March 7, 20196 yr 1 hour ago, GCrites80s said: There are several parts of town that are just like Clintonville except they aren't very well-maintained. I would argue that makes them not like Clintonville.
March 7, 20196 yr On 3/6/2019 at 9:57 AM, Lucas_uLsac said: No need to get defensive. I think you're missing the point I was making (which was about zoning and Clintonville). When it comes to zoning, having large city boundaries can be a hinderance. As an urban planner who writes and overviews zoning codes daily, I can tell you that zoning is a pain in the ass and no easy task. Keeping zoning updated in a large city (population and sizewise) that is changing so quickly is difficult. Columbus' size plays a role in that--its just fact. Columbus is not a top-heavy city like New York or Chicago where the city acts swiftly with big moves that are just accepted by the population; and Seattle is not a good comparison to Columbus' zoning code because the cities are fundamentally very different. Add to this a vocal, affluent, anti-development, or an extreme preservationism demographic to a certain area and getting the desirable zoning you speak of becomes even more challenging. I think Clintonville will see the projects many of us here fantasize about when the missing and underutilized lots in the Short North, University District, and Old North are filled in. As that demand moves north, there will be a more focused sense of urgency in Clintonville and updating its zoning to meet high demand. I think that's wishful thinking. The NIMBYs are not going to just fade into the night. Increased development pressure there is only going to get them to double their efforts. And as it stands, they have the backing of both the existing zoning and the neighborhood commission that continues to allow them to set the future for the area. And even if updated zoning was proposed, public input would present the exact same problem. The most outspoken people who resist change in any form are often given the most deference, which means that new zoning would still likely end up being watered down to compromise with them. I know this is not a problem unique to Columbus. It happens everywhere. I just don't understand why so many communities allow their futures to be held hostage. It's not like this stuff is even being voted on by the overall community. It's being manipulated by small groups of vocal people who happen to show up at meetings. History has shown that people who are happy with something are much less likely to be directly engaged. Those people, and the people who don't care either way, tend to be the majority rather than those who are angry and vocal. We often don't see that accurate representation during the proposal process, though. This argues that more people should be engaged, but barring that, maybe we should just stop letting angry people decide the future. Edited March 7, 20196 yr by jonoh81
June 25, 20195 yr Permits indicate revival of long-delayed apartment complex near Clintonville's Graceland Shopping Center It looks like a long-envisioned apartment development pitched in Clintonville is moving ahead. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/06/25/permits-indicate-revival-of-long-delayed-apartment.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 26, 20195 yr 2 hours ago, ColDayMan said: Permits indicate revival of long-delayed apartment complex near Clintonville's Graceland Shopping Center It looks like a long-envisioned apartment development pitched in Clintonville is moving ahead. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/06/25/permits-indicate-revival-of-long-delayed-apartment.html ^ A little more about the Graceland Flats project from the article and a location map below: Casto originally proposed this 180-unit apartment project in 2016. It would sit on the currently undeveloped land in the southwest corner of the shopping center, between the LA Fitness and Kroger Marketplace. At the time, the proposal ran into a roadblock when the city determined there was a risk this new development would overburden the local sewer system. However, a fix came later when the developer got approval to connect to a main trunk running beneath the western end of Graceland Boulevard next to the site:
June 27, 20195 yr The sewer excuse always seemed odd to me. How do you make an argument there's a sewer issue when apparently there was a main truck line *directly next to* the site. That seems like barely an inconvenience. "Ohh I don't know, we might have a sewer capacity issue with this one" "What about that big pipe, right there, could we use that?" "oh that you mean that big sewer pipe? Forgot we had that one" Sewer issues came up with the apartments on Indianola as well, but they somehow managed to moved forward with that one as well.
June 27, 20195 yr Also is this one going to be "an extended stay hotel"? I thought it was originally zoned commercial. That has to be one of the dumbest loop holes in the city zoning code.
June 28, 20195 yr Graceland should be full of residential. There’s a lot of wasted space and good amenities, both the Kroger and Target there have been (or are currently being) remodeled.
July 1, 20195 yr The "extended stay hotel" zoned manufacturing is finishing up on Indianola. I wonder if they're going to hold off on the retail portion that was to front the street because why would they have planted grass and trees if they intend to build that anytime soon...
July 2, 20195 yr Ugh... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 2, 20195 yr ... the new jail going up has more curb appeal than this thing. I'm done with Clintonville, place is a disaster.
July 2, 20195 yr On 3/7/2019 at 11:23 AM, jonoh81 said: I know this is not a problem unique to Columbus. It happens everywhere. I just don't understand why so many communities allow their futures to be held hostage. It's not like this stuff is even being voted on by the overall community. It's being manipulated by small groups of vocal people who happen to show up at meetings. History has shown that people who are happy with something are much less likely to be directly engaged. Every neighborhood in every city has a handful of these nutty people. There really needs to be a pejorative for them -- NIMBY is just the symptom of their underlying need for attention.
July 2, 20195 yr 7 hours ago, Zyrokai said: Does the same developer own that strip of land that was supposed to be retail? Yeah the whole parcel is under the same ownership and the entire development was approved on one site plan.
July 11, 20195 yr Without financing, Clintonville apartment complex remains on hold Casto told the Clintonville Area Commission it doesn’t have financing for the project “at this time." More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/07/11/without-financing-clintonville-apartment-complex.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 11, 20195 yr 19 minutes ago, ColDayMan said: Without financing, Clintonville apartment complex remains on hold Casto told the Clintonville Area Commission it doesn’t have financing for the project “at this time." More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/07/11/without-financing-clintonville-apartment-complex.html *rolls eyes* Casto is one of the oldest commercial real estate firms in the city, I'm calling BS unless their retail arm has fallen on hard times.
August 11, 20195 yr My morning run took me by The Ave on Indianola. The north building is occupied. Unfortunately, the only positive about this complex is the added density and that the pool looked inviting. I don’t know what it is about the exterior panel/siding installation and Columbus. No one seems to be able to install it properly. The buildings do have a Soviet charm. Hopefully the plumbing works better than in the Khrushchyovka.
September 13, 20195 yr Clintonville apartment project back on track with new financing and promise of affordable housing https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/09/13/clintonville-apartment-project-back-on-track-with.html?iana=hpmvp_colum_news_headline Quote A proposed Clintonville apartment complex that was put on hold this summer is moving forward with a new partner, a new mission to provide workforce housing and financial help from the feds, county and city. Casto announced Friday that it is working with affordable housing developer Homeport on Graceland Flats, a 180-unit apartment community within Graceland Shopping Center with half of the units going to individuals and families who earn 80% to 100% of the area median income.
September 13, 20195 yr They should fill all of Graceland with apartments. You can walk to so much stuff without even leaving the mall area. The parking lots are usually empty save for Kroger and Target, so there’s definitely underutilized space.
September 26, 20195 yr The Clintonville rain gardens (the "controversy" of which was previously noted in this thread) are back in the news. Today's Dispatch has an article about the monitoring of rain gardens installed along the streets of Clintonville and the preliminary data on their effectiveness toward to stated goal of reducing stormwater runoff into waterways and also filtering pollutants from the runoff as well. The article also has larger versions of the below photos showing two of the rain garden types installed in Clintonville - bump-out into the paved street (top photo) and installation behind the existing street curb (bottom photo). Clintonville rain gardens seem to be reducing stormwater runoff, preliminary testing finds Clintonville rain gardens seem to be reducing stormwater runoff to area streams so far, according to an Ohio State professor. Preliminary results from testing on the rain gardens the city of Columbus installed in Clintonville show they seem to be effective in reducing stormwater runoff into streams that feed the Olentangy River. Jay Martin, an Ohio State University professor of ecological engineering who has been monitoring the rain gardens with a team of nine other researchers, will discuss his findings from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the conference room of the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Whetstone branch, 3909 N. High Street. ... The nonprofit Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed is hosting the meeting. Martin and his team are monitoring the water quantity and quality from rain gardens. This monitoring will continue to 2022. The city is installing more than 400 rain gardens in Clintonville, part of its Blueprint Columbus program to reduce storm runoff and sanitary sewer overflows into waterways while improving water quality. ... The rain gardens have had a mixed reception in Clintonville, with some residents finding them unattractive and others wondering if they will work. Martin said what researchers learn in Clintonville will help as the city expands the rain garden program to North Linden, a project that will begin next year. The city plans to extend the program into the Hilltop and the Miller-Kelton area on the Near East Side in 2021. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190925/clintonville-rain-gardens-seem-to-be-reducing-stormwater-runoff-preliminary-testing-finds
September 26, 20195 yr 21 minutes ago, Zyrokai said: Have the residents of Clintonville survived, though? Everyone but the children.
September 26, 20195 yr There was concern about losing children in those holes.... I like the gardens myself!
September 27, 20195 yr 14 hours ago, Zyrokai said: Have the residents of Clintonville survived, though? They aren't the worst thing in the world, but that said I'm pretty glad they didn't put one near my house. They were better maintained than I thought they'd be, but it's still basically a drainage ditch they put in your tree lawn.
September 27, 20195 yr 7 hours ago, 17thState said: They aren't the worst thing in the world, but that said I'm pretty glad they didn't put one near my house. They were better maintained than I thought they'd be, but it's still basically a drainage ditch they put in your tree lawn. That's kind of the thing though, while they may be a "drainage ditch" they actually provide a ton of ecological benefits and ultimately helps keep your taxes down. Personally I would have been one of the people welcoming one if I lived in the area. Just think of the benefits; it's less yard you have to care for, less flooding and runoff, traffic calming, helps promote and support small ecosystems. I know it's beating a dead horse but they serve a lot more use than many of these residents "pretty green lawns" serve. I hope they expand the program in many more areas in the near future.
September 28, 20195 yr I understand it's a creative solution to allow the city to avoid building another expensive OARS style tunnel to get themselves in compliance with the clean water act. The goal is important and I hope they work because we should avoid pouring literal sh*t in the river. However, I think you're overselling it. If money wasn't an object the actual solution is to eliminate combined sewer systems. This is the shoestring MacGyver version of a fix. I hope it works, but again, I'm glad there isn't one in front of my house.
September 28, 20195 yr 39 minutes ago, 17thState said: I understand it's a creative solution to allow the city to avoid building another expensive OARS style tunnel to get themselves in compliance with the clean water act. The goal is important and I hope they work because we should avoid pouring literal sh*t in the river. However, I think you're overselling it. If money wasn't an object the actual solution is to eliminate combined sewer systems. This is the shoestring MacGyver version of a fix. I hope it works, but again, I'm glad there isn't one in front of my house. Even if they did do it that way, I'd still want the traffic calming bump outs. You know--in Columbus--those would have never been built otherwise. That alone is worth it to me. All the other benefits are bonus.
September 28, 20195 yr Ooooh.... plot twist! A NIMFY instead of a NIMBY! I kid. I kid. But in seriousness, I think that cities in the north and east need to step up to do more to incentivize and regulate lawns beyond rain gardens in tree lawns. Homes with certain size plots should be required to have their own rain gardens to handle their own water run off etc.
September 28, 20195 yr Understanding that this is super off-topic... Lawns aren't really a run-off issue, I mean, yes, trees and native prairie plants with bigger root systems absorb more water than your average grass lawn, but the issue is the impermeable surfaces like your roof, driveway, sidewalks, etc. Those are what prohibit natural absorbtion and force run-off. This doesn't really have anything to do with plot size of your lawn, in fact a larger lawn can help absorb and mitigate water runoff. Permeable concrete or asphalt would actually make a difference, but my understanding is that the freeze thaw cycle can crack these apart. But I think the parking spots at the Scioto Audubon are permeable asphalt and those seem to have held up, so who knows. Haha but yes, consider me a NIMFY on the rain gardens. But I'm pro most other developments in Clintonville, especially on High, so no need to run me off the boards.
October 1, 20195 yr ^^^I hope you don't feel I was being harsh! I don't want to run anyone off here! haha
December 31, 20195 yr What better way to ring out 2019 then some updates on a couple of Clintonville projects? Even Clintonville is a relative "hotbed of development" in today's market(!) First, an update on The Ave development going up on the former warehouse property along Indianola Avenue from https://www.dispatch.com/business/20191227/ave-progresses-in-clintonville-minus-open-club-room According to the Dispatch article, the complex’s first building, containing 108 apartments, is about 90% occupied. While the second building, with 193 apartments, just welcomed its first occupants into one end while workers finish the other end. Still to come are three commercial buildings planned along Indianola Avenue in front of the apartments. The northernmost building, scheduled to begin construction in the spring, will have 24 condominiums and ground-floor office and retail space. The second building, on the south end, will be reserved for a single restaurant that the developer hopes to announce early next year. The use of the third building, in the middle, has yet to be determined.
December 31, 20195 yr On 9/13/2019 at 2:29 PM, Pablo said: Clintonville apartment project back on track with new financing and promise of affordable housing https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/09/13/clintonville-apartment-project-back-on-track-with.html?iana=hpmvp_colum_news_headline The second update is that the 180-unit Graceland Flats development (shown above) is now under construction at the southwest corner of the Graceland Shopping Center: https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20191223/long-in-the-works-graceland-flats-starts-to-rise-in-clintonville
December 31, 20195 yr Glad to see those buildings along Indianola are still in the works. I was a little nervous those may have been dropped.
February 6, 20205 yr I keep forgetting to get a picture when I pass by but this cluster of building is getting quite a facelift. This streetview shows the start of it with the little shack. Just north of High Street Dental. I think there was an old lock service and/or made service out of the building? Looks like it's an elford project. Any other insights? Or someone that lives nearby able to get a better pic or two? It may be a couple weeks before I'm back in that area.
February 6, 20205 yr ^There was a demolition permit issued for the one story frame and two story brick behind it on the right side of the photo above. It was due to a fire on the 2nd floor and unsafe conditions throughout. Both have been leveled and replaced with gravel. I couldn't find anything about a replacement or any plans for a replacement.
February 6, 20205 yr 29 minutes ago, Pablo said: ^There was a demolition permit issued for the one story frame and two story brick behind it on the right side of the photo above. It was due to a fire on the 2nd floor and unsafe conditions throughout. Both have been leveled and replaced with gravel. I couldn't find anything about a replacement or any plans for a replacement. Yeah, I’m hoping it doesn’t just stay gravel for parking, but it is Clintonville.
February 23, 20205 yr The next phase of the Ave on Indianola is going in front of the Clintonville Area Commission on Feb. 26. The good news is they are proposing two 3 story buildings (2 floors residential over office/retail) that may screen the first phase. The bad news is right smack in the middle is a one story garage building. The full submittal can be found here: https://mcusercontent.com/3d4bdc2e75c185cac799714d1/files/3f14c173-def9-4078-8961-e1d08cf5acd0/3632_3640_Indianola_Supplemental_Information.pdf
February 24, 20205 yr 1 hour ago, Pablo said: The next phase of the Ave on Indianola is going in front of the Clintonville Area Commission on Feb. 26. The good news is they are proposing two 3 story buildings (2 floors residential over office/retail) that may screen the first phase. The bad news is right smack in the middle is a one story garage building. Thanks for the info. The three-story buildings actually look pretty good (even excellent by Clintonville standards). And although that garage building is better than having only a surface lot in between, its strange they're going through the effort for so few parking spaces.
March 11, 20205 yr I recently drove down High all the way from near 270 in Worthington south all the way through downtown and my God the Clintonville stretch is about the ugliest part. With all that ugly 1 and 2 story buildings and mini-malls I cannot understand the hatred of development along High. I mean even 3 story quality Wood co. type development would be hated there. I just don't get it. My 91 year old father recently made a similar drive and the University and Short North areas are almost totally unrecognizable to him-of course his memory of it goes back to the 1930's and all.
March 19, 20205 yr Something greatly needed in these trying times ? https://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20200314/settlement-clears-way-for-clintonville-medical-marijuana-dispensary
October 9, 20204 yr More crap for Clintonville. These buildings at the southwest corner of Broadway and High were demolished yesterday to make way for a one story Bank of America branch with a drive thru. No variance needed.
October 9, 20204 yr 9 minutes ago, Pablo said: More crap for Clintonville. These buildings at the southwest corner of Broadway and High were demolished yesterday to make way for a one story Bank of America branch with a drive thru. No variance needed. I’m kind of glad. The reason they disliked the 4 story building, that was amazing, was the increase in traffic. This is going to bring way more traffic, and getting in and out of a bank right there will be hell. Screw clintonville, and it’s garbage developments.
October 9, 20204 yr I can't wait for them to tear down the small office tower for a drive thru del taco!
October 9, 20204 yr 38 minutes ago, VintageLife said: I’m kind of glad. The reason they disliked the 4 story building, that was amazing, was the increase in traffic. This is going to bring way more traffic, and getting in and out of a bank right there will be hell. Screw clintonville, and it’s garbage developments. NIMBYs don't look at numbers -- they go with their gut. Or they give numbers with no context. Let them have their 1972. Maybe Howard Johnson's and Bill Knapp's will come back. Then someone will open an ice cream parlor AND a candy shop. Edited October 9, 20204 yr by GCrites80s
October 9, 20204 yr 13 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: NIMBYs don't look at numbers -- they go with their gut. Or they give numbers with no context. Let them have their 1972. Maybe Howard Johnson's and Bill Knapp's will come back. Then someone will open an ice cream parlor AND a candy shop. Exactly, it’s pretty bad how much nimbyism is in clintonville. Did the developer that presented that 4 story building build the one story next to this? And own this? If so, I hope putting a bank there was spite.
October 9, 20204 yr Unfortunately, spite isn't effective if the people in question can't tell they are being spited.
October 9, 20204 yr 2 hours ago, VintageLife said: Exactly, it’s pretty bad how much nimbyism is in clintonville. Did the developer that presented that 4 story building build the one story next to this? And own this? If so, I hope putting a bank there was spite. No, different developers.
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