WESTLAND AREA COMMISSION

March 17,1999

The meeting was called to order at 7:10pm. Present were Daniel Province, chair, Betty Balthaser, Hank Canello, Ron Cooper, Virginia Frank, Glen Hymer, Brian King, Mike McKay, Jan Province, Dr. Bob Rinehart, Bill Saxton, Debbie Wilder, and Jeff Woodson. Jantzen was excused. Also present were Leo Abston, St. David Eing, Marian Hymer, Dori Sippial, and others.

Hymer moved to approve the minutes of the February 1999 meeting. Frank seconded. Approved.

Zoning Committee (Saxton): Province reported that, this Monday, at 6:30, the rezoning issue for the corner of Hall and Galloway Roads (the R-rural land that is to become R-2 with a border of SR zoning), will be coming before City Council. The neighbors are asking for a limitation text, but they are getting no response. City Council seems to be saying they are willing to pass the rezoning request as it is. Staff and the Development Commission have approved it.

The developer has improved the plan so that now it almost meets WAC's minimum standards. Originally, the developer was planning 900 square foot units. Now, they are up to 1200 to 1300 square feet. (Actually, in order to remain in line with the other developments being built around here, they will probably actually meet WAC standards. Nevertheless, they will fight us over every square foot).

The other issue concerns the apartments that we did approve, down on Norton and Georgesville Roads. Since the commission was divided on that issue, if someone feels strongly opposed to the decision, that representative is welcome to go along to the Council meeting to express the minority opinion. We don't need any more apartments in the area. However, the alternative would probably be still another gas station. The size of this proposed development would not cause it to have much impact on the schools. It would add perhaps two or three more students.

Saxton reported that the very corner of Galloway and Hall Roads is now being considered for rezoning. (This is the corner that will be surrounded by the residential development Province just mentioned). The developer probably wants to build a small strip shopping center there. Fred Simon is handling that. Simon called Saxton yesterday or the day before, and Saxton asked Simon what the proposed use of the property will be. Simon said he isn't sure, yet. This property is at the southeast corner of Hall and Galloway. They are asking for a change from R to LC-4.

Province said that a church is looking for a good corner lot.

This rezoning is coming up for a hearing on May 13. Saxton tried to schedule Simon to speak to WAC at our May meeting, but Simon will be in Sicily at that time, attending a nephew's wedding.

Saxton believes that this issue will be too big to handle at our regular meeting. To accommodate Fred's travel plans, it will be necessary to change the date of the zoning meeting.

Province asked whether another attorney can substitute for Simon.

Saxton said no.

Province said that we have to find out when this meeting room is available.

Saxton said that the matter can be discussed at a special zoning meeting held an hour prior to the regular WAC meeting.

Province said that there will be neighbors present, and they will have so many questions that one hour may not be enough time to deal with this issue. It would be helpful if he would bring the client.

Worthington is the client.

Hymer said that the developer is so sure the zoning will go through that he has already surveyed for a twelve-inch gasline.

Saxton said that we will end up with a strip shopping center there. City Council has already said they intend to approve it, but they want certain things. If we can find out what the city wants, we can ask for more, and we can get a better strip shopping center than is currently planned. Saxton doesn't think we can defeat it; it's one of those cut-and- dried deals.

Province said the best we could get would be CPD instead of LC-4, so that we can be sure of what will be built there.

At least, we would know the shape and the footprint of the building.

Province said that the next WAC meeting will be April 21.

Saxton said that Simon will be gone during the last two weeks of April. He will go before the Development Commission on May 13. Our May meeting will be May 19. The WAC zoning committee's regular meeting date would be May 11.

Could we reschedule the regular WAC meeting on May 11?

Why should we change our dates for Fred Simon?

Our meeting dates are set by the bylaws.

McKay asked whether Simon couldn't just go to the Development Commission without seeing us.

Yes. Saxton said, however, that Simon will tell the Development Commission that WAC refused to meet with him.

Saxton said that, in his personal opinion, we should set a special meeting date to accommodate Fred Simon. Province should find out what the city plans to ask for.

Province said he thinks the city will be concerned about traffic flow, as the land is low, and it will be difficult to get into and out of that place. It will be necessary to go uphill to get onto either road.

Simon said that that is not it. Saxton said that, according to Fred, Traffic Engineering has those problems all worked out. If you can believe what Fred tells you.

Fred is pretty honest. He doesn't usually try to pull tricks. The land is wet, however, and a retention pond could be at issue.

Simon said it is something about the building, not the land.

Could we have the zoning meeting on May 11, and then take the recommendation to the Development Commission, and have the full WAC meeting on May 19?

Could we have both meetings on May 11?

J. Province said that it is Worthington's responsibility to show up. Worthington is the applicant. If Worthington doesn't have an attorney who is competent to show up at the right time, then Worthington should find himself another attorney, or he should come by himself.

We have to find out who can come, and when Simon will be out of the country, and when the meeting room is available. We will decide this in April.

Cooper said that Province will notify everyone of the date of the meeting. At least, we are leaving here with a tentative date in mind.

Wilder said that, if this room is not available, we can probably meet in one of the old classrooms downstairs.

Saxton said he received a telephone call from Bill Goldman on Friday. Goldman wants to meet with Saxton tomorrow, to discuss the southeast corner of Alkire and Holt Roads. Saxton later spoke to Goldman's secretary, when Goldman was not there, and he learned from her that the proposal is for a gas station.

We're not really surprised, are we? They got approval to put one on the northeast corner, so it follows that there can be four of them.

Province said the city wanted to expand Holt to four lanes, and the developer wouldn't give up the easement without that.

Saxton said he will meet with Goldman tomorrow, though he doesn't know why. The land is currently zoned residential, and Saxton thinks that is the way it should stay.

Hymer said Goldman is a little bit funny. Yes, just a little bit. On Holt Road, he wanted detached carports, and the sewers weren't deep enough, so there were no basements in those houses, and he got all of that. Yet, right across the road there are two-story houses with full basements, and they came right across Holt Road to hook them into the sewer. Goldman told us he had to have condos, because all of that was impossible to do.

Saxton said he will meet with Goldman tomorrow. At the next meeting, he will be able to report exactly what Goldman wants.

Prairie Township: Saxton said that there were a couple of small issues. There were two requests for variances, one involving a garage that had been built too close to a lot line, and the other involved a fence. Neither was anything we should be concerned about.

Jackson Township: Cooper reported that Jackson Township is still arguing with the Marathon-Ashland Pipeline Company. There was to be a meeting this week with the township trustees, who have been opposed to this pipeline from the beginning. There was an article in a local newspaper about a lot of pipeline breaks having occurred during the last ten years, calling this company's safety record into question.

The plan had been to follow the power easement that runs just east of Holt Road, up into the Westland Area. Now, the plan is to move the pipe to Pleasant Township, out of Jackson Township. The pipeline will be just to the west of Holt Road. It crosses Alkire Road near Holt, and Cooper's little map suggests it will go due north from there. A lot of easement money has already been paid.

Saxton said he was at a meeting with Bill Lotts and... Burris...or Bursa...and Cheryl Grossman. It is still coming through Jackson Township. They have acquired 85% of all the easements to go there, and Jackson Township intends to file a lawsuit to stop it. Their feeling is that they could lose the lawsuit, but that will happen 'way far down the road. They can prolong it for a very long time.

Cooper said Marathon-Ashland want to claim they are a public utility, so they have right of eminent domain to go wherever they want to. Jackson Township says they never were declared a public utility, and they do not have that right. In fact, Jackson Township said that, every time the pipe wants to cross a road, they will have to file a separate zoning request.

It's going to get ugly. Jackson Township and Grove City are working closely on this.

It's a shame the company refuses to deal openly with people.

That's a major concern, that the company tries to deal behind everyone's back.

Sheryl Grossman said she will do everything in her power to make sure the pipeline does not invade Grove City's boundaries.

Cooper asked whether WAC has been notified of where this pipeline is supposed to come through our area.

No. Province said he has received no official notification at all. Province would like to see, on Cooper's map, whether the pipeline is aimed to go through the Darby Woods apartment complex.

The map doesn't extend that far north. Alkire and Holt is in the upper left-hand corner.

Province said he passed out a list of events happening this month, as there are so many.

Province wrote a letter, asking City Council not to annex the Darby Woods Apartments to Columbus. The complex consists of 1728 apartments. It is a high-crime area, and there is not enough police coverage to handle it. We worked for eight years to support the division of precincts 19 and 10, so that we would have the extra officers needed to cope with the recent increase in population in the Westland area, and the last thing we need is to have at least six officers committed to Darby Woods. Most of them would come from 10 Precinct.

Cooper moved that we send the letter as written.

Balthaser asked how many letters we are sending.

Province said this is the only one. WABA sent one, as did Hardesty Heights and the Greater Hilltop Business Association. Everyone who looks at this realizes that it would take police and fire coverage away from the surrounding area to service this complex, and the city would receive little in tax dollars in return. There aren't the police to do it. We probably would not be opposed, if the city gave us six new officers to cover that area, but that has not been the city's policy in the past. They just annex an area, and they tell the police to cover it.

Saxton said that Darby Woods Apartments will be there, whether it is in the city or in the county. So, where do we have the better chance of getting it cleaned up, if it is in the township or in the city? It has to be cleaned up, as it is affecting our whole area. It is affecting the school system. Saxton would like to hear from the City of Columbus, to find out what their plans and recommendations are, before we send this letter. Maybe the city is planning to add additional police officers. If the area isn't cleaned up, it will get even worse, and it will be the slum of the entire westside.

Province said they told the Franklin County Commissioners that they will provide one police officer.

Sgt. Eing said he requested a new car district, or to move a car district into that area, with two officers assigned to it. Now, that is a temporary solution, to see if they can handle it. Whether he even gets that, he doesn't yet know.

Saxton said the complex has been getting worse and worse during the last five years. He hopes that, if the complex is annexed, the city will clean it up. Nothing will happen if it continues as it is.

Province said he says in the letter that he wants to know what the city plans to do.

Saxton said we should meet with the city.

Province said the plan is to bring the issue before City Council on the 29th of this month, a week from Monday. They don't give us a lot of time on this.

Province said he will call the city to set up the meeting.

Meanwhile, there is a motion on the floor. Is there a second, or will it die on the vine?

J. Province seconded.

What's the motion?

To send the letter. Or should Province amend the letter?

Saxton moved that we amend the motion to setting up the meeting, and then sending the letter, or not, depending upon the results of the meeting with the city officials. We'll have the meeting first, and then send the letter, maybe.

Rinehart seconded.

Saxton said at least three of us should go to the meeting with the city.

Cooper asked, What is the reason for the annexation request?

Province said he heard that the apartment's water bill will be lowered if they annex. They are getting city water now, but they are under a contract, in which they are getting city water and paying 10% more than if they were in the city.

Where is the pipeline going? Will it be going through that apartment complex?

Province said it costs a lot to pay for that annexation, more than can be gained by the lowered water bills. Someone is paying for the annexation in order to put the pipeline through there. The city will allow the pipeline in a minute.

Cooper asked whether they would tear the apartments down to put the pipeline through.

No.

Run it through the basements?

Province said he thought the pipeline would follow the freeway.

Cooper said he gets highly suspicious. Whenever this kind of deal comes through, it can't be good for the residents. This is a major undertaking for somebody.

Province said we tried six or seven times to meet with the manager of the complex, but he has refused to meet with us about anything.

Cooper said that, rather than wondering which jurisdiction can best clean up the area, we ought to be investigating the money trail, to find out who stands to benefit from this, and why. He is suspicious. Something smells, and he has no idea what it is. It isn't a small undertaking.

Province said we need to meet with Coleman and the rest of City Council, and Staff, to find out where the city stands on this issue. Province thought that, by sending the letter, we would precipitate a meeting.

A visitor asked what the city can do to clean up the area, that the township cannot do?

Province said that, if the complex is annexed to the City, the applicant would have to come back to us about a variance for parking. They do not have two off-street parking places for each apartment, as the City of Columbus demands.

J. Province said, in the area of social services, dunno.

The visitor asked, Wouldn't it be up to the owners of the complex to clean it up?

The owners are in Texas. It's an absentee landlord situation.

Cooper said the owners have no motivation to clean it up, whether they are in the city or in the township.

Canello asked whether the township is doing anything.

Province said that, by lowering the water bill, the landlord can lower the rents, thereby attracting a better class of tenant. (Laughter).

If they pay less for water, they can leave the rent alone, and increase their profits.

The cost of annexation is so high, that it's hard to believe that the water bill can make up the difference. The issue isn't the water bill.

Rinehart said the schools have a significant number of discipline referrals involving residents of that complex. A lot of students from that complex have attendance and behavior-related issues.

Cooper said that, the last time we received a report from the police department, we learned that a higher than average felony arrest numbers come from that area.

Sgt. Eing said he delivers warrants there all the time.

Saxton said we are dealing with a lot of unknowns here. We should have the meeting with the city, first. If we can't get a meeting, we should send the letter.

Cooper said he withdraws his motion to send the letter.

Then, we have Saxton's motion to hold the meeting, and then to send the letter, perhaps with amendments. Or, to send the letter if no meeting can be arranged.

Approved.

Cooper asked who was responsible for cleaning the apartment complex out on James Road, across from the depot?

Sgt. Eing said that's Greenbriar. There used to be gun battles there every night. He doesn't know who was responsible for cleaning it up, as he hasn't worked in that part of town for a long time.

Saxton, Voyles, Rinehart, Cooper, and Province will be available to meet with the city.

Province said Charleta Tavares was supposed to meet with WAC at 7:30pm. She has not arrived.

Education Committee (Rinehart): Voyles said that at our last meeting, we discussed the Ohio Twelfth-Grade Proficiency Tests. The schools have just finished administering the Ohio Ninth-Grade Proficiency Tests for the second time this year. There still are some seniors who have not passed it. Their last chance will be in May.

The high school design team is moving right along with the new high school. They have started the renovations of the outdoor athletic facilities at the existing high schools. The music additions and renovations and the auditorium renovations have also been started.

They do have a plan to deal with the Y2K Problem. A number of computers will be replaced. He received a call today from a company that wanted to give them some computers, but they would not accept the donation because the computers were not Y2K-proof. They probably think he's terrible, but those computers would just lead to trouble.

Rinehart said that, at the last district administrative meeting, the data manager indicated that between now and the end of the year, they will have to replace 1300 computers, for Y2K compliance. This will be a significant expense for the district. A lot of the computers are so old that they can't access the internet.

The wrestling team ended up fourth in the State of Ohio. Both the boys' and girls' basketball teams have been doing extremely well. Grove City will be playing tomorrow night.

Some special ed students are being recognized nationally. The Special Olympic basketball team at Westland is winning. Out of 12,000 pieces of art in the Governor's, one of the top 25 is from Westland High School.

A split session phase-out committee is meeting regularly. Also, community meetings will be held to determine the boundaries of the new middle school districts. These will be happening within the next year.

Twenty high school principals met at Gahanna High School, and they had a lot of compliments for South-Western, regarding the amount of business and community input they have obtained when making these hard decisions. Dublin is redistricting and building a new high school, and they have been asking for advice, which makes South-Western feel good. Marysville and Pickerington are having many of the same issues.

McKay asked whether there is an Adopt-a-School Program in place, to organize tutoring for students.

Voyles said that this is being done, but on an individual basis. Interested volunteers should contact the superintendent's office, to be referred to the right school.

Often, the problem is that a child got lost in the first or second grade somewhere, and has not been making a great deal of progress since. High school is not about remediation. He still has kids who finished school three years ago, who keep coming back to take that math proficiency test, and they keep getting 198 points, when it takes 200 to pass. He feels bad for a kid who has the whole world in front of him, who keeps missing that certificate because of one math problem.

Economic Development Committee (McKay): McKay reported that, last month he put out a call for volunteers to serve on his committee, but he received no response from WAC members. He did receive a letter from a resident, Hilda Moffitt, who volunteered to help. He still needs volunteers.

Province said that the One Stop Worksource is mentioned on the handout. Hours of operation will be 9:00 to 11:00am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Friday evenings 6:00 to 8:00, and noon to 3:00 on Saturdays. Worksource is a way for employers to post job openings on the internet, and for employees to put their resumes on the internet. The city has provided funding to run this program. They need someone who speaks Spanish.

Rinehart said they started a program for administrators to help students read. Their personnel department, since Christmas break, has been spending one hour per week helping fourth graders prepare for the proficiency tests.

Saxton said he has been tutoring a second grade child every Friday morning at 9:00am, and it is the most satisfying thing to see the emotions that go through a kid when he gets something right. Last week, the child spelled "zebra" right on the first try, and he jumped up and screamed and gave him a high-five, and the teacher came out of the room to find out what happened. The child was so excited because he spelled "zebra" right on the first try.

McKay mentioned that he tutors an eighth grader for the citizenship test.

Community Relations Committee (Balthaser): Balthaser said that the banquet made about $14,000 profit. Rinehart said that they will be giving about seven scholarships this year, two new ones to Franklin Heights High School, and one more to Grove City High School.

Recreation and Open Space Committee (Hurd): Province said that city bond package public hearings are taking place now. This is our opportunity to make our voices heard. $500 million is at issue. If we aren't heard now, it will be six years before we get another chance. No new taxes are involved. About $70 million will go into Recreation and Parks, to be evenly divided between acquisition of new land and maintenance and renovation of existing facilities. We have 50 acres or so on Alton Road, and nothing has been done with it so far. The land needs to be graded and baseball or soccer fields will need to be built. No money has been earmarked for it so far. We should all write letters to City Council, asking for this to be funded. If we don't, then whoever cries loudest will get the money spent in their neighborhoods.

About $130 million will be spent on road widening. Hall Road is a nightmare during rush hour, and Sullivant isn't much better. Street corner improvements are needed in several places. There will be a budget meeting at Westgate Recreation Center on April 6.

Old Business: Province has received one petition, so far, from candidates for election. The deadline is coming up in a couple of weeks.

Dori Sippial will be working with WAC during spring quarter. She will not work summer quarter. She will graduate September 2.

The Revised Westland Area Plan has been circulated internally and reviewed by Staff. Reza has incorporated some of WAC's recommendations, but not all of them. He cites as his reason the fact that more people were involved in the creation of the original plan than were involved in the revision process.

The Plan will go before the Development Commission on the 25th. About four to six weeks later, it will go before City Council. Reza wants supporters to speak in favor of the revision, before City Council.

As soon as the revised Plan goes through, he wants to set up a committee to look at the Village Center concept.

New Business: A visitor, JoEllen Lott, said she has been a resident of the Westland area for almost thirty years. She is concerned that, after thirty years, Westland still seems not to be recognized as a part of the city. The city talks about light rail, but our area is not included in the plan. They talk about parks, but we are not included. What do we do to get the city to notice that we are here?

Province said that the first thing to do is to attend the bond issue meeting at Westgate. There is no "here" to Westland, yet. They drive out along Broad Street, and see township, and that's all they see. They see separate, little communities. Our goal is to merge that into one. It's tough. It took Hilltop twenty years to get recognized, and we are in our ninth year.

What about light rail?

Ask COTA. It's ridiculous, because if they want to go to Cincinnati, they have to go through Westland to do it.

Traffic keeps getting worse, going into downtown, and they aren't thinking about us.

They aren't thinking at all. All of Dublin and Hilliard use I-70 to go downtown. Yet, when Province asked them about plans to widen I-70, the reply was, "What for? It's two lanes wide now, and that's fine for as many people as ever go to the west side."

Sgt. Eing said that the city has come up with ACE money to hire police officers, at time-and-a-half, to do special projects. If anyone has ideas for these special programs, let him know. If it is a traffic problem, or a parking problem, or whatever, be specific as to the area and time of day.

Wilder reported that Doctors Hospital is collecting canned goods for Operation Feed. If a business or organization collects cans, they will go to pick them up. Or, they can be dropped off at the hospital. The canned goods will be distributed within the Westland area. The drive ends April 20.

Province received calls recently, asking whether a cancer support group can be formed.

Wilder said the hospital already has a grief support group.

She will look into this matter.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20pm.