ThisWeek CW 08/27/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/08/24/council-oks-purchase-of-hanners-park-from-brewdog.html

Canal Winchester City Council voted unanimously last week to approve the purchase of Roger Hanners Recreational Fields and Park from BrewDog for $400,000.

Legislation was presented at council’s Aug. 17 meeting to purchase the approximately 10-acre park from BrewDog as part of the deal bringing the Scottish brewer to Canal Winchester.

Development Director Lucas Haire explained that until now, the Roger Hanners Recreational Fields and Park were part of a long-term lease deal with TS Trim, the previous property owner, who sold 51 acres at the corner of Gender and Groveport roads to BrewDog for its U.S. headquarters.

“This would be an opportunity for the city to purchase the park and guarantee it remains a park into the future,” Haire said.

“Currently, the city has been leasing the property and due to the sale of the property from TS Trim to BrewDog, we now have the chance to buy it and protect it in the long-term.”

When asked about the $400,000 price, Haire said BrewDog paid $36,750 per acre for the undeveloped land, which is why he believes the price to the city makes sense given the park is already developed.

“This already built out as we want it with ball fields and park facilities,” he said.

The funds for the purchase were appropriated out of the general fund, but Haire said the money will be paid back over time using tax-increment financing funds in coming years as BrewDog and other area properties are developed.

The TIF derives payments from future taxes on private property improvements; the funds are then specifically earmarked for public infrastructure projects — in this case, the purchase of the park.

BrewDog meeting

Haire said the city will host a town hall-style meeting about BrewDog’s plans from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Frances Steube Community Center, 22 S. Trine St.

Officials for the city and BrewDog will be on hand to collect community feedback and answer questions.

ThisWeek CW 08/27/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/08/24/phase-4-improvements-city-eyes-new-try-for-gender-road-funding.html

Canal Winchester officials are trying to decide whether to try again to obtain state funding to help pay for phase 4 of Gender Road improvements.

Public Works Director Matt Peoples said last week the staff is still reviewing information to figure out if it would be worth spending money on the engineering needed in order to have the project ready to apply for Ohio Public Works Commission funding.

The city unsuccessfully sought a $1.6-million OPWC grant/loan package last year to expand the intersection at Gender and Groveport roads. Peoples said city officials don’t want to apply again if the results will be the same.

The deadline to submit the grant application is Sept. 15.

Peoples said at Canal Winchester City Council’s Aug. 3 meeting that he thought updated traffic counts and a slightly scaled-down design would make the application more likely to be accepted.

The new plan, which is still in draft form, was developed by city engineering contractor Adam Voris and the company EMH&T. It could potentially include two turn lanes from eastbound Groveport Road onto northbound Gender Road.

From westbound Groveport Road, the draft shows a dedicated right-turn lane onto northbound Gender Road and a single dedicated left-turn lane onto southbound Gender Road.

Since the inception of this project, the city has acquired enough rights of way on the north side of the intersection that any necessary widening would happen there, leaving the setbacks and rights of way on the south side of the intersection in place.

The current plans indicate a bike path north of the intersection would need to be moved farther north and would be extended west as the first stage of connecting the Canal Winchester bike paths to the Walnut Creek Metro Park system and to Groveport.

Peoples said more than 11,000 vehicles go through the intersection during the morning and afternoon rush hours. He said the changes would help alleviate traffic backups that now affect both Gender and Groveport roads.

“We’ve had a lot of public comment on this plan before, so we have been calling the residents to talk with them about the plan and modifications to it,” Peoples said. “As long as we can show we’re not impacting any resident property, I think that addresses a large portion of the issues. We don’t want the traffic to get worse because then it’ll find another place to go, which creates a bigger problem.”

Peoples said a new church project and the BrewDog facility are both being taken into consideration with this plan, as is the location of the Madison Township fire station on Gender Road, which may require an additional traffic signal.

ThisWeek CW 08/27/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/08/24/city-township-asked-to-deal-with-safety-traffic-issues.html

Residents brought concerns about speeding vehicles, pedestrian safety and bicycle safety to Canal Winchester City Council and Madison Township trustees last week.

City resident Mary Jane Metcalf, who is a member of the Community Watch Program, along with her husband, John, told council Aug. 17 they’ve seen an increase in the number of vehicles using bicycle lanes to make right turns along Gender Road.

“I have a concern,” Metcalf said. “The bike path going north on Gender that crosses at Canal Street is one of the intersections that three times during our recent bicycle rides we’ve seen people using the bike lane as a right-turn lane. They probably don’t realize they’re doing it, but it is dangerous.”

Metcalf asked city officials to consider installing steel bollards such as those used for the bike lane at Winchester Boulevard.

Public Works Director Matt Peoples said he would look into it.

“We had that same situation at Winchester Boulevard before we upgraded it and I’ve seen what you’re saying myself at Canal Street,” Peoples said. “This might be something we could budget for in next year’s street program, but it might have to be more of a capital project depending on the cost.

“I think, with BrewDog going in, we’ll want to take a look at other locations as well and maybe have that done as part of their traffic study.”

Traffic accidents on and near Gender Road have been costly to the city as well this year; Finance Director Amanda Jackson has requested a $50,000 appropriations amendment to help offset repair costs for six different light poles hit by vehicles already in 2015.

“In one recent accident that took out some of the bollards at Winchester Boulevard, the bollards alone cost us $25,000 but fortunately, we did get a check from that individual’s insurance company to pay for those,” Jackson said.

Madison Township trustees received a petition at their Aug. 19 meeting signed by more than a dozen residents requesting a traffic study be completed on Winchester Pike between Courtright and Schwartz roads due to concerns about traffic speed.

“We’ve had a request from these residents to ask the Franklin County Engineer to complete a traffic study, but we’ll need a letter from the trustees requesting it,” township Administrator Susan Brobst said.

Trustee Gary McDonald said he sees drivers regularly speeding along that stretch of roadway.

“People do 60-70 mph on that stretch all the time so I think it would be a very good idea to have a study done there and to see what we can do,” McDonald said.

He and Trustee Victor Paini voted in favor of submitting the request; Trustee Ed Dildine was absent.

Madison Township Road Superintendent Dave Weaver said his department has been working to complete curb painting, with a particular focus on correcting the painted areas that do not meet specifications.

“We’re moving along pretty well with our painting and making sure we get them all to the proper specs, such as restricting parking for 20 feet around school crosswalks, which we’ve had some calls on,” he said. “The issue is that we need to make sure that traffic can see when people are about to enter the crosswalk and you can’t do that if a car is parked too close.”

Weaver said that after finishing the curb painting throughout the township, his crew will focus on repainting the crosswalks.

“We’ve had some equipment issues, and due to all the rain earlier in the year, we were put a little behind schedule with this but we’ll get it done,” he said.

ThisWeek CW 08/20/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/08/17/canal-winchester-human-services-groundbreaking-will-mark-agencys-60-years-of-helping.html

Canal Winchester Human Services will mark its 60th anniversary Sunday, Aug. 23, with a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new facility.

Final plans are still in the works and no construction date has been set, but the ceremony on Sunday is a way for the agency to look to the future while honoring its past, Human Services Administrator Penny Miller said.

A celebration of the organization’s 60th year of service to Canal Winchester residents will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the field adjacent to David’s Way apartments, 73 Covenant Way, where Human Services hopes to build a 5,000-square-foot warehouse on 2 acres.

“The celebration will take place on the grounds beside David’s Way, where we hope to be breaking ground for the new warehouse facility in the near future,” Miller said. “We will be acknowledging everyone that has ever served on the board of directors because the legacy they have left over the years is the reason we continue to serve the Canal Winchester community.

“The commitment and dedication to helping people in need is what has been the foundation of the services that we continue to provide.”

Special recognition will be given to Jo Weiser, who has served on the board of directors consistently since Canal Winchester Human Services was founded in 1955 and continues to be a trustee today.

Miller said the organization still functions on the same principles on which it was founded.

“We hope that everyone that has served in the past will attend, or be represented by family members if they are no longer living,” Miller said.

She said the organization is continuing to progress through pre-construction requirements for the new warehouse.

A site development plan and a request for a conditional use permit have been submitted to the Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission, Miller said.

“Construction bids will be acquired in the coming weeks,” she said. “Fundraising efforts continue and we hope that everyone will support our One Square Foot campaign.”

The names of those who contribute $50 or more to the campaign will be included in a permanent donor acknowledgement display at the building site.

The new facility will give Human Services one central location for its primary functions, which include a senior transportation program; a community outreach program that provides programming for senior citizens and assistance to families in need; and the largest program, the community food pantry.

“This has quickly become the largest program for Human Services, which in the last year provided 113,000 meals through the Choice Pantry and the Feeding our Future initiative, collectively serving more than 1,550 people,” Miller said. “While we’ve appreciated our current location (at 22 S. Trine St.) since 2012, it is hard to sustain rent over the long term if Human Services intends to continue providing the services as it does now.”

After 60 years, Miller said she believes Canal Winchester Human Services has proven its value to the community, and she hopes community members will join in the celebration and continue their support of the organization.

“We invite everyone to join us for a lovely afternoon of remembering all that has been accomplished in the past and hear about our plans for the future, as we prepare for the next 60 years,” Miller said.

For more information about this event or making a donation to the One Square Foot campaign, emailpenny.cwhs@gmail.com.

ThisWeek CW 08/20/2015

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/08/17/bond-sale-will-fund-building-purchase-renovation.html

The Groveport Madison Board of Education agreed unanimously last week to approve the sale of $9.5 million worth of bonds to fund the purchase and renovation of a 109,000-square-foot building at 4400 Marketing Place.

The building, located behind the Eastland Career Center, will allow the district to consolidate its administrative offices, Innovation Center, Cruiser Academy and bus garage into one space.

Superintendent Bruce Hoover told the school board at its Aug. 12 meeting the consolidation will reduce the district’s leasing and energy costs and will mean the transportation center will be near the current high school while a new high school is under construction.

“I had (transportation contractors) Petermann come in and discuss the cost of moving all the busing during construction versus a new bus garage adjacent to the high school property and this makes better financial sense,” Hoover said. “Currently, we’re spending almost a $1 million a year for our leased properties and transportation.”

Hoover said the district will purchase the building for about $2.8 million, which will leave more than $6 million from the bond sale for renovations.

“We’ve been getting complaints about our leased properties in both their condition as well as energy costs,” Hoover said. “For example, we lease the administrative building for about $11,000 a month and spend $16,000 on utilities, and that just doesn’t make sense.

“This deal will put everything under one roof, bringing many of our students and staff and administrators closer together; and our architects believe that we can complete the renovations for under $6.3 million.”

Hoover said he believes that if planning remains on track, the district could begin moving into 4400 Marketing Place at the end of the 2015-16 school year.

“This is going to allow us to control our costs over the long term and continue our goal of saving the district and residents money,” he said. “We’re working with the city now to get a zoning variance for the building and if all goes as planned, hope to move in next June.”