WESTLAND AREA COMMISSION

April 21, 1999

The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm. Present were Daniel Province, chair, Betty Balthaser, Virginia Frank, Mike Hurd, Glen Hymer, Dorothy Jantzen, Carol Makar, Mike McKay, Jamie Mueller, Jan Province, and Jeff Woodson. Canello, Cooper, Rinehart, Saxton, and Wilder were excused. Three of these people are attending a school board meeting that was called at the same date and time as this meeting. Wotring said he may be late. Also present were Leo Abston, Sgt. David Eing, Bob Monds, Kevin Parks, Reza Reyazi, Dori Sippial, Charleta Tavares, and others.

Ben Espy had promised to attend this meeting. However, the television news said that Espy fell down a flight of stairs today, injuring his knee, ankle, and back. He is scheduled to enter the hospital tomorrow morning. Therefore, we doubt he will appear here. Espy is scheduled to appear at a live televised debate at 8:00pm, and he had promised to drop in at our meeting on the way to that event.

Province distributed a copy of a letter to the editor of the This Week of April 14, from a Jeff Francis. He thinks we should declare a moratorium on all development, and he does not understand why we opposed the annexation of this development, but nothing else. He obviously has not appeared at any WAC meetings recently, nor has he read our minutes.

Since the letter was not addressed to Province, but to the entire commission, Province asked the commission whether he should reply to this individual.

Are we talking about Darby Woods Apartments?

Yes. 1728 apartment units. He has heard various figures, but there are, at lowest estimate, ten police runs per apartment per year.

Province reminded the commission that we would be opposed to this annexation, if it would take officers from 10 Precinct who are needed to patrol the rest of the Westland area. It would tie up at least two officers and one squad car on a fulltime basis. We cannot afford to lose any officers at this time.

J. Province noted that WAC is not routinely notified of annexation proposals. We learn about them from the grapevine.

D. Province said that our opinions on annexation proposals is never really asked. State law declares that annexations must be accepted, so long as the municipality can provide services.

J. Province said that the letter seems to indicate that the cannot understand why WAC is opposing this annexation, when we have never opposed annexations before.

Hymer moved that Province write a letter to respond. Mueller seconded. Approved.

Perhaps we can invite Mr. Francis to run for a WAC seat.

Mueller asked whether the annexation request could win.

Province said that the process is state-mandated. They ask the city to prepare a document, which goes to the county commissioners. The city determines whether it can provide services to the area.

When was the annexation request made?

We don't know. January, we think.

And by whom?

A corporation based in Texas.

Province received a telephone call from someone who used to work in that apartment complex's office. She said that the water and all utility bills are paid by the individual tenants, separately from the rent. Therefore, the owners are not asking for the annexation in order to decrease their water bill.

However, the owners did think that, if the development were annexed, the children would be transferred to the Columbus school district, and the taxes would decrease. This is not so; the win-win agreement keeps the area within the South- Western City School District, and the area will remain subject to increased school taxes.

The county commissioners receives the letter from the city, which states that the city can provide services. The commissioners routinely approve the annexation, and it orders the city to write the annexation ordinance. The city then determines whether it can provide the promised services in a timely manner. That's where the process is stalled, now.

The owners of the apartments are trying to save money any way they can.

Is there a recent transfer? Are there new owners?

Province thinks the new ownership took effect around October.

We had had some contact with the previous owners.

The annexation is currently pending. The city is re- evaluating whether it can provide service to the area. Province understands that there will be a meeting with the police chief in about two days.

Have the new owners submitted any plans to clean up that complex, along with the annexation request?

No. However, they will have to ask the city for a variance for parking, as they currently provide no off-street parking at all. The city requires that there be two off-street parking places for each apartment. We doubt there is room to build those parking places, so the applicant will have to ask for a variance. We will not see the request, as it will go before the Greater Hilltop Area Commission.

We are opposed to the annexation because it affects the entire area served by 10 Precinct.

Election Committee: Province announced that he has received petitions for Dorothy Jantzen, Jeff Woodson, Glen Hymer, and Mike Hurd.

Carol Makar said she does not intend to run for reelection. She has too much going on at Bolton Field right now to afford the time to participate in WAC. Someone else can fill her position better than she can.

Province said that Debbie Wilder is in an appointed position, but she has been spending most of her time in the afternoons at Doctors Hospital North lately, and she has been finding it difficult to get back here to attend WAC meetings. She is trying to find someone else from Doctors Hospital to replace her.

The next date to look at is April 25. That is the deadline date for requests for absentee ballots.

Kevin Parks said he can still make the deadline for announcing this date in the newspaper.

The voting will take place on May 1 from 10:00 until 3:00 in the lobby of Doctors Hospital West. Volunteers are needed to man the table. Jantzen is not eligible to volunteer, as she is running for office. Province is not running for election, so he will be able to sit there some of the time.

Province asked Dori Sippial to help out.

Province said that Dori is our intern. She is supposed to be doing meaningful work for WAC, but Province is running out of ideas. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Mueller suggested that Dori go to the Franklin County Courthouse and find out who currently owns Darby Woods Apartments. She should also obtain a GIS map of the apartment complex.

Reyazi said those things can be obtained at his office.

Bob Monds, of the Auditor's Office, said he has access to that information too, and he wants to speak to Mueller about an unrelated topic. They will get together.

Province asked Sgt. Eing whether he knows anything new about the Darby Woods Apartments issue.

Eing said no. He knows only that the police are opposing the annexation.

Province said he heard that it has been eighteen years since the police last opposed any annexation. It caught everybody at City Hall off guard. They had to call Maury Portman...

(Laughter).

The last day to request absentee ballots is April 25. The last day to submit them is April 28.

Parks said the newspaper is supposed to be delivered on April 28, but he knows that a lot of people don't receive their papers until the 29.

Province said he will distribute and collect absentee ballots at the Westland Action Center on Thursday between 9:00 and 11:00am. He wants to make it easy for people to vote.

What is the election for? Is it for the chairmanship of WAC?

No. Each year, one third of the positions on the commission are up for election, to keep new blood in, and to allow the public to throw us out and replace us. There have not been people clamoring at the door, so either we are doing a good job, or nobody want the positions.

Do we have enough new people to fill the vacancies?

No, there are at least two positions going unfilled. April 30 is the deadline to become a write-in candidate.

Is a term of office two years or three?

It's for three years, but people who are appointed to fill vacancies must run for election at the next opportunity.

How many positions consititute one-third of the total?

Seven. There are five elected positions and two appointed positions open this year. The appointed positions this year are Business and Human Services. Traditionally, someone from Doctors Hospital has filled the Human Services position. However, that could change. We always need a cleryman, but we can never find one who can attend meetings on Wednesdays.

Zoning Committee (Saxton): Province reported that the attorney who was supposed to have come back to us regarding the proposed gas station for the corner of Alkire and Holt, has tabled the matter indefinitely with us. He will not be here today.

Which corner?

The northeast corner. The house. The house that was just changed to C-3, with a promise that the applicant would never ask for a gas station. The next month, they came back and asked for a gas station.

Abston said Roger Chambers is the owner of that house.

Province said he heard that the applicant is refusing to give up the easement for the widening of the intersection, until the city allows him to have a C-5 zoning, so that he can put a gas station there.

Abston said he heard that the southeast corner was being considered for a gas station.

Province said single family houses are now being built on the southeast corner, and there has been no request for a rezoning for that corner.

Abston said some of the neighbors have learned that no gas station is now being planned for the site. MI/Schottentein owns all the land, including the corner.

Judge Rose used to own the northeast corner, but he sold it long ago, to Roger Chambers. In the 1940's, Rose told the city that if they wanted to straighten the road, he would grant them the easement.

Province said Rose never signed any papers, though. No one signed the paperwork.

Prairie Township Zoning (Hymer): 200 acres, south of Broad Street, west of Galloway Road, will be up for annexation soon.

Province asked Reyazi whether he has seen the request yet.

Reyazi said he has seen it. There is some discussion as to whether it is in the conservation district or not. If it is in the conservation district, it would require changing or amending the Columbus Comprehensive Plan. At this time, the city is opposed to the annexation, because they are pretty sure that it is in the conservation district.

Province said that Clover Groft Ditch goes through the site.

Right. At least part of the site is in the conservation district. Reyazi doesn't know much about it. The proposal is still with the county commissioners.

Hymer said Prairie Township is quite concerned about it.

Where is this site, again?

It's on the south side of West Broad Street, west of Galloway Road, right across from the golf course and that new...

Everything from the daycare center, west.

It's a big piece, about 200 acres. It is deep.

Hymer said it comes right down to his property.

Reyazi said the Westland Plan called for one to two unit density along the north end of that property.

Community Relations Committee (Balthaser): The July 4 parade will go down West Broad Street this year. They finally got permission.

Recreation and Open Space (Hurd): Province said he heard the city is looking for land, but nothing has happened. He heard that someone offered them land at a good price, south of the airport. Nothing is confirmed, yet.

Habash did promise the residents of Epernay that he would find them some parkland within walking distance. (Of course, people have walked around the world).

Westland Area Plan: Reyazi reminded everyone that, about two months ago, he sent copies of the revised Westland Area Plan to everybody. What was supposed to happen next, was that Reyazi was supposed to go before the Development Commission last month, following the WAC meeting, which had been cut short by a fire alarm. What happened, though, was that there was not a quorum at the Development Commission meeting. Only three people showed up. Thus, they couldn't discuss the updated Westland Plan.

Now, he is in a position in which the rescheduled Development Commission meeting is tomorrow. Because there was a fire alarm during last month's meeting, WAC never voted to approve or disapprove the changes to the Westland Plan. Therefore, he has returned to ask us to vote.

At the same time, he is here to discuss any issues we wish to discuss regarding the changes. However, he wants us to take action, following the discussion.

He hopes that he will be able to take the revised Plan to City Council next month.

He has made some changes in the Plan during the last two months. The changes are mainly textual. He has not made any changes to the map. He has not made any changes to the intent of the document. His changes have consisted of clarification, changing the text to simpler sentences to better convey meeting, etc.

Since he has not made copies of his latest revision, all of WAC's proposed changes will have to be based on the Plan as it existed two months ago. This is proper, since he cannot expect us to read the updated Plan instantly. The changes are very minor.

Hurd said that the previous Westland Plan did not tie down any standards for multi-family development. He would like to see some standards spelled out.

For instance, there was an issue before us recently, in which the developer was already constructing apartments, and then he came to us to say that he could not fit the required number of parking spaces on the land that was left over, and he wanted the city to allow parking in front of the garages. We already know that the city's zoning standards are more relaxed than the surrounding areas. If the developer couldn't even meet city standards, then the development is too cramped. That kind of stuff needs to be addressed in the Plan in a more concrete fashion.

Province said that the apartments had already been built to that density, so the issue was only whether we would require them to cover the green space with asphalt.

Reyazi said he remembers the issue clearly. Staff came out against that variance request. The Development Commission voted against it, too. Reyazi doesn't think the developer got that variance, though he could be wrong. Traffic Engineering was concerned over safety issues.

Hurd said that WAC needs minimum standards for multi-family development, just as they do for single family development.

Reyazi said that, when he was told to begin this task, he was given a very specific program as to what issues he was to look at, and to update. Secondly, when he began the update, the overwhelming sentiment of the public was that he should change the Plan as little as possible. So, he has not done that. There are no new standards for multi-family development within the plan. There are some standards, but they are not specifically for multi-family development.

He doesn't consider this plan to be a document to be adopted and shelved. He is already working on an amendment to the Plan, which he intends to bring before us as soon as this revised plan is adopted.

For example, the four corners at the intersection of Galloway and Hall: Councilman Sensenbrenner is particularly interested in that site, as it was one of the places originally proposed for the "village center" concept. Now that the residential area is developed around it, the developer is asking for commercial zoning of the southeast corner. What he is looking at, is the creation of an intersection plan.

This is a work in progress. However, it is important for us to endorse it, and for it to be approved by City Council, as it does address some of the issues that keep coming back.

If WAC feels that this is a concern, we will come back to work on it. However, at this time Reyazi does not feel he has the mandate to make major changes in the plan. He does not feel we have had the citizen participation in the changes to the plan that we had when the plan was originally created.

Reyazi said there aren't too many places left within the Westland area where multi-family developments could still be built.

J. Province said that the most southern area of the Westland area, where it is almost adjacent to Grove City, is marked on the map as being recommended for single family development, three to five units per acre. "Three to five" units per acre, to a developer, means five units per acre. That is much too dense, as the area abuts very large houses on multi- acre lots. The empty areas around the large houses should not be crammed full of R-2. Reyazi seemed to have said he already made this change...

No.

We are talking about the area around Big Run South, where it is hard to get sewer service, anyway.

Reyazi said that is one area of the plan that he didn't touch, because not much rezoning has been going on there. Again, he doesn't feel comfortable changing things, without having the citizen participation we had the first time around. That area was not one of the areas that was included in the work program in terms of the issues. There hasn't been anything in that area rezoned to commercial or multi- family. That's why he didn't touch it.

He doesn't know how it was arrived at, originally. It was obviously a decision that was arrived at by the community.

J. Province said that she was present at those meetings. The input from the community was totally ignored by Staff. They refused to entertain any discussion of the matter, and they dictated the zoning for that area.

D. Province said that they went to the Comprehensive Plan, said they were doing what the Comprehensive Plan said.

Reyazi said that the Columbus Comprehensive Plan doesn't have a land-use component. There can be nothing in the Comprehensive Plan that says that this particular area should be zoned three to five units per acre.

If that is a concern, we should make a conditional motion, but he cannot change anything tonight, as it would not be consistent with the process.

Mueller said that, if we approve the plan as it is, now, the area will remain three to five units per acre.

Yes, though the Development Commission can always recommend the zoning be changed.

The way Reyazi will present the Plan to the Development Commission tommorow, it will be three to five. The way he intends to present it to City Council, it will be three to five. We can adopt a motion that qualifies it, stating that we recommend the area be changed to one to three. The Development Commission can agree or disagree, and their recommendation will go to City Council.

Makar asked if we can't just change a sentence tonight, asking for one to three units on those acres?

Province said we can do it in the motion.

Reyazi said we can do that, but he will not change the map, just because that's what we think it should be. It has to do with the process, and how much community input there has been, and how much say they had, and how the original plan was arrived at.

D. Province said that about seventy developers and community people originally came in, to help us set our standards. Province was informed, at the last time he went before City Council, Councilman Habash asked twice whether the Westland Plan contained any standards for sizes of houses, floor space, or any standards for apartments. He was told no, twice. Thus, Habash said that, since the standards are not in the Plan, he will not pay any attention to us. Now, he would hate to see the Plan go forward without the standards, as Council has looked for them and has not found them. If we have a new document, and the standards still are not in it, we have nothing to hang our hats on when we try to say that a proposal does not meet our standards.

J. Province said there were were some generalities in the text of the original plan, mentioning a variety of housing types.

Reyazi said this was added in the update. There was nothing in the original Plan. First, he has heard this concern before, and he has tried to address it. The issue of the need for variety of housing types was brought up at public meetings, and he added the language to the Plan update.

As far as requiring minimum standards, he doesn't think that is something that can be done through a plan. He doesn't know what Habash was referring to, as Reyazi wasn't there. Hypothetically thinking, if we said that our minimum standards for a house is 1200 square feet, he doesn't think that's enforceable. The Plan isn't the place to do it. Even cities that do it through ordinances can have a hard time enforceing things like that. He knows Grove City has difficulties. He isn't saying it doesn't happen, though. He doesn't think a development plan is the place for language that is so specific. But again, if that is something we want to see in the Plan, we can put it into our motion.

He doesn't think that City Council would approve a Plan that included minimum square footages for houses. He doesn't think it has ever been included in any other plan before.

It would cause more headaches that it's worth.

What headaches would it cause? There is a city code that declares that houses must be of a minimum size. If there weren't, the city would contain still more cracker boxes.

Somewhere in the city's rules, there are specifications for a minimum size of house. Why not be up-front in the planning process?

Mueller said this is not the planning part of the project, though.

Reyazi agreed. We are not in a position to dictate to the people what size of houses to build.

Mueller said the value of the underlying land will dictate the size of the house. You will see people come to the city to get variances to build houses that are smaller than what is permitted.

Reyazi agreed. There are health and safety standards. There is no place in the Columbus City Code that says that a house must be so many square feet.

But doesn't a R-2 house have to have so many square feet of living space?

Oh, yes, it does. If you are talking about zoning standards, yes, they are there already. That's what Reyazi is saying. The way to deal with that issue is through the zoning for a piece of land. When a piece of land comes before WAC as part of a rezoning proposal, we will have a say in terms of what that minimum size is. It is better to deal with each issue on a case-by-case basis.

But we are losing them all the time, when we deal with them on a parcel-by-parcel basis.

Reyazi agreed. However, but if he decides, for instance, that the minimum size of a house is 1200 square feet, it would be very easy for someone to oppose that. He doesn't think Council would adopt a plan with that in it, for legal reasons.

"The second reason is that, are we going to say that, for the Westland area as a whole, or are we going to say that for single family residential areas, for example? Are we going to say, in every single family...in every single area that we we propose for single family residential stuff, it has to be at least 1200 square feet? Is that what you're talking about?"

Right.

Okay. That would be very easy to challenge in court, because some lawyer would say that that is an exclusionary zone. You are trying to keep out people who can't afford houses that are less than 1200 square feet.

Province replied that the developer would just have to build a cheaper house that is that big.

Hymer suggested that houses don't really need sewers.

Mueller said that we should say houses should be one per acre, because no developer would build one cracker box on an acre of land.

Makar said we should do that now, before he turns in that piece of paper. Otherwise, he is asking us to turn it in with approval, and then afterwards, submit a little note, saying we don't really like it the way it is, and we want to change it. And then, months later, we will still be talking about it, and a year later, someone will build five units per acre on that land while we are still talking about it.

Reyazi said that the "three to five" is in a very specific area. There are other areas that are marked "one to three."

Makar said she understands that.

Good. Now, is WAC saying that the minimum density of houses throughout the entire Westland area is "one to three"?

Province said they would never pass that.

Reyazi agreed.

J. Province said that we are talking about one specific area off Big Run South, where we have very nice houses on large lots, and we have that entire Holt and Alkire mess marching towards it.

D. Province said that, when the school goes in, they will want to build apartments next to the school, guaranteed.

Reyazi agreed that that is what developers do.

Makar said that, everywhere in this area, they are building dense houses and apartments. Now, they are talking about putting a gas station on one of the busiest intersections in this area, where they just now finally got a traffic signal, because people were killing themselves right and left. How anyone will be able to get into and out of a gas station there, is anybody's guess. How busy can we make it? Norton Road has got to be Apartment Heaven. Every place you look, they are putting apartments on corners where you can't even believe they can fit another 500 in there.

Reyazi said he doesn't understand what changes we are proposing. What are we asking that he change?

Makar said that J. Province already pointed out the specific spot on his map. It should be changed to "one to three" single family units per acre.

Reyazi said that that site is probably 500 to 700 acres of land. We are not talking about a small area.

Right, it is the last undeveloped area left. We should do it now, so that it is done, and Reyazi won't even have to come back. He won't have to be bothered with us anymore.

Province asked whether the Northland Plan doesn't specify specific areas of certain densities.

Not square footages of houses.

Density is a different issue. Reyazi said he is 99% sure that nothing in the Northland Plan deals with square footages of houses. But he will look into that. It is not something that is done.

Makar said it is a matter of density, not square footage. Even though we are subjecting people to limits as to the number of houses they can fit on an acre, it still keeps a lower-income person from purchasing. It means they would have to build a bigger house, or else a pretty nice cracker box. A general guideline, asking for two to three units per acre, instead of three to five, would be a general guideline, that's all. The developers do what they want to do, anyway.

Reyazi said we can approve the update to the plan, or we can say we are not in support of the update to the plan, for the following reasons. Then, he will discuss the matter with the Development Commission tomorrow. Then, he will take both arguments to City Council next month.

J. Province moved that we approve the revised Westland Plan, with the previously mentioned amendments.

Reyazi clarified the site in question as being the area south of Alkire, east of Bolton Field, north of Big Run South, which is currently recommended for development at a density of three to five units per acre. We would like to decrease the density to one to three units per acre.

D. Province said that we understand that it is difficult to get sewers into that area, anyway, though we can't use that argument.

Reyazi: "What do you mean?"

J. Province said that the Development Commission members stop up their ears whenever they hear the word "sewage", and loudly proclaim that they refuse to hear anything having to do with sewage or stormwater, because THAT ISN'T A LAND-USE ISSUE. Sometimes City Council tries to say that, too.

Reyazi agreed. Is WAC willing to accept the revised Westland Plan with this change?

What about the building size standards?

J. Province said that, if Reyazi refuses to be specific, he could at least put some generalities in.

Reyazi asked whether we are asking for standards for multi- family development be made a part of the motion.

Currently it's 900 square feet.

What's 900 square feet.

"Apartments."

"Are you talking about density, or are you talking about landscaping, lot coverage, and...?"

D. Province said we could ask for a maximum of eight apartment units per acre, as has been adopted for other areas.

Hurd said he would like to see standards included in the Plan. Currently, it isn't covered, enough.

Reyazi said, then, that we are generally in support of the Plan, except that we would like to see standards for multi- family development, to include landscaping, density, and so forth, and also, the issue of the density of the area we talked about, being reduced from three to five to one to three. Which means basically, three.

D. Province said we never saw the final language. However, Richard Sensenbrenner, who was on the original committee, suggested that we recommend the use of decorative streetlights instead of cobra-heads. We would like to encourage that lighting throughout the area, and it would be better to have it in the Plan than to have to ask for it with each zoning proposal we hear.

Mueller asked for clarification of the motion.

The motion, now, is to approve the revised Westland Area Plan, with the three following stipulations: the decrease in density in the particular area previously stated, the reduction of apartments to eight per acre...

Reyazi interrupted, "Let's talk about specific standards for multi-family development."

D. Province said, "That's multi-family, eight per acre."

But you are talking about more standards than just that?

D. Province said the rest will fall out. When you have eight units per acre, the developer will build larger apartments.

Reyazi repeated everything again, and added that there be lighting standards included in the text of the Plan.

Right.

Mueller seconded. Approved.

Reyazi said that this issue is the first item on the agenda, at 6:00, at 109 North Front Street.

Old Business: Province said that the only old business is the confusion about the meeting date in May. We talkied about holding the WAC meeting on May 11. We can have one room to meet in, here, but not two rooms. Will Fred Simon be ready to present the issue of that request for commercial zoning on the corner of Galloway and...?

Reyazi said Simon probably thinks he will be ready, but Reyazi doesn't think he will be ready. There is enough interest from members of Council, and specifically from Councilman Sensenbrenner, that Reyazi doesn't think Simon will be ready, based on what he has. But he may want to come before WAC with the proposal that he has. Staff will be requesting a lot more standards from him, maybe even including a site plan.

Province said we talked about holding our meeting on May 11, instead of on the normal third Wednesday, though there was no motion made to that effect. Mr. Simon can't make our meeting on the regular date because he wants to go before the Development Commission in May.

J. Province said that Simon can't meet with us on our normal meeting night because he will be in Greece, attending a nephew's wedding. That's why he wants our meeting to be moved.

D. Province said that Simon wants us to hold our meeting before the Development Commission meeting in May.

J. Province said it is the applicant, Mr. Westwater's responsibility to appear at WAC's meeting or to send a representative who can come.

Reyazi said that Simon was hit by a car in front of the courthouse, and nothing happened to him.

Province asked for a motion, setting a date for the May meeting. McKay moved that the meeting be held on May 19.

J. Province seconded. Approved.

New Business: Province said he heard from the neighborhood that there are problems in Greene Countrie Park. Kids pull out the bollard, and drive around in the park.

Sgt. Eing said he will look into the matter.

Province also heard that a sex offender has moved into the Westland area.

Sgt. Eing said he does not know about it.

Province also heard that people are going through our neighborhood, telling people they need roofing work done, or their bushes trimmed, and then saying they have already done the job, and they want to be paid. Everyone should tell their neighborhoods to beware of scams, and to check references.

Charleta Tavares arrived. Province introduced her as a candidate for re-election to City Council.

Tavares said she had just come from the Hilltop Area Commission. She apologized for having missed the previous meeting; she had been booked too tight. She is trying to familiarize herself with all the neighborhoods. She has lived in Franklinton, attended church in the Hilltop area, and has friends in the Westland area, but she has never lived in the Westland area. She wants to hear from us, and she wants to know what is on the minds of the Westland residents, and she wants to know where she can be helpful as a City Council member.

She is currently serving on City Council. She chairs the Health, Housing, and Human Services Committee. She is not new to public office, having served as a state representative until December 1998. From 1993 to 1998 she represented the southeast side of Columbus, so she is most familiar with that end of the city.

She is a native of Columbus, so she has a strong committment to the city as a whole.

She wants to familiarize herself with the needs and concerns of the area. She would like someone on the Commission to take her on a tour of the area, so that she will have a concept of what our Commission encompasses. She can look at a map, but that will not give her a real idea of what the area looks like, where the development is, and where more commercial or residential development is needed. It's better to see it first hand, and it is much better to see it from the perspective of the residents.

She is most familiar with the Health and Human Services area, as she has based her legislative career on protecting the health and safety of children. That has been her priority. Then, she has been concerned with the health of the community, ensuring a strong health care delivery system.

WAC has been meeting in a health care facility that has been serving the needs of the Westland community for many years, and that is good. But, there is need for other kinds of health care providers. We must make sure we have a strong primary care provider system that serves the needs of all residents, and that is something she intends to work on as she serves on City Council. There is also a need for social services. There are elderly people, and those who are not financially fortunate, who may need services from some of our community-based non-profit organizations. Or, in some cases, they may be for-profit organizations. But, her focus is on ensuring that all health and human services needs in the community will be met.

In the area of housing, she wants to make sure that housing is available, and especially that home ownership be made available to those who want it, at all income levels. She has to make that option available to everyone who wants it.

Home ownership isn't for everyone; some people prefer apartments, condominiums, shared living arrangements. That's their choice. But where they can help someone who wants home ownership, that's what she wants to do.

D. Province asked whether Tavares' reference to a variety of houses also means upscale houses, since we seem to get only starter homes in Westland. 1100 square feet and under.

Absolutely. A healthy community has houses in all different sizes, shapes, and income levels. A city cannot be all people at the poverty level. We have to make it possible for people of higher incomes to stay in Columbus. We have to have something for everyone, from emergency shelters to the most expensive houses you can have, and all options should be available on all sides of town.

D. Province said we lack "move-up" housing, so people who want and can afford a bigger house are forced to move up to Hilliard or to Grove City.

J. Province said that developers always seem to want to build something that is a little smaller than the houses around them. And then, something that is a little smaller than that.

D. Province said we sometimes sound exclusionary, but that isn't the case. We have no problem attracting more starter homes. We want to see a variety of houses.

Reyazi said we have been talking for the last three months about the need for a variety of housing products. This is language that he specifically added to the updated version of the Westland Plan. Tonight, we talked a little about specific standards, in terms of square footages and so forth. He just wanted to tell her what the context was, the next time she hears about it.

Province asked Hurd to repeat for her the gist of the controversial zoning variance request previously discussed, which he did.

Province will arrange for a tour of the Westland area.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20pm.