By Scott Biggs, FPCA Volunteer Coordinator
The future of the former hotel property at 1289 E. Dublin-Granville Rd. near Satinwood Dr. in Forest Park West will be on the agenda at a Feb. 9 public hearing by the City of Columbus’ Development Commission. The property is between Popeye’s Chicken and Satinwood Dr.
Adjacent property owners should have already been notified of this meeting directly by the city. All Forest Park residents can attend the 4:30 p.m. hearing, watch it online, and email statements for consideration. See below for more information.
HOW TO ATTEND OR WATCH THE HEARING
The Development Commission of the City of Columbus will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, to consider rezoning the hotel from commercial to residential.
The public hearing will be at the Michael B. Coleman Government Center, Second Floor Public Hearing Room, 111 North Front St., Columbus, OH 43215. The hearing begins at 4:30 p.m. and is expected to include eight applications including this rezoning application for the 1289 property. The agenda shows this issue listed as fifth of the eight applications at the hearing (this is subject to change).
Parking is available in the parking garage located north of the Michael B. Coleman Government Center and is accessed from Ludlow Alley north of West Long St.
SUBMIT TESTIMONY VIA EMAIL
The FPCA encourages residents to submit testimony via email before the deadline. Please reference Record Z22-083: 1289 E DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD.
Anyone wishing to provide testimony in favor or in opposition to this rezoning can submit a statement in writing via email to Tim Dietrich at tedietrich@columbus.gov. Written testimony must be received at this email by noon on the day of the meeting.
WATCH THE MEETING ON YOUTUBE
You can attend the meeting in person and also watch the hearing online at the city’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/cityofcolumbus.
ABOUT THE REQUEST
The Community Shelter Board is requesting a rezoning that would permit the use of the former Red Carpet Inn property containing 82 units for long-term, permanent supportive housing under lease to Homefull.
This request was the subject of a well-attended monthly meeting of the Forest Park Civic Association on Jan. 10 at Epworth United Methodist Church.
More than 60 Forest Park residents listened as the Community Shelter Board and its partners described their plans for the property. Homefull, which provides property management and case management for a property at 1111 Mediterranean Ave. (located in a former hotel behind The Waffle House near I-71) would lease the hotel property and provide the same services at the 1289 site. The Community Shelter Board explained that the property would serve as permanent supportive housing for disabled homeless people.
NCC VOTES TO RECOMMEND AGAINST REZONING
The Northland Community Council’s Development Committee considered this application at its Jan. 26 meeting and voted 15-0 to recommend that the City of Columbus DISAPPROVE (reject) the rezoning. The City is not required to abide by the NCC’s recommendation, but the unanimous consensus is expected to carry some influence in the City’s decision.
The Northland Community Council (NCC) represents 26 area civic associations and organizations in the Northland area. The NCC represents more than 100,000 households and ensures that the City of Columbus recognizes Northland as an important political voice. Two FPCA volunteers currently serve on the commission and provide detailed reports at every FPCA meeting. Ed Vanasdale, the current president of the FPCA, and Dave Paul both serve on the NCC Development Committee.
Dave Paul, a co-chair of the NCC Development Committee, a representative of the Northland Community Alliance, and an active member of the Forest Park Civic Association, explained his concerns at the January FPCA meeting. While acknowledging that there is a need for affordable housing for disabled residents in the city, Paul noted that the rezoning would permanently allow residential use for the hotel property. This would mean that if the Community Shelter Board abandoned its plans at any time, the hotel could be used by another group for a variety of residential uses that could negatively affect the neighborhood.
Residents at the FPCA meeting raised concerns that the proposed plans would attract increased crime, vagrancy, alcohol abuse, drug activity and other issues in its vicinity. They asked how residents would be monitored, how they qualify to participate in the housing, and what security services would be in place. Several mentioned current issues with panhandlers in the I-71 and Dublin-Granville Rd. area and concerns that the situation could worsen.
THANK YOU TO OUR NCC REPRESENTATIVES
Many thanks to Ed Vanasdale and Dave Paul for their continued VOLUNTEER work to represent all residents of Forest Park on this issue and many more that protect our interests. They spend a lot of time in service to their community.
Part of your $25 annual FPCA membership helps fund the NCC and its important work to represent Northland in decisions made by the City of Columbus. If you have not joined the FPCA this year, please consider membership.