January 6, 2011
Waterloo Crossing
Staples requests sign variance for store By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI Dutton. The building fills in about ThisWeek Community Newspapers half the gap between existing in-
The Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to discuss a site plan and variance request from Waterloo Crossing Ltd. on behalf of Staples at its Jan. 10 meeting. The site development plan is for a 14,763-square-foot building on Winchester Boulevard west of Walmart, according to village zoning officer Andrew
line tenants, he said. No additional parking is proposed because there is already parking in front of the building. Dutton said the variance request will allow larger sign text than permitted by village code. “The Waterloo Crossing sign text limits the height of wall signs to 30 inches for tenants under 20,000 square feet,” he said. “The applicant is proposing a text
the Waterloo Crossing shopping center space. Jim Visco, repreThe Waterloo Crossing sign text limits the senting the center’s developer, height of wall signs to 30 inches for tenants Casto Co., told the planning comunder 20,000 square feet. The applicant is mission last month the retailer “works well with Waterloo Crossproposing a text height of 48 inches. ing.” “We have been chasing this ANDREW DUTTON for about three years,” Visco said —Village zoning officer in December. Ideally, he said, the tenant height of 48 inches.” meeting that a then-unnamed na- would like to open in Canal WinDutton announced at the De- tional retailer – now identified chester next fall. Visco added that cember planning commission as Staples — was interested in the earliest the building could be
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By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Tim Norman/ThisWeek
Canal Winchester’s Tay Stokes goes up for a shot despite pressure from Kourtni Perry of Groveport during the host Indians’ 60-48 loss on Wednesday, Dec. 29. See Sports, page B1.
See COUNCIL, page A2
Officials anticipate city status in 2011 By TARA STUBBS-FIGURSKI ThisWeek Community Newspapers The biggest challenges for Canal Winchester in 2011 will be a change in status from village to city, several large infrastructure projects and the poor economy, village officials say. Finance director Nanisa Osborn previously stated she’s not sure when Canal Winchester will attain city status but anticipates it will be around the first of April. The village has to wait for the United States Census Bureau to release its statistics to the Ohio Secretary of State, who will make a determination and notify the village. As a city, Canal Winchester can no longer be a
member of a general health district and must provide health services to its residents by its own means. The Franklin County Board of Health was selected to provide health services to the community. Osborn said Canal Winchester will have to finalize its contract with the board of health. The fee will be $5.73 per capita with the final cost based on the population when the village becomes a city, she said. As part of the change to city status Canal Winchester must also update its job descriptions. “We are still working through the process,” Osborn said. “We will be finished some time in January.”
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See STAPLES, page A2
Resident’s carport unlikely to be approved
Council TAY FOR TWO allows use of vinyl siding After months of discussion and appearances before both village council and the planning and zoning commission, Canal Winchester resident John Bakitis will be allowed to use vinyl siding and build an addition on his home at 79 N. Trine St. in the downtown Historic Preservation area. Canal Winchester Village Council heard a second appeal from Bakitis at its Dec. 20 meeting. Members voted on two separate motions Monday, Jan. 3 – one for the vinyl siding and one for the addition – and approved both. Council’s vote overturns rejections by the planning and zoning commission, in August and October. Zoning officer Andrew Dutton previously said preservation guidelines highlight three factors to consider when changing from wood to vinyl siding: whether the wood siding will hold paint, the character of the building and cost to maintain the paint versus siding. A finding of fact report issued by the village staff found that Bakitis did “meet his burden of proof under the preservation guidelines as to the replacement of existing wood siding with vinyl siding because changing Mr. Bakitis’home … will be in character with other homes in close proximity to the applicant’s home that also have vinyl siding, i.e., the character of the Preservation Area is not adversely affected by replacement of wood siding on this particular building with vinyl siding.”
constructed would be the end of August but in order to make that happen, a site plan needs to be brought to the planning commission’s Jan. 10 meeting. Planning commission member Dan Konold said in December his vote for approving the sign variance would depend on the identity of the retailer. “If it was a tenant like Old Navy, I’m OK with that,” he said.
Mayor Michael Ebert said as part of the process he would like to hire a part-time human resources director in the second quarter to assist Osborn and public works director Matt Peoples. The village has 31 full-time and three part-time employees throughout most of the year. In the summer, 40 seasonal employees are added to the roster. “We could use help in a lot of areas,” Osborn said. Infrastructure will be a big issue in 2011 as construction begins on the first phase of Gender Road improvements. Canal Winchester received a $2milliion Ohio Public Works Commission grant for the project, which includes work at the Gender See OFFICIALS, page A2
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It doesn’t seem likely that Wendell Collier will be granted variances for a carport and gravel driveway at his home at 180 W. Waterloo St. Canal Winchester Village Council held a public hearing Jan. 3 to hear comments on an appeal filed by Collier, whose home is located in the village’s designated Preservation Area. The Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission has denied Collier’s request for variances to allow an accessory structure without a principal structure, a gravel driveway, accessory structures within sideyard setbacks and multiple accessory structures on a single property. He also requested permission to erect two metal carports. The original application was heard by the planning commission on Oct. 11, at which time the commission denied the variances and the carports. Collier appealed the decision to council but prior to the public hearing, he removed the larger of the two carports from his property so the application was referred back to the planning commission. Village zoning officer Andrew Dutton said Collier wants to build a 225-square-foot carport on the southeast side of his property and a gravel driveway. Materials for an accessory structure must complement the primary structure; in Collier’s case, this would be vinyl siding and asphalt shingles. Council member James Wynkoop asked if the gravel path could be considered decorative rather than a driveway. Dutton said Collier drives and parks on the gravel so it would be considered a driveway. Planning commission member Jim Knowlton said the village’s zoning code does not allow gravel to be used for an access drive. “This just does not mesh with the codes that are in place at the moment,” Knowlton said. “It doesn’t have siding. It doesn’t have walls. It doesn’t conform with the architecture that is there. Those are the reasons planning and zoning denied the variances.” Collier said he started keeping a trailer behind a fence on his property about a year ago. He used to keep the trailer in his driveway but he installed a gate to get the trailer inside the fence after being advised by the village he couldn’t keep the trailer in the driveway. “I don’t use (the path) as a driveway other than to access the gate for backing out,” he said, adding the stone is exactly the same stone used by Canal Winchester around the bushes and flowers in the median on Gender Road. “It looks cleaner and neater than the mud that was there,” he said. Collier said he wants a carport to protect the trailer because young people were dropping rocks on it from the railroad tracks. In addition, he said, the trailer was sustaining damage from a large tree on the property. Prior to having the carport installed, he said he checked with the company to see if a permit was needed and was told no because the carport is a portable structure. Council member Marilyn Rush-Ekelberry asked if Collier’s intent is to leave the carport on the property indefinitely. He said eventually he would like to add on to his garage to accommodate the trailer but can’t afford to do so now. “I wanted something that would still look nice for the area,” he said. “I’m doing everything I can to See CARPORT, page A3
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