December 23, 2010
Planning commission
TJX granted tree-planting variance By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers TJX only will have to plant nine trees per 100 feet at its new facility, according to the condition of a variance approved by the New Albany Planning Commission Dec. 20. The condition is subject to staff approval. TJX is building a 60,000-square-foot corporate technology center at the cor-
ner of state Route 605 and New Albany Road East. Village planner Michelle Murphy said TJX, which is the parent company of T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, Marshalls and A.J. Wright, had conflicting information in the maps and text presented in the final development plan for the project, which was approved by the village in July. The text stated the company would plant 11 trees and 10 shrubs per 100 lin-
eal feet along Route 605. But the map showed only seven trees and a 6-foothigh mound, with no shrubs. Linda Menery of local engineering firm EMH&T said the map was correct and the text was incorrect. Murphy said the plantings are similar to the plans for the property to the south: eight trees per 100 linear feet, no shrubs and 6-foot-high mounds. Planning commission member David Demers asked what another neighbor-
ing property, Sorensen and Sorensen Optometrists at the northeast corner of Walton Parkway and Route 605, was required to have. Murphy confirmed that property, for which two office buildings are planned, would have nine trees per 100 linear feet. Demers said the commission should do the same thing “for the purposes of being consistent with businesses both big and small.” Menery said TJX already has plant-
ed nine trees per 100 lineal feet in the setback from Route 605, if both deciduous trees and evergreens are counted. In other business, the planning commission tabled a zoning request to add a patio to the Shops at Walton Parkway, 9865-9765 Johnstown Road. The application is “to add approximately 700 square feet of patio space to the north and east sides of the building for use as See TJX, page A3
Knowlton granted another incentive for $150K
MOVING WITH THE SEASONS
By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Photos by Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
(Above) New Albany first-grader Dylan Neff warms up with his classmates in teacher Stacy Butterfield’s class Dec. 16 as they prepare to perform “Winter” as part of a dance production of Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.” Firstgraders at the K-1 building have been working on the performance with artistin-residency Tom Evert since the beginning of November. (Right) First-grader Abigail Nocera performs the choregraphed dance movements for “Summer” with other members of Maggie Niewierski’s class.
The Ohio Controlling Board on Dec. 13 awarded a $150,000 Rapid Outreach Grant to the Knowlton Development Corp. for its 250,000square-foot manufacturing plant in New Albany’s business park east. The grant, which is expected to be the final state incentive for the company, covers “costs associated with the acquisition of new machinery and equipment in support of the company’s project,” according to information from the state. Knowlton Development Corp. has several companies that manufacture personal-care and beauty products. The company’s $55-million project is expected to create 200 jobs with an estimated annual payroll of $8-million. The facility will be part of the personal care and beauty campus, which extends north and south of state Route 161 and east and west of Beech Road. The company already has received 55-percent job-creation tax credit for nine years, which is valued at an estimated $655,000. This refundable credit, issued through the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, allows a company to be refunded a percentage of its income taxes paid annually for the term of the incentive. Knowlton See KNOWLTON, page A3
High school implements intervention procedures
Electronics recycling day scheduled Jan. 22 By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers Residents with unused electronics are encouraged to bring them to an electronics recycling day scheduled 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 W. Granville St. Residents may bring in complete personal computer units, hard drives, black CRT monitors, LCD monitors, computer mice, printers, cables and other computer accessories, as well as working and broken cell phones. There will be a small donation of $3 requested
for any beige or white CRT monitors that will be dropped off to help cover A closer look the fees required for proper disposal. The event is sponsored by the ComResidents may bring in complete munity Computer Alliance of Columpersonal computer units, hard bus, a nonprofit organization that takes drives, black CRT monitors, LCD “old computers and components and monitors, computer mice, printrefurbishes them,” according to the orers, cables and other computer ganization’s website. The machines accessories, as well as working are refurbished and donated to low-inand broken cell phones. come families, senior citizens and other nonprofits. The organization wipes all data from offers a report of the date and time hard drives before refurbished com- when the hard drive was emptied for puters are distributed. It does this as a $10 fee. part of the recycling process and even If a computer cannot be reused, its
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useful components will be salvaged and other materials, such as plastic, metals, and circuit boards, will be melted down for future use. The Community Computer Alliance will be assisted by volunteers from the Rotary Club of New Albany and the New Albany Chamber of Commerce. Cary Hager of the Rotary Club said electronics recycling prevents usable machines from being taken to a landfill and provides them for people who often cannot afford a new computer. With more and more job applications
By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers New Albany High School is investigating ways to increase intervention for general education and gifted students. Assistant principal Rex Reeder told the school board Dec. 13 that 307 had failing grade during the first semester of the school year. After identifying each student and having the teacher fill out an academic alert form for each, teachers met one on one with the students to assess each situation. “Sixty-three percent of those failures went away after those conversations,” Reeder said. See INTERVENTION, page A2
See ELECTRONICS, page A8
Sally (left) is one of the homeless pets still waiting to be adopted from the Second Chance Humane Society. Her shelter mate, Daisy, was featured in the October video at www.ThisWeekNEWS.com and is also waiting to be adopted. For more information on adopting one of the dogs, visit www.secondchancehs.com or call (740) 967-3700.