Resident says dry precinct could resolve parking problem

ThisWeek UA 05/19/2011

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/upperarlington/stories/2011/05/18/resident-says-dry-precinct-could-resolve-parking-problem.html?sid=104

Residents close to the Lane Avenue commercial district are concerned about on-street parking in their neighborhood and see changes to liquor licensing law as a possible solution.

“A Grape Juice Bistro would not generate the overflow parking The Wine Bistro does at present,” Chester Road resident Hu McCulloch wrote in an email to ThisWeek.

McCulloch has said that the group of residents he represents in that area would “reluctantly exercise the Local (Liquor) Option and vote (precinct 3-C) dry this November” if city council votes to repeal the contested permit parking on residential side streets along Lane Avenue per section 311.07 of the city traffic code.

Precinct 3-C is bordered by Andover and North Star Roads, between Lane Avenue and Northam Road. Also included in the precinct is Beaumont Road south of Lane Avenue to Berkshire Road, then east to the Fiesta Shopping Center.

“Unfortunately, voting 3-C dry is a very indirect and clumsy way to address what is really a parking issue,” McCulloch wrote. “Pre-2002 establishments that responsibly put in adequate parking would regrettably be adversely affected, but residents are desperate to protect their children, their neighborhoods and their investments in their homes.”

According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, registered voters within a particular area, usually a specific precinct, can vote to specify certain types of alcohol sales or to ban those sales altogether.

If precinct 3-C were voted dry, liquor licenses for Easy Living, La Chatelaine, Piada, Pizza Hut, Speedway and The Wine Bistro would be revoked and new liquor licenses would not be issued to new developments, including J. Liu Restaurant, which plans to build a new restaurant near the corner of Lane Avenue and Westmont Boulevard and open in 2012, according to company officials.

McCulloch said he and his neighbors are specifically concerned about the parking issues that would arise with the redevelopment of the Lane Avenue Baptist Church property into a hotel, banquet facility and restaurant — a rumor that has been floating around the city for the past few weeks.

Lane Avenue Baptist Church Rev. Wayne Nicholson said the church has no plans to sell the building.

“We’re continuing to schedule all of our summer activities,” Nicholson said. “We haven’t been approached by anyone to redevelop our property. We have changing needs, so we made a detailed study whether to remodel and expand our current building or build new somewhere else, but we aren’t close to coming to a conclusion about that in committee, much less taking a recommendation to the congregation.”

City officials have also stated that no plans have come forward for redeveloping that property, but Emma Speight, deputy city manager for community affairs, said a hotel has been among many different ideas looked at over the years.

“We’ll talk to anyone to see if what they want to do will bring the community at large what it wants.” Speight said. “This is how the business world works. They explore ideas and sometimes float them by (the city), but nothing has been formally presented in this case.”

Matt Shad, deputy city manager for economic development, said zoning changes including building height and parking come from recommendations by the Master Plan work groups, not a specific development deal in the works.

A representative of AECOM, the consulting firm hired by the city to conduct the Lane Avenue Corridor Traffic and Parking Study that currently is under way, will be available for one-on-one discussion May 24-25. Details about how to reserve time with the AECOM representative will be made available at www.uaoh.net.

“The corridor has changed and continues to change since the 2002 traffic study was done,” said Joe Valentino, assistant city manager. “We hope that these residents stay engaged to find a solution to the parking issue for the whole corridor, while continuing the success of the businesses.”

The city is holding a public meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road, to discuss and take input on the Lane Avenue Corridor Traffic and Parking Study.