CAC – Thursday October 1st Meeting Agenda (7pm on Zoom & YouTube)

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Clintonville Area Commission Meeting Agenda

7:00 p.m. Call to order & formal welcome by Chairperson White

7:05 p.m. Commissioner Introductions and District Updates (Please limit to 1 minute)

7:15 p.m. Special Guest (Not yet confirmed)

7:20 p.m. Consideration of prior meeting minutes – Secretary/Commissioner Brittany Boulton

7:25 p.m. Treasurer’s Report – Treasurer/Commissioner Kendra Carpenter

7:30 p.m. Katherine Cull – Neighborhood Community Liaison

7:45 p.m. Zoning & Variance Agenda (please see the supplemental document to the agenda)

  • 61 E. Dunedin BZA20-083. In order to rebuild their garage on the same footprint of the existing garage, homeowners Jay Hall and Jill Ford ask for a variance to reduce the side yard setback from 3′ to 1.8′. CC3332.26(C)(2). The chair noted that he had received an email from Sue and Randy Ritter at 67 E. Dunedin, the neighbor closest to the garage, in support of the variance. The owner reported that the previous garage’s door wouldn’t open without falling apart. Most contractors suggested building a huge garage, but the owners thought keeping the original size was less disruptive of both yards.
  • 456 E. Dunedin, BZA 20-070. In order to replace a garage of the the same size, which was destroyed by a falling tree, homeowners Thomas and Rebecca McKenzie ask for variances to; 1) increase the allowed area from 720 to 960 sq. ft. CC3332.38(F); and 2) increase the allowed garage height from 15’ to 20’, CC3332.38(G). The chair read their screening form into the record. The city recommended including windows above garage door and in back, and they will do that. The applicants reported that their neighbors were fully supportive.
  • 3369 Indianola, BZA20-067. Business owner Erion Permeti asks for a variance at 3369 Indianola Avenue to reduce the required parking from 26 spaces to 17 spaces. CC3312.49.

8:05 p.m. CAC Committee Reports

  • Zoning & Variance Committee – Chair Stephen Hardwick
  • Planning & Development Committee – Chair Andrew Overbeck
  • Election Committee – Chair Ann Henkener
  • Technology & Public Relations – Chair Ty Hulbert
  • GreenSpot Committee – Co-Chairs Ryan Foshee & Zach MacGuire
  • Historic Building Committee – Chair Jim Garrison

8:35 p.m. Proposed CAC Bylaws Change – Commissioner Mike Weinman

  • Clintonville Area Commission By-Laws Proposed Changes (presented as written): Chapter V Section B

Beginning June 1, the commission chairperson shall give notice that volunteers are needed for the standing committees in Section A. Volunteers shall submit a resume to the commission chairperson no later than July 1 and indicate which committee they would like to join and if they would like to be the chair of the committee. Commissioners are exempt from the resume requirement. One week before the August meeting, the commission chair shall submit the names of the selected committee chairs and members to the commissioners along with the supporting documentation. The commission shall approve the membership of the standing committees at the August regular meeting. Appointments to the standing committees shall be for one year until the next August meeting.

8:50 p.m. Public Comment

9:00 p.m. Meeting Adjourned

CAC Zoning & Variance Meeting – Wednesday September 23rd at 7pm

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Notes:

  • The Committee members will meet via Zoom.
  • You can find a registration link on the CAC’s online calendar.
  • The meeting will be live-streamed on the CAC’s YouTube Channel.
  • Questions or comments can be made via email to hardwick.zoning@gmail.com who will check that email address shortly before the meeting and during the public comment period for each item on the variance agenda.

Agenda PDF: 20200923DraftAgenda

Agenda:

  1. Call to order.
  2. Approve agenda.
  3. Announcement: The next meeting of the Committee will be September 23, 2020.
  4. Consider the previous meeting’s minutes.
  5. Variance agenda
    1. 61 E. Dunedin BZA20-083. In order to rebuild their garage on the same footprint of the existing garage, homeowners Jay Hall and Jill Ford ask for a variance to reduce the side yard setback from 3′ to 1.8′. CC3332.26(C)(2). Note: The chair has received an email from Sue and Randy Ritter at 67 E. Dunedin, the neighbor closest to the garage, in support of the variance.
    2. 456 E. Dunedin, BZA 20-070. In order to replace a garage of the same size destroyed by a falling tree, homeowners Thomas and Rebecca McKenzie ask for variances to; 1) increase the allowed area from 720 to 960 sq. ft. CC3332.38(F); and 2) increase the allowed garage height from 15’ to 20’,  C3332.38(G).
    3. 3369 Indianola, BZA20-067.  Business owner Erion Permeti asks for a variance at 3369 Indianola Avenue to reduce the required parking from 26 spaces to 17 spaces. CC3312.49.
  6. Announcement: After Committee consideration, the variance applications will likely be heard by the Clintonville Area Commission via video conference on Thursday, October 1, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
  7. Adjournment.

Columbus – Bail Reform Policies

Sharing an update from the City Attorney’s Office in regard to bail reform with a series of questions & answers – text included below.

Q & A: Bail Reform for Non-Violent Misdemeanants and What this Really Means

With the help of the Columbus Division of Police and other courthouse partners, the City Attorney’s Office has taken several steps during the past year to make the Franklin County Municipal Court a more fair and equitable system for defendants and victims. An important part of this effort has been the City Attorney’s new Bail Reform Policy.

The City Attorney’s Office realizes that due to COVID-19, the past six months has been a very difficult time for everyone involved in the criminal justice system. Policy changes during “normal” times can bring about questions and uncertainty, so when change is back-dropped amid a global pandemic, rumors abound and it can be much harder to digest.

The Columbus Division of Police, Franklin County Jail, Municipal Court Judges, as well as the City Attorney and County Prosecutor have all taken steps to limit the size of court dockets and the jail population in order to reduce potential exposures.  These steps have included the issuance of less traffic tickets, a policy of not jailing non-violent misdemeanants and low-level felons, and a new procedure whereby non-violent misdemeanants with bench/non-appearance warrants may be given a new court date at the scene instead of being taken to jail. This has been an especially challenging time for the men and women of the Columbus Division of Police because they have had to change the way they do their jobs while also acting as frontline responders for many COVID-19 related issues.

Unfortunately, all of these changes, occurring at the same time as other reform efforts, have created confusion for officers and the public as to what is and is not policy. There has also been confusion over who is responsible for various policies or criminal case outcomes. In an effort to address some of this confusion, we have put together the following Q & A:

City Attorney Bail Reform Explained

Q. What is the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy?
A. The City Attorney will generally ask that non-violent misdemeanants who are arrested and slated be released on their own recognizance, meaning they will not have to post bail to get out of jail.

Q. Why was this policy adopted?
A. This policy was adopted for several reasons, including: 1) jail is generally appropriate for those who are violent, dangerous, or who victimize other citizens; 2) Many non-violent misdemeanants suffer from substance abuse issues or homelessness. Thus, support and treatment, rather than incarceration, is a better long-term strategy for helping these people get out of the criminal system; 3) Due to COVID-19, all stakeholders (Jail/Judges/Prosecution) worked to have less people unnecessarily held in jail, especially those who are non-violent, not dangerous, and who do not continually victimize other citizens.

No Jurisdiction/City Attorney Policy Does not Apply

Q. Does the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy apply to felonies?
A. No. The City Attorney’s Office does not have jurisdiction over felony cases and is not involved in the request for bail or setting of bail on those cases. However, the City Attorney believes that higher bail amounts should be set for those who commit violent felonies in the City of Columbus. Public safety must remain a top priority.

Q. Does the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy apply to juveniles?
A. No. The City Attorney’s Office does not have jurisdiction over juvenile cases and is not involved in how they are handled. However, the City Attorney believes that the most violent juvenile offenders should be held in custody when they pose a danger to other persons or themselves. Again, the focus must be on public safety.

Q. Does the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy impact who is accepted by the Franklin County Jail?
A. No. The City Attorney’s Office does not set policy for the Franklin County Sheriff. Many of the Sheriff’s jail policies have been made to manage the impact of COVID-19 on the jail population.

Common Sense Exceptions

Q. Are there exceptions to the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy?
A. Yes. There are common-sense exceptions:
1) The City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy has an exception for persons arrested for prostitution-related offenses who may also be victims of human trafficking. Bail is sometimes necessary to allow an opportunity to engage victims of human trafficking with services. Many victims of human trafficking have told us that being arrested, and being provided services such as drug and alcohol treatment while in jail, has saved their lives.
2) The City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy has an exception for chronic/repeat offenders of non-violent misdemeanors. Bail is sometimes necessary to protect the public from persons who repeatedly commit non-violent offenses such as theft and trespass.
3) The City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy has an exception for individuals who have a history of failing to appear for court.

Violent Misdemeanors

Q. Does the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy apply to misdemeanor crimes of violence?
A. No. The City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy only applies to non-violent misdemeanor offenses. While each case must be evaluated on its merits, bail is often appropriate for misdemeanor crimes of violence such as Domestic Violence or Violation of a Protection Order.
Arrests at Time of Crime

Q. Does the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy prohibit or prevent an officer from making an arrest of a suspect for a non-violent misdemeanor at the time the crime is committed?
A. No. While the City Attorney supports a policy of issuing summons, rather than arresting, non-violent individuals who do not have significant/repetitive criminal records, the Division of Police sets policy through Division Directives regarding such decisions. The City Attorney Office’s bail policy for non-violent misdemeanors will only apply at the arraignment after an officer has made the decision to arrest and slate the individual in the jail.

Summons and Citations

Q. Does the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy impact an officer’s ability to issue summons for non-violent misdemeanors?
A. No. The City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy only impacts persons being held in jail. While the City Attorney supports a policy of issuing summons, rather than arresting, non-violent individuals who do not have significant/repetitive criminal records, the Division of Police sets policy through Division Directives regarding such decisions. Officers always have the option to issues summons for non-violent misdemeanors.

Q. Does the City Attorney’s Bail Reform Policy prevent or prohibit officers from issuing citizens traffic citations?
A. No. Officers may still issue citizens traffic citations/tickets for traffic violations.

Traffic Signal Box Art Installation – Thursday September 10th

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Hi everyone,

Tomorrow (Thursday September 10th), the Traffic Signal Box Artwork will be installed throughout the day at 5 different locations along High Street (see end of message for schedule).  Without the support of the community & participation in deciding the chosen artwork, this project would have never see an end.  That support is on top of the work performed by the CAC Planning & Development Committee with Andrew as the chair & Megan heading up the fundraising effort.  This will help to provide some wonderful images representative of the community at the selected intersections.

What started as an idea from a community working in 2013 will finally be a reality.  Megan worked with the city & the Greater Columbus Arts Council to get the necessary approval & putting out the call for artists to submit their designs.  This led to a survey select the designs that garnered almost 800 responses.  With some assistance from Clintonville Inc. & over 40 community members, there was nearly $4,500 raised to support the installation efforts.  There was also partnership wit the University District to help split travel costs for the installer to take the community partnership to the next level!

Installation will work its way north on the following High Street intersections – here is the planned schedule by location:

  • Como – 7:30-11 AM
  • Oakland Park – 7:30-11 AM
  • Hollenback – 12-2:30 PM
  • Henderson – 12-3:30 PM
  • Kanawha – 3:30-6 PM (dedicated to the memory of Nancy Stewart)

These installations will have further promotion via the social media outlets along with Booster & Spotlight write-ups.  We will also be sharing artist videos for each of the locations.  These will be shared online & have a QR code place on the respective boxes on these are live.  Videos courtesy of Amanda form the Planning & Development team – more information will be posted here within the CAC website: https://www.clintonvilleareacommission.org/trafficboxart/

With that – if you are out tomorrow, feel free to come by any of the locations to see work in action. This was all made possible even while facing the unprecedented times that we have seen throughout much of 2020.  Again – thanks to everyone in the Clintonville community for your continued support because these types of initiatives can’t happen without you!

2nd Annual Pollinator Field Day – Saturday September 19th at Whetstone Prairie

We want to make you aware of an event occurring in Whetstone Prairie on Saturday September 19 – The 2nd annual Pollinator Field Day! Like last year, we offered habitat tours of the prairie as well as volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers or neighbors who may be interested in attending the event. Links to the pre-registration forms are:

https://bit.ly/PollinatorFieldDay

http://bit.ly/PollinatorVolunteerDay

Event Information:

Columbus Recreation & Parks is  hosting the second annual Pollinator Field Day at Whetstone Park, socially-distancing style! We will be located at the prairie on Saturday, Sept. 19. Volunteering starts at 9 a.m., and habitat tours run from 10 a.m.- noon. Explore the prairie in search of native wildflowers and pollinators. See how many species we can find using the @inaturalistorg app during a guided tour. We will also catch and release butterflies and figure out what makes the prairie a great pollinator habitat. Volunteers can help collect wildflower seed or weed the prairie.

We will be performing no-touch temperature checks for everyone who will be participating. Participants must wear a mask and maintain six feet of social distancing from other people. Everyone must pre-register to attend since there are a limited number of spots available. Pre-register for a habitat tour here: https://bit.ly/PollinatorFieldDay  Pre-register to volunteer here: http://bit.ly/PollinatorVolunteerDay.

For those not familiar with the Prairie Area, it is the area south of Adena Brook just to the left as you take the bend in Hollenback Rd. I have attached a zoned Whetstone Prairie map.

We will also be sharing our content virtually! Make sure to follow along on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Columbus Recreation and Parks Department on Facebook and @colsrecparks on Twitter and Instagram. We are excited to explore the Whetstone prairie with you!

CAC – Thursday September 3rd Meeting Agenda (7pm on Zoom & YouTube)

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Clintonville Area Commission Meeting Agenda

7:00 p.m. Call to order & formal welcome by Chairperson White

7:05 p.m. Good News! Clintonville GreenSpot Neighborhood

7:06 p.m. Tabled from the August Meeting, vote for slates submitted by Committee Chairs:

  • Clintonville GreenSpot Committee (See attached)
  • Election Committee – Jan Patton, Melissa Doll, Janice Countaway
  • Historic Building Committee – Jim Garrison

7:15 p.m. Commissioner Introductions and District Updates

7:24 p.m. Consideration of prior meeting minutes – Chair White for Commissioner Boulton

7:25 p.m. Treasurer’s Report – Kendra Carpenter, Treasurer

7:30 p.m. Katherine Cull – Neighborhood Community Liaison

7:35 p.m. Nick Bankston and Erin Beck – The City of Columbus

  • Electric Aggregation and the Civilian Review Board

7:45 p.m. Justin Goodwin – LinkUS: Northwest Corridor Workshop

8:00 p.m. Stephen Hardwick, Chair of the CAC Zoning & Variance Committee

Variance agenda:

  1. 3389 Calumet Street, BZA20-068. Application. Screening Form. In order to attach an existing garage to their house, homeowners Jeff and Rebecca Henderson ask for a variance at 3389 Calumet Street to reduce the side yard setback from 5’ to 4. CC3332.26(C)(2). This will allow them to connect the existing garage in the existing location to the rest of the house. Recommended approval 9-0.
  2. 516 Arden Road, BZA 20-061. Application. Screening Form. Homeowners John & Gail Kelley ask for variances to; 1) decrease the rear yard setback from 25% to 23.4%, CC3332.27; 2) increase the allowed garage height from 15’ to 21’, CC3332.38(G); and 3) decrease the side yard setback for a detached garage from 3’ to 0.3’, which maintains the existing setback, CC3332.26(E).
  3. 3369 Indianola, BZA20-06. Application. Staff Report. Business owner Erion Permeti asks for a variance at 3369 Indianola Avenue to reduce the required parking from 26 spaces to 17 spaces. CC3312.49.
  4. 395-397 Crestview Road. David Hodge, Underhill & Hodge LLC Application, BZA20-046, Statement in Support, Statement in Support (showing changes), Screening Form. 397 R LLC asks, in order to build a 1,560 sq. ft. greenhouse, variances to 1) reduce the required parking spaces from 62 to 17 (21 spaces for the greenhouse), CC3312.49; and reduce the minimum building setbacks for the greenhouse from 25’ to 1’ along Indianola as shown on the site plan, CC3356.11.

8:30 p.m. Rachelle Martin – Executive Director, NAMI Franklin County

  • This November, the ADAMH Board of Franklin County will have a levy on the ballot.

8:40 p.m. Erin Prosser – The Ohio State University, Director of Community Development

8:50 p.m. Public Comments and Open Discussion

9:00 p.m. Meeting Adjourned

CAC Zoning & Variance Meeting – Wednesday August 26th at 7pm

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Notes:
• The Committee members will meet via Zoom.
• The meeting will be live-streamed on the CAC’s YouTube Channel.
• Here is the registration link that the public may use. Questions or comments can be made via email to hardwick.zoning@gmail.com. I will check that email address shortly before the meeting and during the public comment period for each item on the variance agenda.

Agenda PDF: 20200826ZoningAgenda

Agenda:
1. Call to order.

2. Approve agenda.

3. Announcement: The next meeting of the Committee will be September 23, 2020.

4. Consider the previous meeting’s minutes.

5. Variance agenda

  1. 3389 Calumet Street, BZA20-068. In order to attach an existing garage to their house, homeowners Jeff and Rebecca Henderson ask for a variance at 3389 Calumet Street to reduce the side yard setback from 5’ to 4. CC3332.26(C)(2).
  2. 516 Arden Road, BZA 20-061. Homeowners John & Gail Kelley ask for variances to; 1) decrease the rear yard setback from 25% to 23.4%, CC3332.27; 2) increase the allowed garage height from 15’ to 21’, CC3332.38(G); and 3) decrease the side yard setback for a detached garage from 3’ to 0.3’, which maintains the existing setback, CC3332.26(E).
  3. 3369 Indianola, BZA20-06. Business owner Erion Permeti asks for a variance at 3369 Indianola Avenue to reduce the required parking from 26 spaces to 17 spaces. CC3312.49.

6. Announcement: After Committee consideration, the variance applications will likely be heard by the Clintonville Area Commission via video conference on Thursday, September 3, 2020, 7:00 p.m.

7. Adjournment.

Positive West Nile Virus Mosquito Pool – Upcoming Treatment

A Positive mosquito pool for West Nile Virus was collected from a trap near Colerain Elementary School and a trap near W. Como Ave.  The test was confirmed on August 20th by our staff. Due to this positive West Nile Virus mosquito pool, our Vector Control Program will be treating in Clintonville on Friday, August 28, 2020 from 3:30 am- 7:00 am.

The boundaries for the first treatment are as follows:

  • Wetmore Rd. to the North
  • Cooke Rd. to the South
  • The railroad tracks to the East
  • High St. to the West

The boundaries for the second treatment are as follows:

  • North Broadway to the North
  • Neil Ave. and Tulane Rd. to the South
  • High St. to the East
  • The Olentangy River to the West

A press release and spray map was issued Friday, August 21, 2020 it is attached here and the link to the on-line treatment map is attached to that. At this moment all requests to opt out of mosquito treatment will be honored that have already been filed.

The positive West Nile Virus pool does serve as a reminder for us to continue protecting ourselves from mosquito bites and to eliminate stagnant water from our properties including places such as gutters, rain barrels, and bird baths. One can also protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellents and by minimizing their time spent outside during the late evening and early morning hours. Please let Ryan Younge, RS, the Vector Control Program Manager, know if you would like to discuss in further detail our mosquito reduction activities planned in Clintonville this week. His e-mail address is rtyounge@columbus.gov and his phone number is 614.645.6153.