ThisWeek CW 10/22/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/10/19/city-oks-rezoning-fee-waivers-for-school-projects.html

The Groveport Madison Local School District has received city approval to move forward with combining five district buildings into one facility adjacent to the high school.

At Groveport City Council’s Oct. 13 meeting, members voted unanimously to approve two pieces of emergency legislation aimed at further improving on the school district’s current high school construction project.

Superintendent Bruce Hoover had asked council Sept. 28 to consider rezoning an industrial warehouse the district purchased at 4400 Marketing Place so the building could be remodeled for use as a multipurpose educational and administrative building, including bus garage facilities, storage and new Cruiser Academy space.

Hoover also asked that council consider waiving any city fees associated with the review of plans and other applications for the projects. He estimated that by doing this, the district would be able to free up about $50,000 that could then be put back into additional project improvements.

City Administrator Marsha Hall said the legislation council approved doesn’t anticipate or set a dollar amount associated with the fees, but does waive whatever fees possible.

“We will not have totals for fees being waived until all plans, plan revisions and HVAC inspections are completed. That is why we wrote the ordinance the way we did — type, not amounts,” Hall said.

Some of the fees associated with inspections and plan reviews are not charged by Groveport and thus cannot be waived, particularly those associated with the city of Columbus.

Because construction on the new high school has already started, and because the district wants to start work on its new Marketing Place facility as soon as possible, council approved both pieces of legislation as emergencies, waiving the usual three public readings.