Far Northwest Coalition

MARCH 2005 FNWC MINUTES

FAR NORTHWEST COALITION ( FNWC )

FAR NORTHWEST COALITION
P. O. BOX 340285 COLUMBUS, OH 43234

March 30, 2005

The Far Northwest Coalition (FNWC) met for its regularly scheduled meeting at the Northwest Library. Members present of the FNWC Board were John Best, Joe McCumber, Mike Brown and Rich Herner. The Board members were introduced to the attendees.

Best opened the meeting by reporting that he had seen a piece in the Worthington Suburban News that the Metro Parks were in contract to purchase a piece of land adjacent to Highbanks Metro Park, which had previously been figured for housing.

Best then introduced Steve Soble, the Columbus City Liaison to this area. Best noted that the Hard Road project section, Smoky Row to Linworth, was scheduled to be completed this fall. He added that the homes on the south side of Hard Road, phase 3 of the project but next to be completed, had been acquired by the City; many by eminent domain. He also reported that there was no further progress on the CarMax construction of the planned condo units on Skyline Drive.

Rob McNeal and Jeff Pharion of the City Code Enforcement Division then spoke to the group about current code enforcement efforts. McNeal noted that he has picked up 87 signs in the right of way in February and another 85 so far in March. They discussed several other specific graphics issues that he is currently working on, as well as some lighting concerns. He noted that the electronic signs and graphics are problems since the signage evolves faster than the code can be changed. They noted that the City code was last updated in 1997.

A local resident then asked a few questions of the FNWC about possibly changing a residential property at the bottom of Hard Road, near 315 to a business use. It was suggested to him that he talk to the neighbors and get a consensus on their agreement to the plan. The zoning process was explained in broad strokes. He will try & get something written up and to his neighbors and then will come back to the FNWC for preliminary consideration.

Eddie Pauline, a Republican endorsed candidate for City Council, then made a short presentation to the group. His main campaign issues are crime and protection of the school’s tax revenue. His web site is www.eddiepauline.com

Michael Heintz of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur then made a presentation to the FNWC as the representative for SBC/Ohio Bell. The request is to rezone a property located at 2635 Billingsley Road from residential to LC-4. The property was just annexed into the City from Perry Township because SBC wants all of their properties on municipal water and sewer. The property was zoned residential in Perry Township, and had been grandfathered with its use and will generally transfer to the City under the same zoning classification. Heintz said they have no plans to change the use or to leave the site; this request is just to get the property zoned in line with its actual use, now that it has been annexed into the City. He noted that the water & sewer work is already in process, since the City gave them a dispensation to go ahead and start. FNWC members had several questions concerning parking issues, text limitations and other text questions. Heintz was to provide the text language in electronic format for distribution to the FNWC members for review.

Best then mentioned that the next meeting on the review of the Northwest Plan will be held on Thursday, April 7 at the Northwest Library. Planners from Dublin and Delaware County are expected to discuss development plans for those affected areas. The feeling being that it would be best to not rewrite the NW Plan in a vacuum from what is going on immediately around the local community in Columbus.

Best the discussed work being done by local residents trying to get a traffic light on Sawmill Road, in front of Chapman Elementary. He said studies done have shown spikes in accident rates on Sawmill Road, from Summitview Road, up to the county line. He said they hope to have measures in place before there are any more tragedies in that area.

There being no further business to come before the FNWC, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Rich Herner
FNWC Secretary