North Linden Area Commission Meeting Notes, February 2020
- Community Speakers
- Administrative items
- Planning and economic development
- Code enforcement
- Linden Park rec center update
- Smart Columbus
- Neighborhood reports
I showed up at about 6:50 p.m. No agenda copy, unfortunately.
Community Speakers
Heather, whose last name I missed, talked about the Columbus Litter League.
Derek Russell, representing Listen Good Youth, a group for reducing gun violence. The program is in its early stages, including recommendations for programs at schools. They'll have an event on March 28 at TKTK Mifflin Middle School, including a job fair and talks by former gang members. Link is "Linden Community And Columbus Ohio Stop The Violence"
In response to a question from Lathram about the differences between this group and Stop The Violence, Russell said that he is a former gang member who served 12 years in prison, and has received awards for helping reduce gun violence.
Administrative items
There are two open spots for residents on the Commission. One applicant had submitted her application, but it appears that the applicant doesn't live within the boundaries, though her business on Innis Road does service the Linden area.
The seats will remain open. Applications would need to be submitted by the 19th of March, with interviews in the first week of April, and voting on April 16. Contact John Lathram for advice.
Lathram says that the area commissions are working towards geting a webpage for each of the area commissions.
Finance
The commission has slightly more than $2000 in its account, and has recently bought some business cards. They're working towards purchasing some yard signs, which will be available at the next commission meeting. These signs are to advertise the area commission, the place, and time.
Bylaws changes
The first reading of the revised bylaws was conducted at the meeting. The revised bylines TKTK are available for review where? Is a side-by-side comparison available?
Significant changes include:
- doing away with secretary
- addition of zoning board as officer
- election of officers by roll-call vote instead of secret ballot
- speaker slips needed for members of the public to be addressed
The representative from the Department of Neighborhoods, DeLena Scales, points out that secret ballots are not permitted under Ohio's sunshine and public-records laws. And meetings, including internal planning meetings, must be announced 7 days in advance, with minutes taken.
Holly Borghese said that the city had recommended to remove the secretary position. She said that many commissions have non-commissioner clerks, such as high school students completing their community service hours. The elimination of the specific secretary position allows anyone to take minutes.
Planning and economic development
Application Z19-080
TKTK link to application; guy's name was something like Mohammad?
The representative for the application wants to change a residentially-zoned lot wants to convert the lot to a C2 commercial lot. He wants to use it for a small office area.
The building is small, but the plan has 9 parking spaces. The commission is concerned that the building will become a car lot. He'll need to file a zoning variance to have that many spots
The plan also puts the entrance and exit from the parking space in the alleyway, which has neighbors concerned.
Holly Borghese said that the applicant needs to come back with more details about what the building would look like, with two parking spots, with green space and street trees.
An audience member, who said he owns the brick and white houses nearby, said that the same plan was presented by a different owner in 2016 to the Columbus zoning board.
Commissioner Andrea Russel asked why the applicant is opposed to developing a residential property there. The applicant said that he wouldn't be able to invest in the property if it wasn't commercial. Verious people suggested building an apartment complex, or a duplex.
The applicant said that the city had recommended he get it zoned commercial, but no one in room seems to want to make the property a commercial property.
Commissioner Russel mentioned that the property might be able to be zoned CPD, but the application wasn't for a CPD zoning. CPD zoning would allow commercial activity under certain limits.
The application was tabled until April, when the applicant said he'd be better able to respond to the commission's recommendations.
Parcel #010-107-087 on Oaklawn
A representative for John Kareithi.
John Lathram says that the bank won't approve the property purchase until the commission approves the use of the property. The site plan is for a 1400 sq. ft. house, on land purchased from the land bank.
The application includes a request to allow asphalt to the property line. The commission is opposed. And according to the C2P2 (TKTK link) guidelines, the garage can't protrude past the front door. They also suggested the option of detaching the garage, and adding a bigger porch.
This is tabled until next month.
Zone Training
According to Lathram, the city will begin posting signs on properties that are up for rezoning, starting in September. Signs will be posted on the property on the lot regarding the changes of zoning laws. This will be in addition to the postcards that are currently sent to neighbors.
Hudson Avenue
Renovations to Hudson Street will begin in November, being completed within 6 months.
Demolition permit 02000481
This is for 2357-2359 Linden Avenue, which is part of a Homeport discussion.
Lathram, referencing a story in today's Dispatch, points out that this is part of the Myrtle Place complex, which was acquired by Homeport, and which now appears to have ground-floor shop spaces. This demo is required for part of that complex.
The project has been before the commission many times before.
Executive Office Group
Mario Jackson is requesting a variance for a sign for the property on 2682 Cleveland Avenue. The property is being used as a shared office space for small business owners, including community banks.
The application is for a two foot tall, six feet wide full-color "electronic message center" mounted eight feet above the ground. They're surrounded by other businesses with signs. Basically a small electronic billboard. EOG plans to use the sign for public-benefit messaging such as AMBER Alerts, community messages, and nonprofit use as well as commercially-sold ads.
EOG anticipates hiring a full-time graphic designer to support the sign, and a full-time account exec to work with businesses along the Cleveland Avenue corridor.
Lathram raised a concern that the City didn't want tall signs installed in the area; instead preferring "monument" signs that are no more than four feet tall.
Mario Jackson says that the rationale for the taller sign in this case was so that it's visible above the six-foot fence of the gas station up the street.
Commissioner Andrea Russell says that the city's regulation limits the size of the sign by the "mass factor" involving the size of the facade of the building. According to the application, the city denied the sign on the grounds of the urban commercial overlay in the area not allowing tall signs or electronic signs, but Commissioner Russell said that the overlay wouldn't limit the sign for the reason that the city said it limited the overlay. Russell is a licensed sign erector, so she won't vote on this next month, but does find the discrepancy between the overlay and the city's rationale to be troubling.
Code enforcement
There is apparently a team effort going on to remove abandoned parked cars. The audience is encouraged to call 311 to report cars with flat tires.
Linden Park rec center update
Lathram rehashes the plans for the Linden Park rec center, which will be twice the size of the old one. The city will be installing sidewalks in the neighborhood and improving the roads in the area.
September 30, 2020 is the city's anticipated date for certificate of occupancy.
Paula Burleson says that the gyms are constructed, but not yet floored. Geese are still occupying the pond in the area. The alley on the north side needs some code enforcement.
Smart Columbus
The autonomous shuttle has been deployed, and is operating in South Linden.
Lathram had anticipated an amount of protest of the autonomous shuttle, but was pleasantly surprised that it didn't get picketed.
Neighborhood reports
Nothing of note from the Maize Road Civic Association, Kenmore Park Block Watch, or Clinton Township.
The North Linden Community Watch had a discussion of 311, and how 311 handles eviction set-outs where landlords empty the property's contents onto the yard or curb. 311 won't pick up set-outs, and will refuse to pick it up if it looks like a set-out. Landlords are supposed to pay for their own set-outs, and 311 and Code enforcement will try to find someone to bill for that one.