ThisWeek CW 09/10/2015
http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/canalwinchester/news/2015/09/04/residents-hope-to-see-playground-on-vacant-lot.html
Two residents of the Founder’s Bend neighborhood askedGroveport officials last month to consider establishing a playground on a vacant lot in the development.
“We have a vacant lot between 4329 and 4348 Landmark Road and we were wondering if it would be possible to have you put in a playground in there, because right now, our kids have to go all the way to Three Creeks for any playground equipment or a basketball court,” said James Chilton, Founder’s Bend Homeowners Association president.
According to Chilton, representatives from Rockford Homes — the developer of Founder’s Bend — had said the company would build a playground on the lot when the development was still being marketed, “but as you know, they’ve left us with a few things hanging.”
Chilton and other neighborhood residents approached the city in June to help negotiate an agreement with the Indiana & Ohio Railway to cap licensing fees associated with a sewer line easement.
The agreement, originally between Rockford Homes and the railroad, was signed over from Rockford Homes to the homeowners association under a contract clause, leaving the association on the hook for an annual 5-percent increase that was already nearing $4,000 for the next renewal period.
The city negotiated a capped, fixed agreement similar to its $1,400 annual agreement with the railroad for another utility easement.
City Administrator Marsha Hall said it appears that Rockford transferred the abandoned Landmark Road lot to the city.
“So it is ours, but we’ll need to go through our options based on how much room we have to work with,” Hall said.
According to the Franklin County Auditor’s Office GIS information, the lot has been combined with a 5-acre parcel the city owns adjacent to the neighborhood.
Finance Director Jeff Green said he believes the city staff could come up with some ideas for the property. He said it might be possible to add some of the project cost to Groveport’s 2016 annual budget, if council approves.
“There are lots of grants available through the playground equipment companies as well,” Hall said. “We’ve done that before and we might be able to get some funding that way.”