ThisWeek CW 11/12/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/11/09/groveport-accepts-companys-donation-of-3-5-acres.html

The city of Groveport will gain approximately 3.5 acres after Groveport City Council agreed last month to accept the donation from Evans Capital Investments.

Council members unanimously approved emergency legislation Oct. 26 to allow the company to sign over 20 parcels of land located just northeast of the Greenfield Place Senior Citizen Apartments at 283 Green Ave. The site is otherwise surrounded by single-family houses.

According to City Administrator Marsha Hall, the company had offered to sell the property to the city in the past, but due to the location and drainage issues, it wasn’t considered a worthwhile purchase.

“They’d come to us a while back to ask if we wanted to buy it but we weren’t interested in buying, and they are required to maintain the land while they own it,” Hall said. “They recently came to us to offer it as a donation, which would then mean we’d maintain it and could decide to do something in the future, like maybe a park; but for now, it would just be left as it is.”

Law Director Kevin Shannon said in addition to the drainage issues, the parcels are considered landlocked, making them unmarketable.

Originally, the land had been platted for as many as 20 single-family residences.

Now that city has agreed to accept the donation, Evans Capital Investments can sign over the title for the land at any time, although it is not required to.

Councilwoman Jean Ann Hilbert suggested the city consider using the land for a natural prairie park.