Near East Area Commission

October NEAC Meeting Report

Zoning

NEAC Zoning

NEAC did not vote and remained neutral on a demolition request from Columbus Housing Partnership for 484 Linwood Avenue. CHP has received orders from the City to repair or demolish the building within 30 days. They will demolish the building. CHPis scheduled to appear before NEAC Planning Committee on October 17, 2002 to present plans for new build on 484 Linwood.

NEAC did not support a use variance request from the Macedonia Baptist Church at 520 Oakwood. The use variance was to allow parking on lots zoned R-3.

NEAC supported a Zoning Adjustment Application by the Church of God and Saints at 1265 Hildreth. The church building will be enlarged and parking reduced. The zoning adjustment was supported with the specifications that 1) Remove broken retaining wall along the East property line 2) Install 43” minimum height fencing around the North, South and East sides of the parking lot. Fencing to be of wrought iron style. 3) Landscaping to be added of a partially mature size.

NEAC did not support a variance for Home Occupation of a security business at 1662-1664 Bryden Road. The variance was to increase the business area from 20% to 27% and increase the employees from 1 to 2.

NEAC supported a zoning adjustment application at 33 Hamilton Park to reduce the number of required parking spaces from 5 (per zoning code) to 0 as applicant converts the structure from apartment to office space.

Presentations

Columbus Neighborhood Health Center Inc., was present at the meeting to announce a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the expanding neighborhood health care for the Near East area. This includes the new building at 1180 E. Main.Billie Brown Jones Health Center will be consolidated into the Main Street location. The meeting will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2002, at Sawyer Recreation Center, 1056 Atcheson Street, 6:30-8:00pm.

Presentations were made about the Issue 3 Columbus City School District levy and the Columbus Rental Car Tax to be voted on November 5, 2002.

A representative from the Ohio Department of Transportation was present at the meeting to begin to discuss the I-70/71 split. The interchange will be under construction in 8-10 years and ODOT would like input from the neighborhood as to how to minimize the impact of the construction. Commissioners voiced concerns about the speed (too fast), number of trucks, and the possibility that more East side property might need to be demolished to accomodate any changes in the freeway.

Planing Committee

Boad Swansen and associate of Dascenzo Marketing Inc. led a think tank session on how the Near East side should be marketed. They were contracted by the Columbus Compact. Some of the assests mentioned were Franklin Park, the recently renovated Old Blind School, the portion of the state wide bike path that runs through the Near East side, and the variety of housing stock. Concern was also expressed about the lack of parameters provided for the Columbus Compact. For example, are we focusing on the whole area or just the portion covered by the Empowerment Zone. Also, concern was mentioned that the Compact might try to market the Empowerment Zone as a whole. Members felt that each area should keep a unique identity.