WESTLAND AREA COMMISSION

OCTOBER 21, 1998

The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm. Present were Daniel Province, chair, Betty Balthaser, Hank Canello, Virginia Frank, Mike Hurd, Glen Hymer, Dorothy Jantzen, Brian King, Mike McKay, Tom Morris, Jamie Mueller, Jan Province, Dr. Bob Rinehart, and Debbie Wilder. Makar and Saxton were excused. Also present were Leo Abston, Norma Abston, Jeff Brown, Dori Sippial, Jim Voyles, and others.

Gary Wills telephoned Province to submit his resignation, as he has moved out of the Westland area.

Balthaser moved to accept the minutes for September. Frank seconded. Approved.

Zoning Committee (Saxton): Province introduced Jeff Brown, attorney.

Brown stated he is here on behalf of the Glimcher Company. The property in question measures 1.2 acres. The property is located on the south side of Georgesville Road, west of Holt, across the street from the shopping center.

Everything on the west side of Holt Road is currently zoned for manufacturing, except for the corner piece, which is zoned C-5. That is the property we are dealing with. C-5 is typically thought of a car wash-gas station zoning classification. No doubt, in 1972, the developers expected to put a gas station there.

The initial proposal was to rezone the property M manufacturing, because everything on that side of the street, and on the north side of Georgesville Road, is zoned M. The city asked them to consider rezoning it C-4. The applicant had no problem with that. Brown went to the zoning subcommittee last week, and they also asked that it be rezoned C-4 instead of M, and they asked for a limitation text, to address some of the base issues in terms of uses, screening the dumpsters, items like that. Therefore, they are requesting to amend their application from M to LC-4, with the limitation text.

There will be additional commercial development on that side of Holt Road, that will go along with the Krogers and other stores that have been developed on the east side.

Province remarked that there are two typographical errors in the limitation text.

Province asked for a motion to approve. Canello so moved. Rinehart seconded.

Abston asked what is permitted in C-4.

Brown said that C-4 is the general commercial classification for the city. C-4 would allow any commercial use, including offices. It would not allow gas stations, car washes, drive- through carry-out establishments, and similar uses. The M classification, which surrounds the property and extends to the north of Georgesville Road, allows all the C-4 uses, too, as part of that. The city is more concerned about manufacturing, so they asked that the property be zoned C-4 instead of M. The developer had no problem with that, because they are looking to use the property for retail, not for manufacturing.

The zoning would eliminate adult bookstores...?

Yes. The limitation text gets rid of adult bookstores, adult motion picture theaters, adult-only entertainment, billboards, cabarets, night clubs, poultry killing, stables for more than five animals, tinsmiths, and used car sales unless they are part of a new-car dealership.

Abston said that could be put on the north side of the intersection.

Brown said that the north side of Georgesville is already developed with car dealerships. But, what usually happens is that people want to avoid having a used-car operation on the corner, so they put in the prohibition, unless it is part of a new-car dealership, since most new car dealers also have a used car component.

J. Province asked whether this is still going to be a Burger King.

Brown said that that is the only use he has heard of from Glimcher.

D. Province asked whether it could still have a drive- through.

Yes, it could still have a drive-through window. A C-5 drive-through is one of those that has two bay doors, where you drive your car right through it, and pick up whatever- it-is, and you come out. That's C-5.

Is there enough stacking room for six cars?

Yes. Actually, for one drive-through window, you need room to stack eight cars.

McKay asked what is going in on the corner of Georgesville, east of Holt, across from Krogers?

D. Province said that he thinks it will be a Shell gas station, or BP, whatever, whatever BP's new name is.

Amoco.

Abston remarked that they are moving backwards.

Brown remarked that it is a good deal for the sign companies.

Abston said they have begun the building, but they haven't buried the tanks yet.

Province said they it's backwards, but they can bury tanks in the winter, while laying concrete in the winter is not recommended.

Abston said that there should be more screening along the west side of Holt Road, because the backside of Lowe's looks like a trash pile.

Brown said that there is specific language in this limitation text, calling for screening on three sides of the dumpster, with a gate on the fourth side.

Abston said that Lowe's dumpsters are screened, too. If you look at Lowe's, you see the dumpster is screened. But the piles of empty crates are a mess.

Brown said this limitation text limits outside storage areas, as well, and the sidewalk in front of the building, a maximum of three feet, a maximum square footage of twenty feet per tenant. The developer has taken care of that with that limitation.

D. Province said that Lowe's isn't allowed to have that mess, either, but they have chosen to pay the fines rather than clean it up.

Wasn't there supposed to have been some screening along Holt?

There is, but it's only three feet tall.

And the trees are pin oaks, about ten feet apart. At Mill Run, they have a fence.

Province asked Brown if the developer would consider some landscaping along the south side.

Abston said the east side of Holt.

Brown said the only use he has heard of for the property is a Burger King, and it doesn't have a back side. There may be an outside cooler, and the dumpster will be screened with three walls and a gate on the fourth side. They have the street tree requirement along Holt Road, and Georgesville, too.

Province said there is mounding and trees along Holt already.

The motion was approved.

King asked Brown to voice our concerns about Lowe's to Glimcher.

Brown said he would relay the message tomorrow.

Province reminded everybody that the city sent us a questionnaire, and they want the responses by the end of this month. He has distributed copies of it, and he would like WAC members to fill them out tonight, so that he can return them in one package. They don't have to be signed.

D. Province said that commissioners could include a note that WAC needs its intern.

J. Province explained that, once in awhile, the city starts to wonder whether the internship program is worthwhile.

D. Province said the city is committed to keep Dori until June. After that, they are not committed to having any interns at all. Some commissions don't use interns at all, while others use them as clerical help, and that isn't their purpose. They are supposed to be doing something related to city planning that will help the commission while adding to their own educations.

Education Committee (Rinehart): November 3 will be election day, and Issue 7 will be on the ballot. It is a bond issue for the construction of new schools and for the renovation and additions onto existing facilities, to eventually get us off split sessions. WAC was the first organization to endorse the bond issue, and the schools appreciate our support. Now, he encourages us all to get out and vote.

Recreation and Parks Committee: Province announced that we no longer have a chair for this committee, as Wills has resigned. A volunteer is needed.

Business Development Committee: Province announced that Billman says he is too busy to continue to chair this committee. Province asked McKay to take it over. McKay agreed.

Province introduced Jim Voyles, principal of Westland High School and president of WABA.

Voyles said he just wanted to learn about WAC's operation, and find out what's going on here, to keep himself focused upon the community and the good things that are happening. It's good to know that the community is growing in terms of both houses and businesses.

WABA's major concern now is Westland Mall (though it would make a nice high school).

Wilder said she heard that JC Penney's sales have dropped since they moved to Tuttle Mall.

They shouldn't be allowed to come back. Maybe they should be charged a 10% penalty. (Laughter)

What is the latest scuttlebutt from there?

Either CVS or Walgreen is looking at moving into the mall.

They are building a CVS just up Broad Street, and there is already one at Norton and Hall. It doesn't make sense. Maybe they have dollars to burn. However, Voyles was told that the mall has leased most of its space for the Christmas season. Certainly, there is no new large department store, but there will be a little of this, a little of that...

Are they doing anything with Penney's space?

That, they didn't specify. Voyles doesn't know whether they are locked into some kind of commitment, or if they have rented that space out.

Province asked Voyles about the combined choirs program.

Voyles said there is a combined non-denominational church gathering, to be held at 7:00pm on November 22 at St. Cecilia's. It won't cost anything. Everyone will participate, Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, everybody who belongs to the ministerial group that Province meets with every month. Voyles met with them this morning. The choirs will be combined, to perform. There will be coffee and cookies afterward. They will be asking for donations of canned goods, to help people in our own area. This will be the fourth or fifth such service. They used to hold them at Westland High School auditorium. St. Cecilia is a larger facility. Everyone is invited to attend.

Province announced that Franklinton Area Commission, Greater Hilltop Area Commission, and WAC will hold a joint Candidates' Night on October 29, from 7:00 until 9:00pm, at the new police substation in Big Run Park. Access is off Clime Road. This is everyone's opportunity to see the new facility, as well as to meet the candidates for elected office. Anyone who wishes to donate refreshments is welcome to do so.

Yes, it is Beggar's Night. Province didn't set the date; he only agreed to help. That's the night that the room was available.

Will it be county or city candidates?

Both. They will start by discussing the issues, then they will go to the governor, then to state, county, and local people. Judges will be last. Province received ten or twelve calls from candidates who wanted to come before WAC. The only one he agreed to was a representative from the city who wants to speak about the city charter issues. They are important, but not controversial.

Province called for a recess until the speaker arrives, or until 7:30pm.

The meeting resumed with the arrival of Mary Christensen, of the City Charter Revision Committee.

The City of Columbus is governed by a charter, rather than by state law. It is something like a constitution. WAC is a part of the fabric of city government.

The mayor asked the city council to look at the charter, because it hadn't had a wholesale review in some time. As we go into the 21st century, with all the advances in technology, they had hoped that the committee would make appropriate changes, to make it easier to run government. They had a very general charge, to look at everything, so they did. Some of the issues have been tabled until after the election, since they will require special study, and they did not have the time or the resources to do the kind of study they thought was necessary.

The issues they have looked at, that they will ask the people of Columbus to vote on, are provisions that clean up the charter. For example, the charter will now be gender- neutral, rather than having the traditional references to "he" or "him". They plan to streamline the procedures by which an individual can run for office, since now they are more burdensome than they are for any candidate who runs in the state.

Christensen distributed a brochure, detailing specifics about each topic that will be voted on. She was told that the topics are not very exciting. The committee had representatives from various constituencies, including the area commissions, representatives from the university, from former school board members, etc. They reached consensus on each of the issues that will be brought to the vote.

D. Province asked why they did not include a change to allow the mayor to fire directors who are not doing their jobs.

That is one of the questions that has been deferred to the next meeting, simply because they may decide that the mayor should have control over his or her directors, but what came up during discussions and their study, was that some of the cities, when confronted with issues much like ours, have tried various approaches, some of which haven't worked very well. What appears to be a simple answer, isn't. They haven't avoided that issue. They have very specifically identified it as something for the committee to look at carefully, when they have the time and the resources to study it thoroughly. They have already begun a study of other communities where this issue has come up.

D. Province said most CEO's have that power, and need it to run an efficient ship. When a city as large as ours...

It takes a great deal of work to change the charter. You don't do it every three or four years. It's a big deal.

J. Province noted that there is an issue to do away with the city council meeting that takes place during the Rose Bowl.

That's the whole reason that they're doing this. (Laughter)

Christensen said it's surprising how few people attend that first meeting. It's an important one. The city council is there, but the citizens are not. That's important, too.

Even if the issues are not controversial, they are important. We should vote for them.

D. Province asked whether, by having the city budget printed before it is amended, since they do make many amendments over the course of the month, that isn't a lot of paper to print.

Christensen said the critical document is the one we will see at this point. The timing is important, to make sure the people have the opportunity to see what it is. When it was printed after it was amended, it left the people no time to have adequate notice of the issues. The people need to know, at the time the amendments are being made, what is being proposed, so that they have time to marshal their forces to make necessary changes.

D. Province said that the city schedules two dates to come downtown to discuss the budget, but the budget is hard to find ahead of time. Why doesn't the charter mention electronic review, ahead of time, before it appears in a final, printed form?

Christensen said that the city's use of its website isn't as sophisticated as it could be. She will make a note of that.

Canello said that the amendment doesn't rule that out, does it? It just says "publish".

It must be published as an official notice. But, the city is interested in making this information available to the public in other ways. This has come up in discussions.

Province has asked for ten days' notice on any action the city does that affects us, such as changes in zoning regulations, or in any laws. If they hold a meeting, they often mail out the notices so late that we receive them after the meeting has taken place.

Right. She will mention this to her colleagues.

D. Province said he received one day's notice on the public meeting about this matter.

Christensen apologized for being late. She started at 6:30pm, but there was a combination of rain and orange construction barrels...

The meeting was adjourned at 7:40pm.