Old Town code changes headed to city council

ThisWeek CW 08/11/2011

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/canalwinchester/stories/2011/08/10/old-town-code-changes-headed-to-city-council.html?sid=104

Changes to the Old Town area guidelines continued to dominate the discussion at both the Old Town Committee and the Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission meetings Aug. 8.

In the end, the planning and zoning commission voted unanimously to send the proposed changes to city council, which will vote on them after a public hearing. A date for that hearing has not yet been set.

The proposal would amend the code to have applications regarding the Old Town area heard directly by the Landmarks Commission rather than dividing them among the Old Town Committee, Landmarks and planning and zoning.

The intent of the changes is to move the description of the Landmarks Commission into an appropriate part of the code, to reorganize guidelines for the historic district and the preservation area (to be renamed a preservation district) into two separate sets of guidelines and to give all Old Town area reviews over to the Landmarks Commission.

Bruce Jarvis, a member of the Landmarks Commission that reviewed and commented on the suggested changes during its July 25 meeting, said he has concerns.

“I took exception to applying a stringent set of standards to the preservation area,” Jarvis said. “I thought we’d have a higher level of cooperation (from residents) if there were more latitude there.”

Councilwoman and Old Town Committee member Bobbie Mershon agreed.

“I want (residents in the preservation area) to be able to put any kind of material on their house without being hassled, as long as the style stays the same,” Mershon said. “I don’t care if they use vinyl. If, in 100 years, that area becomes a historic district, then the person who makes changes then can put it back to original.”

Committee member Marilyn Rush-Ekelberry said under the proposed changes to the city code, the Landmarks Commission rulings would be only recommendations for residents in the preservation area.

“I think recommendations can be made to help them make the proper decision,” she said.

Committee member John Bender agreed that the changes are appropriate as written; Mershon dropped her protest.

“I think it’s fine as long as it stays as recommendations, because if we start having noncompliance from people, we’re going to end up with whole neighborhoods in here unhappy with us,” Mershon said.

In other business Monday, the planning and zoning commission approved a request to replace failing gutters and stucco soffits with aluminum gutters and soffits at the rear of a Canal Winchester Local Schools building at 131 Franklin St.

Landmarks Commission representative Patrick Lynch said this is not a historic part of the building and the metal replacements are appropriate, given that the building addition has metal window and doorframes.

The commission also voted to approve Connie Burke’s plans to open pet-grooming business at 151 W. Waterloo St. Commissioner Jeff Graber asked where dogs would be allowed to relieve themselves and how often the area would be cleaned up.

“There’s a very small area just outside that we’ll allow the dogs to use and it’ll be cleaned up daily,” Burke said. “We expect five to 10 animals a day, four days a week and no animals will be kept outside so there won’t be any barking issues.”