ThisWeek CW 06/20/2012
The Casto Co. received permission from the Canal Winchester Planning Commission June 11 for additional signs for some businesses in the Waterloo Crossing shopping center, but not for O’Charley’s restaurant at Gender and West Waterloo roads.
Casto, the company developing Waterloo Crossing and Winchester Square, submitted proposals to increase signage for the less-visible storefronts in the Waterloo Crossing development.
Casto also applied for permission to install directional signs to lead customers to O’Charley’s restaurant, due to traffic pattern changes at the intersection of Gender and West Waterloo roads.
“The reason for the signs is visibility for the merchants,” Casto spokesman Bruce Engelhardt said. “The ones going down the sides of the retail don’t have the visibility the ones on the Walmart side do, so tenants like Butch’s don’t get the visibility to let customers know they’re there.”
Casto spokesman Lou Visco said traffic flow changes and the addition of medians to Gender Road are the real reason more signs are necessary.
“We’re in favor of the Gender Road changes for the safety issues, but O’Charley’s is tucked into the most remote corner and that’s why they asked us for help, so we’re here in front of you,” Visco said.
Planning commission members said they understand the need for signs inside the shopping center to increase visibility for the storefronts on the west side of the complex but did not agree with the developer about the O’Charley’s signage.
“People will find O’Charley’s because it’s on the most visible corner there. They’ve got the prime location,” commission member Jeff Graber said.
Commission member Dan Konold said studies suggest people don’t read signs any more because of information overload, and he challenged Engelhardt to name the businesses included on the clock tower sign at Casto’s Winchester Square development.
Engelhardt, who said he travels Gender Road frequently as an area resident, identified two of the three, Kroger and Home Depot, but was unable to recall the name of the third business.
“The third one is mine,” Konold said, referring to his family practice located in the development. “There’s so much signage people just don’t see it any more.”
Ultimately, the planning commission voted to approve two signs for the retail storefronts on the west side of the Waterloo Crossing development, but rejected the request for O’Charley’s.
Only Konold cast a dissenting vote.
In other business, the planning commission forwarded to Canal Winchester City Council legislation regarding locations and regulations for pawn shops and plasma centers.
“By law, we have to allow these types of businesses to operate somewhere in the community, so we want to make sure we put them in an appropriate area,” Development Director Lucas Haire said.
Currently, there are no discussions under way for either type of business, he said, but the city wants to stay ahead of things in case it comes up.
Council scheduled the first reading of this legislation for its June 18 meeting.