Update -Wheatland Crossing Zoning Committee Vote

[John R]

The Greater Hilltop Area Commision Zoning Committee met at Homes on the Hill last night to vote on the zoning change request from The WODA Group.  This is for their three phase project on the 20 acre city owned lot on N Wheatland Ave.

The biggest concern is The WODA Group wants the entire 20 acre plot rezoned to PUD-8.  The WODA Group generally has a good reputation, but if funding falls through for phase 2 and 3, once the entire plot has been rezoned, we would lose any leverage we have to control what goes in there.  The PUD-8 zoning designation would make it a prime location for low income rental housing.  

In principle, the idea of low income senior rental housing was well received and most people felt it could be a good fit for the location. But while The WODA Group expressed their desire to be a good neighbor,  unfortunatelly they've made no effort to get any input on the project from any of us that live in the neighborhood.  With the neighborhood being used as a dumping ground for low income folks by the city, slum lords, and even non-profit "community development corporations,"  residents of Higfhland West are very suspicious of any new housing development.  

Phase one isn't a done deal since The WODA Group funding request with the state tax authority is still pending.(Our tax dollars at work!)  Several projects for that land have been announced in recent years and never materialized.

There were 7 members of the HWNA present and many concerns were raised about the project from our members.   North Wheatland is a major entrance into the Highland West area of the Hilltop for cars coming west on Broad St.  It's also the route used by emergency vehicles that service our area.  It's very busy!  A traffic study was done last week, but questions were raised about how representative it was since all the data was taken in one 24 hour weekday period.     

 We were also concerned about the safety of the seniors, considering the problems that currently exist in the area.  Several people wondered why the phase one senior housing wasn't closer to Broad Street and the Columbus Public Health Center.  The plan is calling for the senior housing to be at the far north end of the 20 acre lot, which puts it several blocks walking distance from the health center and Broad Street bus line.

There was a lively discussion about the condition of the neighborhood in the area of the propsed WODA project and how our area is only eligible for funding of low income rental projects.  Without homeowners that have a stake in the area, there can't be a stable neighborhood.  Without a mix of incomes we won't be able to attract businesses to the area.

When the time came for a vote, each voting member of the committee voted against the WODA proposal and the zoning change.  The zoning change will now go before the entire GHAC next Tuesday without a recommendation from the GHAC Zoning Committee.

To see the Enviornmental Site Assesment, Market Study, WODA Resume, and Zoning Application please visit:
GHAC -The WODA Group Project Information

To anyone that might be interested, check out this interview on the Tavis Smiley program from earlier this week featuring Dr Richard Jackson.  Dr Jackson a leading voice for better urban design and will be hosting a new PBS series, Designing Healthy Communities.
Tavis Smiley -Designing Healthy Communities

See you at the GHAC meeting on Feburary 7 at the Hilltop Library at 7:00PM!!!

[John R]

The Messenger -GHAC votes on rezoning for senior housing complex

(by Sandi Latimer, staff writer - February 08, 2012)

The Greater Hilltop Area Commission  (GHAC) voted 9-2 amend zoning for a planned senior housing complex on North Wheatland Avenue.

The housing complex, about a half mile off Broad Street, created a lengthy discussion between residents and commissioners on Feb. 7.

The WODA Group, that is developing the project, applied for the area to be rezoned from single-family dwellings to multi-family residential.

The company originally planned to develop 20 acres of land on North Wheatland Avenue, but amended that plan to just 8.6 acres.

The original plans called for a three-story, 60-unit building and park, a single-story, condo-style apartment building and 30 single family units in an area to be called Wheatland Crossing.

The city of Columbus is listed as a co-applicant since it owns the 20 acres of land behind the health center on the eastern edge of the Hilltop.

WODA still would like to pursue the three-story, 60-unit building and park on 8.6 acres on the northern part the 20 acres. It needs approval from the city for the rezoning. Seeking approval from the GHAC was the first step toward rezoning.

The commission’s zoning committee rejected the proposal after two meetings.

Commissioner Jim Lashbrook said he was concerned about traffic on the one way street.

“People want to know why it isn’t closer to Broad Street,” Commissioner Nancy Rhynard said.

Commissioner Geoffrey Phillips said with the rise in drug dealing and shootings, and being one street west of Oakley Avenue, the area is not safe for seniors.

“Why put low-income housing in an area when it is so vulnerable,” Phillips said, “instead of something that will raise the standards so (the residents) can walk down the street.”

Resident John Roback also said safety is an issue.

“We have a lot of boarded-up, burned-out and vacant houses already,” Roback said.  “I’m against building a ghetto. It’s a bad idea and we have a lot of problems there. It’s a rough area to walk to Broad Street.”

“There is not a demand for this type of housing in this neighborhood,” said resident Marian Lupo.

Michelle Phillips, a 20-year resident, said there are no stores in the area and the residents would have to walk to West Broad Street to board a bus to go shopping.

“I want our seniors to be safe,” she said. “I wouldn’t want my mother to walk a half mile to get a bus to go get her groceries or walk on a street that isn’t well lit.”

The type of housing also bothered resident Ricardo Mendez.

“We don’t need rentals; we need mixed income housing” he said.

All the units would be rentals, with residents having an average income of $28,380.

The planned building and park would represent an $8 to $10 million investment, WODA officials said.

Phillips and commission chair Chuck Patterson voted against the ammendment. 

“I’m willing to wait for what is right,” Patterson said.

Demolition on Eureka Avenue

The commission unanimously voted for the demolition of a house on 280 S. Eureka Ave., in an area where Habitat for Humanity plans to rehabilitate three houses and build two others.

[Geoffrey Phillips]

We need to look at what this vote means now for the northeast side of the Highland West community.  One of the justifications for changing zoning is "continguous use" for parcels.  Until last evening, the only "continguous use" for that parcel was "Institutional", as all the land adjoining it on the south and to the east is "institutional use" by the State and the City of Columbus.  NOW, thanks to the commission vote, they have "continguous use" to justify making the remaining land multiple family residential.  Yes, that could mean HUD subsidized apartments and the thought of ever having a mixed income development on that tract of land could be forever gone.  Actions have consequences and this one, unfortunately, could have a devastating one for that area of our district in the future.  It is easy to vote for things when they are not in your neighborhood.  The feelings of the neighbors should be held paramount and be the final deciding factor in any type of rezoning case, and it is sad the feelings of the residents were discounted last evening, and the future value of the adjoining vacant property to the Highland West area possibly thrown by the wayside.  We are told that stabilizing other neighborhoods on the hilltop, on the east side, the north side, and on the south side, requires mixed income development.  Well, if that's the case for those neighborhoods, it is should also be the case for ours.   Our neighborhood has been served up on the platter of those who seek to make their living by creating low income communities, further increasing the density of poverty into one area of the city, contibuting not only to the total destabilization of the neighborhood but to the crime rate as well.  Neighborhoods that become dedicated to low-income funds/housing, to the exclusion of "revitalization funds" for mixed income development (as we have happening here),  for the benefit of those developers who give enormous campaign contributions to those in power, such as WODA, serve as nothing more than profit centers for them and those in power at the cost of the each and every resident who live in the community.  Until the issue of the misrepresentation of our neighborhood to HUD and the availability of both "affordable housing" AND "revitalization funds" are made available to Highland West, as they are on the east side, the south side, the north side, and Franklinton, I will continue to vote NO on any project where these funds are used and encourage others to do the same.  Unlike many of our neighboring communities, we do welcome people of all income levels, and I do not mind the idea of some projects being funded with affordable housing money, BUT if it is at the exclusion of being able to use revitalization funds for mixed income development, it does not serve to stabilize the neighborhood at all, but only adds more vulnerable people to the mix, and those in power know this.  The truly sad thing about the whole picture is our very own neighbors seem to have a different opinion ... we'll see how long the "as long as it's not in my neighborhood" lasts, because very soon it will be in "your" neighborhood as well and there will be no one left to fight for you and your rights of self determination as a neighborhood.  In fact, from what I see, that process has already begun to happen. 

[John R]

An area commission is an advisory body. No duty or function of an area commission shall invalidate any action of council. (Columbus CIty Code 3109.14 Functions and duties)

3109.15 Land use procedures
A. The area commission may meet with applicants for rezonings, special permits, demolition permits, or variances regarding property wholly or partly within its commission area to discuss the proposal, its relationship to the area, and possible modifications. In order to assist decision-making without disrupting existing procedures, the area commission shall conduct such meetings and notify the appropriate body of its recommendations in a timely manner. Upon good cause shown, inability of the area commission to make a recommendation may be grounds for postponement of subsequent action by other bodies.

B. Suggestions and comments of the area commission shall be advisory only and failure of the applicant to comply therewith shall not in itself constitute grounds for denial of the application. Failure of the applicant to consult the appropriate area commission in a timely manner, however, may be grounds for postponement of further action by other bodies. (Ord. 2654-96 § 1 (part).)

[John R]

The GHAC met tonight and voted for the amended zoning proposal from The WODA Group. After the discussions at the GHAC Zoning Committee last week, the WODA Group amended their proposal.  The city will allow them to purchase just the 8.7 acres for Phase I and ask for a zoning change for Phase I only.  A major concern we all had was if the entire parcel was zoned for PUD-8, and the WODA Group wasn't able to get funding for the second and third phase, then the door was open for any kind of low income project for the rest of the area.  

Phase 1 is the 3 story, 60 unit senior rental housing at the far north end of the parcel.  It will include 2 bedroom units available to people 55 and over that make $32,400 or less and 1 bedroom units for those making $28,380 or less.  Of the 8.7 acres, 4.6 acres will be used for park and green space.

Many members of the neighborhood spoke and the overwhelming feeling was still negative towards the project.  Concerns included the traffic, the safety of the seniors, the distance from the Broad Street business district and bus line, and the trend towards making the area a "low income" rental neighborhood and the lack of investment in mixed income housing for our area.  Concerns were also raised about the legality of the proceeding since the GHAC didn't have a formal updated zoning request from WODA for just the 8.7 acre Phase I portion of the original 20 acre proposal.

The WODA Group discussed using a "charrette"  for the planning of the Phase II and Phase III portions of their project. Here's a definition of Charrette:
A collaborative community planning and design process that brings stakeholders together in intensive work sessions to develop plans for their neighborhoods or regions.

One BIG problem that occurred on this project has been no community involvement in the process.  With the problems we have in this area and the neglect from the city and community groups, those of us who have a stake in the neighborhood are very suspicious of plans for our area, especially when we aren't even asked for an opinion.   

When it came time for the vote, there was 9/2/1 (Yes, No, Abstain).  Our fearless neighborhood association leader, Geoff Phillips, voted no and Chuck Patterson, Chairman of the GHAC also voted No!  James Lashbrook, the newest member of the GHAC abstained.  He mentioned the reasons were his respect for the opinions of his neighbors over here on Oakley and Wheatland and his newness to the issue.

[Marian Lupo]

This was another interesting meeting.  Although the entire zoning committee voted against the rezoning, something happened between Thursday evening and Tuesday evening so that today, most of the full commission voted in favor of the rezoning.

Evidently, Woda  amended their application for rezoning in two days.  However, no-one at the commission meeting had that amended application -- not even the commission members who voted in favor of it.  I still think such an amended application should have gone back to the zoning committee for a hearing, because we have no idea what the ramifications are now for the 20-acre parcel at issue.  

Without the amended zoning application, which the developer did not distribute to anyone, the best I can do is work off my notes, which say that 8.7 acres of the parcel have been rezoned PUD-8, but the developer will give the park area back to the city and will only keep 3 acres.

I asked -- well, what about the lot division?  I was told that the commission does not have to have the lot division when they take the vote.  The city can divide up the lot since it is owner.

Really, regardless of what you may think about this development, I do not think this is the way anybody should do business, much less a large city like Columbus and developer applying for federal funding.  It is too sloppy. 

I taped the meeting again for my neighbors, so if anyone who was not at the meeting wants to listen, just let me know.

One community member was so upset that the commission was going to vote on a zoning application it did not have in front of it that he left the room.  He said that the city needed to follow the law. The commission member who is an attorney gave the opinion that it didn't matter because the commission is only an advisory body, anyway.  In fact, another commission member also thought it was a "done deal," so why vote against it?

The city rep., who earlier at the zoning committee meeting said the developer came to the city (in response to a question at the zoning committee meeting asking about the city's knowledge of the application) and that the city was co-applicant only because it held the land (which gave the impression that the city was a neutral party), when asked to clarify (on the done deal part of it) said tonight that the city had conducted a review of the application and that the following departments had given the application its stamp of approval: the building and zoning department; the planning division; public services; and the rezoning staff coordinator.

In all fairness, the city does put the commission in an awkward position when it is co-applicant with a developer since the city is the supervisory body over the commission.

John, I am hoping you can add to this. 

Oh, one more thing. Some members of the commission were still under the impression the developer was using his own money -- millions and millions of his own dollars.  I guess they were not listening to the community members at all.

[Marian Lupo]

O.K. & thanks.  See you soon!

[John R]

I was wondering the same thing Marian.  It seems like what is essentially a new proposal should go back through the review process done by the zoning committee, but I'm not that knowledgeable about the commission and it's rules.

[Marian Lupo]

I will be there.  John, do you know -- should the issue now go back to the zoning committee with the new change?

[John R]

Here's an update about the GHAC meeting for Tuesday Febuary 7 from GHAC Chairman Chuck Patterson.  Hopefully everyone is on the GHAC email list and has already received this. 

Community members and interested parties,

 

The agenda has changed since this document was created. In the interest of time, Greg Winbush has graciously offered to postpone his COWIC presentation until the March meeting.

In the meantime you can get more information about the organization at www.cowic.org .

Additionally, the rezoning issue for North Wheatland Ave. has changed significantly since last week. WODA Group has changed their application to apply to ONLY the "Phase I" parcel. The original request was to rezone all 20 acres for the anticipated development of "Phase II" and "Phase III".

This change was made in response to the GHAC zoning committee and community member(s) concerns which were addressed in a meeting last week.  The issue will be heard by the city THIS THURSDAY, February 9th.

As usual, this meeting will be held at the Hilltop library at 7:00pm, however the MARCH meeting will be held in another location which has yet to be determined.  This change is due to the Ohio primary election. An email will be sent at the end of this week to all on this list to notify you of the location and an update will be posted on the

GHAC website.

 

We look forward to your presence and participation.

 

COMMUNITY NOTE: Habitat for Humanity - Greater Columbus will host a homeowner orientation session on the west side of Columbus for renters interested in learning more about Habitat homeownership qualifications and the application process.This special orientation session will be held on Sat. Feb. 11 beginning at 10 a.m. at Habitat’s new ReStore at 240 N. Wilson Road on Columbus’ west side.  No reservation is needed. For additional information, visit www.HabitatColumbus.org or call Lisa Jones, Family Services Director, at [phone]

--
Greater Hilltop Area Commission: http://www.TheGHAC.com

[John R]

I'll be there Rene.

Thanks for the info and additional details Marian!