

In some ways, Greendale has always maintained its own identity. Its historic Ridge Avenue homes were built BY wealthy industrialists who were drawn BY the underlying Great Miami Aquifer to open distilleries, a well pump company and other water-related operations.

The avenue is now part of the Ohio River Scenic Route, and local historian Allan Cornelius is spearheading efforts to have its homes and few businesses registered as a national historic district. It was landscaped from the start to be aesthetically pleasing, with homes built at varying setbacks to complement the gently curving road.

"I think the concept is of a beautiful, well-landscaped community. We even have green in our name," Mr. Cornelius said.

That tradition is maintained these days BY the Greendale Civic Garden Club, founded six years ago BY Sally Stephens and Carol Flanigan. With about 50 active members, the group plants flowers and shrubs in the city's seven parks and is responsible for hanging flower baskets on every signpost along Ridge Avenue.

Its biannual garden tour, featuring the best blooms at five homes, will be 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Such events now fund beautification efforts that once sprang from the coffers of the whiskey barons, most of whom were shut down BY Prohibition in 1920. The Schenley distillery closed in 1988, leaving only Joseph E. Seagram & Sons in operation.

"Greendale was always the garden place for Lawrenceburg," Mrs. Stephens said. "And Schenley and Seagram have probably touched every family in town, one way or another."

For years, Greendale was a town of familiar last names and founding families. Although that has begun to change with an influx of new residents over the last decade, strong community bonds remain. "The big thing we have going for us is great people," Mayor Braun said. "Disregarding the normal gripes, we have a bond. We have a lot of people who are connected BY place and time."

Many residents compare Greendale to the small towns of 1950s and '60s television.

"You expect to see the Beaver walking down one side of the street and Andy Griffith coming down the other," said one man who did not wish to be identified. Although he considered the remark to be a compliment, he feared some of his more progressive neighbors might not agree. (And he pointed out that the children of Leave It to Beaver star Jerry Mathers live with their mother in Greendale.)

Yet despite Greendale's pastoral image, the city has often been ahead of its time.

Many visitors are surprised, for example, to learn that Greendale operates its own utilities -- and even supplies water and sewage service to neighboring towns. The water company began in the 1920s, thanks to municipal pumping devices then designed and manufactured BY Greendale's August D. Cook.

The resulting low utility rates for Greendale residents help offset the relatively high district property tax rate of $11.50 per $100 of assessed value, Mr. Smethurst said. Citizens also enjoy garbage pickup, volunteer fire service plus one full-time firefighter, and a professional police force that will soon number 11 full-time officers.

Mr. Smethurst recalled how, in 1962, there was just one Greendale cop: "They called him "Bicycle Willie' because he rode a bicycle through town. That was his squad car."

Recently, Greendale has benefited from two new revenue streams: the Argosy and Grand Victoria casinos. About $1.2 million has reached the town so far, Mr. Smethurst said.

But this city council is taking an almost unheard of approach: 75 percent of the gambling revenue is going into an investment account for the future. The remaining 25 percent is being spent on immediate road and infrastructure improvements.

"I am opposed to the thought that just because you have money, you should find things to spend it on," Mayor Braun said. "Historically, we know that down the road . . . casino money will dry up. We want our citizens, many years down the road, to be able to live off of some of the interest" from the city's current savings.

And in a few years, the city will need a new administration building and police and fire department. Gambling revenue should pay for those projects, as well, Mayor Braun said.

"The money just came out of the air. We're not in any rush to spend it," Mr. Smethurst explained.

The casinos have also brought more recognition to Greendale and Lawrenceburg -- for the most part, without any of the additional crime or troubles residents had feared. Most agree that heavy traffic has been their biggest headache.

"There's a real sense of identity that's beginning to form around Greendale," Mr. Smethurst said. "There's a real strong community pride. Most people are proud to say they're from Greendale -- I know I am."