January 13, 2011
North at North High
Council asked to improve crosswalk safety By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers Friends of the Columbus woman who died after being struck by a vehicle in Historic Dublin late last month want something done at the North High Street crosswalk where the incident had occured. Clintonville resident Iren Toms spoke
to Dublin City Council members during a Jan. 10 meeting, asking for a stop light or four-way stop at the crosswalk that crosses North High Street at North Street. “According to numerous people who live and work in the area, they say people ignore (flashing lights at the crosswalk),” Toms told council members. In the wake of Columbus resident
Stephanie Auer’s Dec. 30 death, Toms said she is working to get 2,000 signatures on a petition requesting a stop light at the crosswalk. According to police reports, Auer was struck by a vehicle shortly before 7 p.m. Dec. 28. Auer was in the crosswalk, but witness reports said the flashing lights were not on.
The incident remains under investigation. Despite the internally illuminated signs and flashing lights installed at the crosswalk last spring, Toms said more is needed to keep pedestrians safe. “I don’t feel that enough has been done,” she said, adding that during discussions with deputy city manager Dana McDaniel,
he indicated that a stop light is not warranted at the crosswalk. According to the state road standards Dublin follows, the flow of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic does not warrant a stop light at the crosswalk, city manager Marsha Grigsby said. See CROSSWALK, page A7
Piada might bring Italian fare to Sawmill By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Piada is looking at bringing its fast-casual Italian street food concept to Dublin’s east side. Chris Doody, one of the men behind Italian restaurants Bravo and Brio, opened the first Piada in Upper Arlington last fall and is now looking at a Sawmill Road parcel to expand his new concept. “Piada opened on Lane Avenue in September,” Doody told commission members Jan. 6. “It’s very similar to a fast-casual concept. It’s like Chipotle … but with pasta and salad bowls.” Doody and Upper Arlington architect Tom Beery took a plan for a 2,940-square-foot restaurant at 6495 Sawmill Road to Dublin’s planning and zoning commission last week. The southwest corner of Sawmill Road and Banker Drive currently houses a two-story building that would be demolished if Piada gains Dublin approval. “The intention of the architecture was to create a modern, sleek Italian feel for the restaurant,” Beery said, of the design that features a glass-paneled front, limestone arch and white concrete
“
Piada opened on Lane Avenue in September. It’s very similar to a fast-casual concept. It’s like Chipotle … but with pasta and salad bowls.
CHRIS DOODY
”
— Bravo Development Inc. founder
block on the back. The 0.56-acre site requires 72 parking spaces, but the initial plan only contained 32 on-site spots and 15 off-site spots for employees. While the plan asked for exceptions with parking, the building also encroached upon the right-of-way and is located on the northeast corner of the parcel. Beery said Dublin staff members encouraged putting the building close to Banker and Sawmill Roads to keep in style with the Bridge Street Corridor plan. Most planning and zoning See PIADA, page A2
By Tim Norman/ThisWeek
Karrer Middle School seventh-graders Aishy Murali (left), Anisha Babu, Deepthi Thumuluri and Manasa Murali discuss a problem during a team event at the Mathcounts competition at Sells Middle School on Jan. 8. About 70 sixth-, seventhand eighth-graders from each of the four Dublin middle schools worked on problems with and without calculators as individuals and as teams to see who would advance to the regional Mathcounts testing on Saturday, Feb. 19, at Columbus State Community College.
Students add learning, fun for math contest By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Almost 100 Dublin middle school students spent their Saturday morning doing math problems instead of sleeping in. The Jan. 8 Dublin Mathcounts competition pitted middle school students across the district against each other for a shot at regional competitions in the national math enrichment program. “The Dublin contest we hold every year in preparation for regional contests, which is in February at Columbus State,” said Sells intervention specialist and Mathcounts coach Jodi Van Vranken. Mathcounts has been around in Dublin for students in grades 6-8 for more than 10 years, said Grizzell coach Karen Wha-
ley. Sells and Karrer were the first middle schools to get involved in 1998. Grizzell students got in on the action in 2001 and Davis in 2002, Whaley said. Mathcounts covers every type of math from middle school standards. Weekly hourlong practices start in October. Coffman High School junior Gautam Rangavajla helps out with practices and last week’s competition. He lived in Indiana when he went to middle school, but was involved in Mathcounts there. “The main thing I liked was the opportunity to do abstract problems,” he said. “The problems are more real world.” Problems put in front of students last weekend included figuring the likelihood of different point combinations during a dart game and how long it would take two
different people to mow a lawn. Scioto freshman Arjun Venkataraman said one problem made students figure out the probability of hearing a certain song on an iPod. “All of the problems can be solved by using Algebra I and below techniques,” he said. Venkataraman did Mathcounts for three years in middle school and qualified for state competitions every year. “I really got interested in Mathcounts in the fourth grade,” he said, adding that he got into fifth-grade math that year. “Mrs. Whaley fed me Mathcounts problems and I liked them.” Grizzell eighth-grader Zarius Shroff is See STUDENTS ADD, page A2
P&Z: Senior housing plan isn’t ready Concert band names director, sets A closer look first practice date By JENNIFER NOBLIT
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The National Church Residences’ southern Dublin development hit a snag last week over air conditioners, building height and other details. The final development plan for a 200 multiple-family development on Dublin’s southern border was tabled by the Planning and Zoning Commission Jan. 6. Commission members did, however, approve platting for the site. The 17-acre site on which NCR plans to offer affordable housing for Dublin’s senior citizens with apartments, cottagestyle buildings and an adult daycare is nearing the final steps before city approval. The final development plan needs approval
the first phase of the development finished by fall 2012. Washington Township trustee Gene Bostic voiced his support of the project during the meeting. The 17-acre site on which NCR plans “We’ve supported this development from to offer affordable housing for Dublin’s day one,” he said. “We have a number of senior citizens with apartments, senior citizens in Dublin right now that cottage-style buildings and an adult will be able to go into affordable housing daycare is nearing the final steps in Dublin.” before city approval. The final develThe 17-acre development with frontage opment plan needs approval from the on Avery Road drew several concerns from planning and zoning commission and commission members last week, though. Dublin City Council. Commission chair Chris Amorose from the planning and zoning commission Groomes pointed out an “air conditioning unit farm” around the 100-unit, three-story and Dublin City Council. NCR representative Matt McClure said buildings in the center of the development. the company hopes to close on financing in March or April and get construction on See P&Z: SENIOR , page A2
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By JENNIFER NOBLIT ThisWeek Community Newspapers
new musical group. “The level of support has been very strong and I’m very encouraged by that,” he said. The group plans to recruit members over the next few weeks at local churches, businesses and through word of mouth. The naming of the concert band’s director could also be a draw, Jameson said. “I think it might be surprising to see how many people are at
The Concert Band of Dublin will strike up a tune in 2011. The new concert band that falls under the auspices of the Dublin Community Bands will begin meeting this month, and the inaugural practice is slated for Jan. 31. Tim Jameson, the Dublin resident behind Dublin Community Bands, said community members have shown interest in the See CONCERT BAND, page A7
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