Posted October 24, 200519 yr From the 10/16/05 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Develop or preserve county land? Local government officials, business owners and residents will meet to discuss options By BRYANT PERKINS The Eagle-Gazette Staff LANCASTER - One wants more construction and another wants to preserve the county's fair fields. The interest of land developers and land owners in Fairfield County are clashing. Grain farmers Larry and Janet Neeley of Walnut Township are strongly against uncontrolled land development. "Prime farmland is the easiest to develop because it is level," Janet Neeley said. "So they just come in and rape the land when they develop it." Fairfield County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Ohio, and development of land is a major part of the growing process, said the county's Regional Planning Commission President Lou Varga. Varga said he wants to see more corporate headquarters and manufacturing enter the county in the next 30 years. Currently, land uses in Fairfield County are 80 percent agricultural, with the remainder divided between residential, commercial and public uses. Read more at http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051016/NEWS01/510160302/1002/NEWS17
October 24, 200519 yr Hmm 500k NEW residents in 25 years? I'm sorry but i don't think Columbus is growing that fast. What's Deleware Counting expecting 800k?
October 24, 200519 yr Ok the county grew by 10& from 2000-2004(122,759/136,063). So it's adding about 3.5k a year. How do they figure 640k to be living there in 2030??? http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/39045.html
October 24, 200519 yr Yeah, 500K sounds like crazy talk. Even Delaware County wouldn't get that many.
October 24, 200519 yr Author It is pretty crazy. They're only talking 300-400K for Warren County. I don't think Fairfield Co. could build at nearly the density required to have 500,000 new residents.
October 25, 200519 yr Pickerington in Fairfield County is growing like crazy, but I don't think that the county will see that much growth.
October 25, 200519 yr ^Not only Pickerington. There is growth starting all the way out to Baltimore, but like you say, still not that much. Pickering is so much like Springboro, its unbelievable.
October 25, 200519 yr It's hard to believe how much Pickerington has changed in the past 10 years. It is still hard for me to believe that along with Violet Township, it is somewhere around 34-40k people. I don't know the exact boundaries when I drive around, but there still seems to be endless farmland to expand into. At least communities like Gahanna for the most part have only a few areas that they need to concentrate on for managing growth compared to their Fairfield Co. counterparts. I think a couple years ago the city of Pickerington tried to put a couple year moratorium on new housing builds within the city limits in order to let the schools actually breath and the city to regroup for better planning. They unfortunally got sued by the BIA (Building Industry Association) and lost, and now the city is getting plowed over by all types of developers just wanting to make a quick buck off of the quiet community and good schools card. Of course it doesn't help that the city and township don't cooperate on much of anything and have no idea that they should work together on managing growth. In cases such as this, where growth is costing the current citizens a lot of money and is puttting a strain on resources, you would think that the fringe suburbs would team up with the core cities they are hooked to. Urban infill and more regional planning seem like they would be in not just Columbus's interests but also the outer communities
November 9, 200519 yr Author From ThisWeek Pickerington, 11/3/05: U.S. 33 BYPASS Zak: Road could spark investment in Pickerington Thursday, November 3, 2005 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer The completion of a major highway project could help lure more commercial and industrial development to the Pickerington area, according to Fairfield County's development director. Gov. Bob Taft joined state transportation administrators and Lancaster area leaders Oct. 26 to officially open the U.S. Route 33 Lancaster Bypass. The freeway augmentation, which cost $141-million and took four-and-a-half years to build, allows traffic to drive around the city of Lancaster instead of right through the heart of downtown. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=Pickerington&story=thisweeknews/110305/Pickerington/News/110305-News-39480.html
December 29, 200519 yr Author From ThisWeek Pickerington, 12/22/05: Land deal could raise development cost Thursday, December 22, 2005 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer Fairfield County commissioners approved an annexation petition Dec. 15 that could affect the development of a large residential subdivision proposed near the southeastern border of Canal Winchester. The commissioners consented to the filing prepared by landowners with a combined 301.7 acres -- about 16 acres of which is within Violet Township -- seeking annexation by the village of Lithopolis, which allows the two parties to proceed with the process. The land abuts Lithopolis to the west and Canal Winchester to the north. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=Pickerington&story=thisweeknews/122205/Pickerington/News/122205-News-69194.html
January 3, 200619 yr Author From The Times (SNP), 12/28/05: County to CW: Lithopolis annexation will go forward Canal Winchester opposed the change because it will tax the village's wastewater resources. By KATHLEEN L. RADCLIFF The commissioners ruled the annexation of about 307 acres in Bloom and Violet townships into Lithopolis will go forward, though Winchester village officials are balking at having to provide sanitary sewer service to the new area per a 2002 agreement between CW and Lithopolis. Lithopolis requested expedited annexation from the townships for the development of 428 lots in Wagnall's Run; 450 housing units in Stoney Bluff; 107 lots in Rolling Acres; 69 lots in Wilson Farms and 162 lots in Edgewood, according to information from the village dated Dec. 5. Read more at http://www.snponline.com/NEWS12-28/12-28_cwcouncil.htm
January 20, 200619 yr Author From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 1/12/06: PHOTO: Aerial view of the 1,533-acre CEDA district Medical center, widening of Diley expected to spark CEDA investment Thursday, January 12, 2006 By SEAN CASE ThisWeek Staff Writer More than four years after its formation, Canal Winchester and Violet Township officials say 2006 may be the year in which their Cooperative Economic Development Agreement (CEDA) starts to create big dividends. The agreement, signed in June 2001, has already resulted in significant business and job growth in the CEDA district, according to Canal Winchester development director Bruce Langner. Since its formation, the 1,533-acre CEDA area -- which extends south of Busey Road to U.S. Route 33 between the Franklin County line and the eastern border of the Canal Winchester school district -- has accumulated 10 new businesses and more than 200 additional jobs. However, development in the CEDA district will likely increase greatly with the construction of a medical center planned for 55 acres just north of the U.S. 33 interchange at Hill and Diley roads. Read more at http://thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=CanalWinchester&story=thisweeknews/011206/CanalWinchester/News/011206-News-77571.html
February 8, 200619 yr Author From the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Court upholds development plans By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] LIBERTY TOWNSHIP - A controversial planned residential development in Liberty Township is back on track. The Fifth District Court of Appeals overturned a decision by the Fairfield Common Pleas Court that put a stop to the proposed single-family development. The ruling allows Richard and Dorothy Roshon to move forward with plans to sell their 102-acre farm to developers. http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060127/NEWS01/601270304/1002/NEWS17
February 17, 200619 yr Author From the 2/12/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Canal Winchester eyes city status By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] CANAL WINCHESTER - Canal Winchester will become a city in 2010, a change that could mean benefits including more state and federal money for the growing area. The village has grown to about 6,400 residents - exceeding the 5,000 residents mark needed to become a city - according to City Council President John Bender. Its population was 4,478 during the 2000 Census. http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060212/NEWS01/602120310/1002
March 26, 200619 yr Author From the 3/24/06 Dispatch: Conflicted consultants is councilman’s fear Business recruiters for nearby village, township seek work in Pickerington Friday, March 24, 2006 Kirk D . Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Pickerington City Councilman Michael Sabatino has concerns about a proposal to hire development consultants. A Pickerington city councilman is questioning the wisdom of hiring the same consultants for economic development that neighboring Canal Winchester and Violet Township use. Councilman Michael Sabatino contends that Michael Arcari and John McGory could face competing interests. If a business was interested in locating in the area, which community would be their priority? Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/24/20060324-E4-01.html
April 22, 200619 yr Author Court upholds zoning initiative ThisWeek Pickerington, 3/9/06 A Fairfield County judge has ruled that Pickerington may impose zoning code on a residential development that will reduce the number of homes planned for the subdivision. Under the decision, which was entered on Feb. 23, developer Jerome Solove must change the plats for his proposed Viola Park neighborhood to meet the city's zoning requirement of no more than two units per acre. According to Lance Schultz, Pickerington's planning and zoning director, Viola Park had initially received approval of a platting plan for 277 homes on 118.2 acres along Pickerington Road north of Busey Road. The platting equated to 2.3 units per acre. With the ruling, which was entered by Fairfield County Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Martin, Solove could only build a maximum of 236 homes in Viola Park. Trustees set hearing on commercial rezoning request Pickerington Times-Sun, 3/15/06 Late last year rumors were beginning to swirl around Pickerington about a possible large commercial development on the north and south sides of Refugee Road, east of Pickerington Road, adjacent to Pickerington High School North. Speculation at the time was a Wal-Mart or Target retail store, with several spaces for out-parcel retail and office buildings were being planned. At the time the land owners declined to comment about the speculation or what was planned for the acreage. What or who will occupy the site is still unknown, but TLG Development Company Inc. presented an application for a zoning change to the Fairfield County Regional Planning Commission two weeks ago. Final site plans OK'd for nursing home ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 3/16/06 The Canal Winchester planning and zoning commission approved the final site plans Monday for a 40,700-square-foot nursing care facility to be built at the southwest corner of Groveport Road and Thrush Drive. The facility will be owned by the Altercare Co., an Ohio-based firm that, according to its Web site, operates 17 nursing care centers across the state, including two in Lancaster and one in Westerville. Altercare's facility in Canal Winchester, to built on an eight-acre parcel, will have rooming and staff for 72 live-in residents, along with a physical therapy wing that can accommodate up to eight outpatient clients at one time. Cooperation is key to future development, leaders say ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 3/23/06 Cooperative efforts will be the key to future development in the Canal Winchester area, according to local officials who spoke at a March 16 forum hosted by the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce. In order to encourage further economic development around Canal Winchester, Violet Township trustee Terry Dunlap said the township will continue to focus its efforts on the Cooperative Economic Development District it has forged with the village. Since creating the CEDA in June 2001, the village and the township have worked together to attract business investment and jobs to the 1,533 acres that extend south from Busey Road to U.S. Route 33 between the Franklin County Line and the eastern border of the Canal Winchester school district. Since its formation, the CEDA area has attracted 10 new businesses, more than 200 additional jobs and a medical center planned jointly by Mount Carmel Health Systems and Fairfield Medical Center. Council seeking state dollars for traffic improvements ThisWeek Pickerington, 3/23/06 Pickerington City Council is pursuing state funds to upgrade the safety of one of the city's most dangerous intersections. In a 5-0 vote Tuesday night, council approved a traffic-management study that identifies safety and access concerns through the heart of Pickerington's commercial district. According to the study, the number of accidents that occur at the intersection of state Route 256 and Refugee Road exceed frequency standards established by the Ohio Department of Transportation. Office park gets zoning approval ThisWeek Pickerington, 3/23/06 Violet Township trustees have approved zoning for an office park proposed on Wright Road, but the developer continues to lobby for municipal utility service to complete the project. In a unanimous decision March 15, trustees voted to rezone 3.36 acres at 10080 Wright Road, just west of Diley Road, from a residential to a commercial area. Developer David Dozer is in contract to purchase the property and intends to construct four single-story professional office buildings -- two encompassing 5,200 square feet and two at 4,700 square feet. Township code requires the development to have 90 parking spaces and the property's existing driveway would be widened to serve as its lone access point. Village reaches deal to develop land ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 3/23/06 The Canal Winchester Village Council agreed Monday to transfer ownership of a 50-acre piece of property inside Canal Pointe Industry & Commerce Park to Dublin Building Systems (DBS) for the purpose of developing commercial lots. The 150-acre industrial park is located in the Fairfield County section of the village, adjacent to U.S. Route 33. Village law director Gene Hollins said no money is changing hands between the Canal Winchester and DBS at this point. Rather, DBS will hold the title on the 50 acres and, in turn, will give the village a promissory note. DBS will then pay for infrastructure improvements on the land, and when the property is eventually sold, DBS and the village will split the profits, according to a percentage that has yet to be agreed upon. Case could have statewide effect ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 3/30/06 The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday morning in an annexation dispute among the city of Pickerington, Violet Township and the village of Canal Winchester over 227 acres of land in the comprehensive economic development area. According to elections attorney Don McTigue, representing one of the landowners who sided with the city of Pickerington, the issue is important beyond the local dispute and could affect all statewide referendums. "It's an extremely important issue, given the increasing use of initiative petitions," McTigue said. Violet big-box zoning hearing is continued ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 3/30/06 Hundreds of Pickerington area residents crowded the Ridgeview Junior High School cafeteria Thursday night to weigh in on what has become a struggle between the will of the majority and the rights of the minority. After two hours of public commentary, much of it peppered with applause and contentious shouts, the Violet Township Zoning Commission voted unanimously to continue its public hearing on a rezoning application for a large-scale shopping center planned for the north side of the township. Pickerington expected to help Canal Winchester with water shortage Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 4/2/06 Canal Winchester residents shouldn't have to worry about water bans and restrictions on water use this summer. The village is constructing a water line to tap into Pickerington's water system. The water line, which is expected to be online in May, is meant to temporarily take care of the village's water issues. "We can't pump enough water through the existing plant to meet demand, which is why we had restrictions and bans last year," said Matt Peoples, wastewater superintendent and acting public works director. "We're at capacity, which is why we need the city of Pickerington to supply us with some water in the meantime." Fairfield County Commissioners say financial outlook is back on track Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 4/5/06 The county's financial outlook is back on track, said Fairfield County Commissioner Jon Myers at the annual State of the County address Tuesday. The commissioners - Judy Shupe, Mike Kiger and Myers - gave short presentations focused on preparing for the estimated growth in the county, the financial outlook of the county and accomplishments in the past year. "Things are happening in Fairfield County," Myers said. Myers said there has been talk about what the county commissioners will do with carryover cash. Some people believe there is "extra carryover." But Myers said the carryover for 2007 is exactly where financial advisors say it should be. But the carryover has increased since 2005. Big-box opposition turns to Web to spread its message ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 4/6/06 A Violet Township group contesting the proposal of a large retail development is taking the fight into cyberspace. This weekend, a team of residents from throughout the Pickerington area plans to launch wearethepeople.com, a Web site dedicated to defeating a rezoning application submitted to redesignate 106 acres of residential land near the intersection of Pickerington and Refugee roads as commercial property. TLG Development Co. Inc. intends to turn the property into a retail complex with two big-box spaces and adjacent outparcels. City seeks to restore ties with Violet ThisWeek Pickerington, 4/6/06 Pickerington officials are moving forward with efforts to mend the historical rift the city has had with Violet Township regarding development opportunities. In a work session preceeding Tuesday night's regular city council meeting, members met with City Manager Judith Gilleland and Pickerington legal counsel to discuss stipulations to include in a standard agreement for Joint Economic Development Districts. Pickerington has an opportunity to enter into such a partnership with Violet Township, in which the two entities would share the costs and benefits of servicing developments within JEDD areas. The township would like to forge a JEDD with the city to allow the development of a 3-acre office park planned at 10080 Wright Road. Anti-Wal-Mart fervor hits home Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 4/9/06 Wal-Mart says it does not have plans to build a store in Violet Township, according to a store official. But some residents believe otherwise - in part because of phone calls made by a union local and an organization dead set against the store setting up shop in the fastest-growing city in Ohio. Sprawl-Busters, a Massachusetts-based grassroots organization, called nearly 5,000 residents, encouraging them to attend a public hearing March 23 and take a stand against Wal-Mart. More than 300 people turned out for the public hearing, which the township held to receive public comment on a rezoning proposal. A developer and three families want 106 acres rezoned from residential to commercial. The proposed land would house "big box" retailers, but no tenant has been identified for the site, according to the developer's attorney.
May 28, 200619 yr Township living sometimes brings surprises Sunday, May 28, 2006 Debbie Gebolys, The Columbus Dispatch Township living is many things to many people. Here is a look at some of those perspectives from former city folks who live beyond I-270. In 1998, Doug Wrightsel wanted a change. He was divorced and living in Upper Arlington near his two adult sons. He spent his time as a Downtown lawyer and an avid sports fan. "Nothing against Arlington, but I always wanted a little room," Wrightsel said. He was thinking about moving to a 20-acre farm in Fairfield County when his elder son intervened. "He said it was too much for me to take care of and too far away from family," Wrightsel said. "He was really right." The son proposed a 5-acre compromise, south of Powell near Rt. 315. The property had a couple of acres of woods, tennis and basketball courts, and room for Wrightsel to learn to garden. And then there was the house. Built in 1982, it had five bedrooms and four baths heated and cooled by a geothermal system. It’s more than enough space for him, his two dogs and the four grandkids who are welcome weekend guests. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com
May 30, 200619 yr Author From the ThisWeek Reynoldsburg, 5/25/06: Council approves Broad/Waggoner rezoning Thursday, May 25, 2006 By TRICIA SYMANSIC ThisWeek Staff Writer Reynoldsburg City Councilman Mel Clemens will get his fountain. The service committee chairman asked a developer last week to include the feature in a retaining pond that is part of a 450,000- to 500,000-square-foot retail development planned at the corner of East Broad Street and Waggoner Road. Zoning attorney Glen Dugger confirmed at a city council meeting Monday night that Canton-based Giltz & Associates would include the fountain in the plans. http://www.thisweeknews.com/?edition=Reynoldsburg&story=thisweeknews/052506/Reynoldsburg/News/052506-News-158387.html
May 31, 200619 yr Author Part one of two: Meijer site plan not up to snuff for officials, who table request The News (SNP), 4/19/06 A team of representatives for Meijer Inc. approached the Planning and Zoning Commission for Canal Winchester April 10 with hopes of receiving approval for a final building site plan. Things did not work out as planned for Meijer representatives, as the committee requested their application request be tabled for three months so various questions could be answered and revisions could be made to the plans. Committee members said they saw this proposal as more of a preliminary site plan rather than a final site plan because the application needs to be cleaned up. Plans call for a store to be built on a 58-acre plot of land inside the Violet Pointe Cooperative Economic Development Agreement (CEDA), which is located along Diley Road near U.S. Route 33. Council moves ahead with Diley project ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 4/20/06 Canal Winchester Village Council is moving forward on legislation related to the $5.7-million Diley Road widening project, construction of which is expected to tie up roadways and traffic throughout the summer and fall. By emergency legislation, council approved an ordinance authorizing Mayor Jeff Miller to enter into a contract with Columbia Gas of Ohio to relocate underground gas lines along Diley Road. Council also heard the second reading of an ordinance that would permit village Finance Director Nanisa Osborn to issue $2.5-million in bonds for the Diley Road project. Improvements to Diley Road are expected to spur growth in the Violet Pointe development area, which includes property along Diley Road, Kings Crossing and Hill Road. Residents oppose 'big box' retail on Refugee ThisWeek Pickerington, 4/20/06 More than 300 people attended the third Violet Township Zoning Commission meeting addressing a proposed "big box" retail development on 106 acres on the southeast side of Refugee and Pickerington roads, near the high school. Only one resident spoke in favor of the development during the meeting, excepting only the property owners and David Fisher, the attorney for the developer, TLG Development Co., while more than a dozen spoke against and a vocal crowd was clearly overwhelmingly opposed to the proposal. Carol Hanover, a recent widow, said she had lived in the community for 28 years, and was fearful of ever-increasing housing and associated tax increases that she thought the commercial development would help alleviate. "I've seen our taxes increase every year," she said. "Every year, they're asking for more money for the school system. Benefits of bypass starting to bloom Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 4/24/06 The Lancaster Bypass already could be encouraging more development off State Route 188 west of Lancaster. The Lancaster City Council on Monday will conduct the final hearing on whether to rezone 169 acres between Royalton Road, Whiley Road and State Route 188, which connects the bypass to Lancaster. The area, owned by Robert Ruble, now is zoned for commercial development and single-family. Ruble, represented by Lancaster attorney Steve Davis, would like the property to be zoned for residential multi-family buildings.
June 1, 200619 yr Author Part two of two: Fairfield Union school board waiting for green light to begin construction Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 5/10/06 Jessica Elick hopes the new Fairfield Union High School has bigger social studies classrooms. Her social studies lessons are taught in a modular classroom now because there are more students than Fairfield Unions buildings can handle. Jessica's class, seventh-graders at Fairfield Union Junior High School, is expected to be one of the first classes to graduate from the high school to be built. The Fairfield Union school board planned to discuss changes to the district's building plan at a regular meeting Monday. But the meeting was canceled out of respect for the district's superintendent, Clark Davis, who died Monday. The new high school is one of several changes that are part of the district's building plan. Voters approved a 1 percent income tax. Officials estimate the tax will raise about $1.7 million in the first year. Owner: If you take my land, I will sue The Times, 5/10/06 Canal Winchester residents are battling with the village over the building of a proposed bike path. At the May 1 Village Council meeting, two ordinances were introduced, both dealing with land acquisition for the bike path through eminent domain. The 2.1-mile bike path will run parallel to Groveport Road until it reaches the property of Chambers Waste Systems of Ohio, where it then turns south and continues to run east along Groveport Road. The path ends near the residential area just east of United Church Residences of Canal Winchester. Greenfield Township wants some of the revenue from Wal-Mart Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 5/16/06 Greenfield Township officials want to know whether the township can get a piece of Lancaster's commercial growth and the money that comes with it. A Dayton-based developer is asking Lancaster to annex the land for a Wal-Mart Supercenter and other retail stores and restaurants near Ety Road and Memorial Drive, just north of Buckeye Honda, that would bring more than 1,000 new jobs to Fairfield County. The 24-acre parcel of land is in Greenfield Township outside the Lancaster city limits. The annexation process has been started to make the land a part of Lancaster's boundaries. Jack Woods, a Lancaster resident who lives on Barr Drive, welcomes the project. He lives on the west side, but not near the development, and thinks it should be annexed into the city.
June 1, 200619 yr Keep signals on Rt. 33, critics say Fairfield County officials object to limited-access road Thursday, June 01, 2006 Mary Beth Lane THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Pickerington-area homeowner Denise Sandor knows that growth in Fairfield County means more congestion along Rt. 33. She understands why state transportation planners propose to remove traffic lights to accommodate traffic flow. That doesn’t mean she likes it. And she’s not alone. Some county residents and elected officials are concerned about the Ohio Department of Transportation’s plan to remove the traffic light at Rt. 33 and Pickerington Road. The state wants to remove the Rt. 33 traffic lights by Sept. 1 and close median access there and at the High Street/Bowen Road intersection, which has raised similar concerns in Canal Winchester. The signals are being eliminated in favor of interchanges and overpasses. The $145 million project extends from Hamilton Road in Franklin County to Winchester Road near Carroll in Fairfield County, near the Lancaster bypass. Full article: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/06/01/20060601-B1-00.html
June 1, 200619 yr ^For the record, I am not Denise. Nor have I lived near Canal Winchester/Pickerington (though I have visited the area 4 times in my life) (Those of you who have seen my real name [not Magyar] will understand the joke here)
June 2, 200619 yr Author ^ LOL. I got it. Here's a link to a map that the Dispatch ran showing the area: http://ee.dispatch.com/Repository2/TCD/2006/06/01/13/Img/Ar0130500.gif
June 7, 200619 yr ^For the record, I am not Denise. Nor have I lived near Canal Winchester/Pickerington (though I have visited the area 4 times in my life) (Those of you who have seen my real name [not Magyar] will understand the joke here) Heh, that distracted me so much that I didn't read the rest of the article.
July 8, 200618 yr Author Truck repair business to open plant in Carroll Business First of Columbus, 5/16/06 Fairfield County Commissioners approved Tuesday a 50 percent, 10-year tax break for a Company Wrench Ltd. facility that is expected to create 25 jobs in Carroll. The Fairfield County-based truck repair business is spending $800,000 on a 12,000-square-foot manufacturing and distributing facility in Carroll, south of Pickerington. Construction is expected to begin by the end of May and the facility is scheduled to be operational by this fall, said Company Wrench spokesman David Zak. Company Wrench reported $30 million in sales for 2005 and employs 54 people in its Fairfield County location. The Carroll facility will be its second plant. CW eyes new park The Times (SNP), 5/17/06 Canal Winchester is preparing to convert a 75-acre tract of land just west of Gender Road to a park. Village Finance Director Nanisa Osborn said that they have received two grants, one for $134,578 from the Clean Ohio Fund and the other is a nature works grant for $138,654 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Osborn said that part of the park will be passive, meaning it will be left alone, and the other will be developed into recreational fields. Mayor Jeff Miller, who inherited this project when he became mayor in 2004, says this project has been in the works for years. "We are still in the discovery process on what the use will be," Miller said. "If we are going to make this an active park, we need significant resources to make that happen. Our mutual goal with the Canal Winchester Joint Recreation District is to create an active park funded through the local parks and recreation district." Village will use eminent domain The Times, 5/24/06 The village of Canal Winchester will use eminent domain to force a property owner to sell to make way for a new bike path. Village Council passed two pieces of legislation at its May 15 meeting allowing the village to acquire property through eminent domain for the new bike path. Both ordinances were passed as emergency legislation after the second reading. The proposed 2.1-mile bike path will run parallel to Groveport Road until it reaches the property of Chambers Waste Systems of Ohio, where it then turns south and continues to run east along Groveport Road. The path ends near the residential area just east of United Church Residences of Canal Winchester. $4.7M plant expansion will bring 20 new jobs Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 5/27/06 Enterprise zone tax exemptions from Fairfield County and the city of Lancaster have sealed the deal on a $4.7 million plant expansion and 20 new high-tech manufacturing jobs. The European manufacturing company Mondi Packaging Akrosil announced the expansion Friday in a joint news release from Lancaster and Fairfield County economic development offices. Tax incentives were just one reason Mondi Packaging chose the Lancaster plant for the expansion over its facilities in Wisconsin or the Netherlands. The expansion involves a $1.2 million, 35,000-square-foot addition to the existing 86,000-square-foot facility. It also includes $3.2 million in new equipment and machinery.
August 3, 200618 yr Author Diley Road step closer to expansion Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 6/16/06 Pickerington is one step closer to getting $1 million to aid the city in its expansion of Diley Road. U.S. Rep. Dave Hobson, R-Springfield, announced Wednesday that the House of Representatives approved $1.75 million in funding for transportation projects in the state's 7th District. A portion of the funding - pending Senate approval - would be used to widen Diley Road in Pickerington, from two to five lanes. The improvements also will include the addition of two traffic signals and the relocation of water and sanitary sewer infrastructure. The project and another regional project are included in the Fiscal Year 2007 House Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development bill. County gives nod to Wal-Mart land deal Columbus Dispatch, 6/21/06 Construction of a retail development featuring a Wal-Mart inched closer to reality yesterday after the Fairfield County commissioners approved Lancaster’s annexation of 24.5 acres from neighboring Greenfield Township. Township trustees and the Lancaster City Council already approved the annexation of the land at Rt. 33 and Ety Road, and the council has approved rezoning it from agricultural to commercial use. The council is considering an arrangement called tax-increment financing to divert real-estate taxes to pay for road widening and other services that the development will require. That means the Lancaster school district would receive $90,000 annually for 10 years in real-estate taxes, plus an undetermined amount from employees’ incomes taxes, and $400,000 annually after that, said Mike Pettit, the city’s economic-development director. Council approves City Hall expansion ThisWeek Pickerington, 6/29/06 Pickerington City Council last week unanimously authorized the construction of an addition to City Hall that would provide much-needed space for the municipal staff. Since its completion in 1992, the building at 100 Lockville Road has housed a growing number of employees needed to serve the city's rapidly expanding population. Over that time, the 8,000-square-foot building has evolved into a maze of tight hallways framed by nearly floor-to-ceiling filing cabinets and boxes, with some staffers working out of closets. He said the 1,536-square-foot rear addition will provide space for a conference room, offices and storage.
August 5, 200618 yr Author From the 8/4/06 Dispatch: Pickerington considers split from township Move might lower taxes, shift fire services Friday, August 04, 2006 Kirk D . Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Pickerington would cut itself off from Violet Township and eliminate the property taxes city residents pay the township under a plan City Councilman Ted Hackworth is exploring. The city, as its own township, would be obligated to provide residents with fire service that is currently handled by Violet Township. http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/04/20060804-C4-00.html
August 6, 200618 yr Author From the 8/6/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Building permits fall in Violet and Bloom townships By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] BLOOM TOWNSHIP - Residential building permits are down in Fairfield County's two most populated townships - Violet and Bloom - and the economy and gas prices could be to blame, according to township and county officials. "I have hardly (issued) any permits, and I find that unusual, because I'm usually swamped by now," said Diane Uther, coordinator of the Fairfield Department of Health Water Protection Program. http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060806/NEWS01/608060308/1002/rss01
August 14, 200618 yr Author From the 8/13/06 Dispatch: Agreement with township irks Pickerington council Some members say they were left out of economic decisions Sunday, August 13, 2006 Kirk D . Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH After Pickerington City Councilman Jeff Fix distributed a draft of an economic-development agreement he negotiated with Violet Township, some of his colleagues reacted with dismay. The agreement, which was distributed last week, would give away too much of the city’s power to the township, said Council President Brian Wisniewski, and Fix should have consulted the entire council before negotiating it. http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/13/20060813-C5-01.html
August 20, 200618 yr Author From the 8/20/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: PHOTO: A crew from DZI Construction Services performs masonry work Thursday, the 51st day of construction on the new Discount Tire Company Building on Columbus-Lancaster Road. E-G photo by Kevin Riddell Development blooming in Greenfield By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP - Greenfield Township is bursting at the seams with commercial development. The township, just north of Lancaster, will become home to several new businesses, including a Discount Tire store now under construction next to the Texas Roadhouse. The restaurant opened its doors in July. Read more at http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060820/NEWS01/608200323/1002/rss01
August 21, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 8/17/06: Meijer told to revamp signs at new store site Thursday, August 17, 2006 By ROBERT PASCHEN ThisWeek Staff Writer The Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission told architects for a Meijer store north of the Hill-Diley interchange Monday night that the proposed signs for the business were too big and too high. Planning commission president Bill Christiensen said allowing the big-box Meijer to be built already violates "the original concept of the (Diley Road) corridor." He said the location is an entranceway to the village and, with that in mind, he wants to ensure that signs will be aesthetically appropriate. The planning commission has told Meijer designers in the past to reduce the size of a large sign planned for the front of the store. At the Aug. 14 meeting, Greg Monnig of Woolpert Inc., an architectural firm hired by Meijer, showed plans for a 410-square-foot Meijer sign, which he said is smaller than the 633-square-foot Wal-Mart sign and 530-square-foot Home Depot sign already in use by those businesses. Full story at http://thisweeknews.com/?edition=CanalWinchester&story=thisweeknews/081706/CanalWinchester/News/081706-News-205479.html
August 22, 200618 yr Author From the 8/22/06 Dispatch: CANAL WINCHESTER SCHOOLS School board puts 4.9-mill levy on fall ballot Tuesday, August 22, 2006 Charlie Roduta THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH With no discussion, the Canal Winchester school board unanimously decided to place a 4.9-mill levy on the November ballot. The levy would generate $1.9 million a year and would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $150 a year. If approved, Treasurer Joyce Boyer said the money could keep the district’s budget in the black through the 2008-09 school year. Without it, the district faces about a $928,000 deficit in the 2007-08 school year, when the district opens a new wing of Winchester Trail Elementary School and a new middle school. If it fails, board President David Brobst said, the district would have to start looking at cuts in 2007 and voters could face another levy request, possibly three mills higher, in the spring. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/22/20060822-D2-01.html
August 24, 200618 yr Author From the 8/23/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Bickering holds back development By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] PICKERINGTON - Pickerington Mayor David Shaver entered office with a desire for the city to forge economic development ties with Violet Township high on his agenda. The city may be closer to entering into a comprehensive economic development agreement with the township, but it's stirring up some controversy in the City Council. Shaver appointed Councilman Jeff Fix in January to work on behalf of the city in discussions with the township regarding economic development agreements and how Pickerington and Violet Township officials could work together. Fix has worked with Township Trustee Gary Weltlich over the past several months and plans to present a comprehensive economic development agreement to the council's finance committee in September, with hopes the agreement can move on to council members for approval. The agreement would mean the city and township working together on all potential projects, Fix said. Full story at http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060823/NEWS01/608230313/1002/rss01
August 28, 200618 yr Author From the 8/28/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Pickerington to increase water fees By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] PICKERINGTON - Pickerington residents might pay more for water and wastewater fees come January. Water fees could increase by 13 percent and wastewater fees could increase by 19 percent annually for five years, if a plan proposed by the city's Utility Review Committee is supported by the City Council. Council will have its first reading on the proposed legislation Sept. 5. City Manager Judy Gilleland also will do a presentation on why the increases are needed. "The biggest point we want to drive home is the fees haven't been increased in 14 years," Gilleland said. "And we haven't kept up with the cost of doing business. We have taken a hard look inward in terms of controlling and cutting our own costs." Full story at http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060828/NEWS01/608280301/1002/rss01
September 5, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 8/31/06: Watkins Farms IRS plea deal unlikely to affect development Thursday, August 31, 2006 By ROBERT PASCHEN, ThisWeek Staff Writer One of the partners involved in a multi-million residential development in Canal Winchester will be sentenced in October after pleading guilty earlier this month in U.S. District Court to one count of filing a false income tax return. Madison Township resident William Taylor Sr., 43, is the founder and former owner of Jericho Mortgage. The tax return in question was related to that company. He faces a maximum of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Taylor is also general manager of Domus Veram, a company building a $64-million, 123-acre residential development called Watkins Farms that includes 176 houses, 70 condos and a 30,000-square foot equestrian center on Lithopolis Road across from the site of a new Canal Winchester middle school. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/083106/CanalWinchester/News/083106-News-215160.html
September 12, 200618 yr Author From the 9/11/06 Dispatch: Pickerington seeks options if bond issue fails at polls Monday, September 11, 2006 — Charlie Roduta Pickerington board members last week reviewed options for housing its booming student body, including instituting split sessions, installing more portable classrooms and placing kindergarten classrooms in the high-school field houses. Superintendent Bob Thiede brought up options depending on what happens to a $59.9 million bond issue on the November ballot. If approved, the tax issue, at 3.8 mills, would pay for two elementaries and a middle school. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $116 in taxes. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/09/11/20060911-B7-05.html From ThisWeek Pickerington, 9/7/06: Traffic alterations begin next week Thursday, September 7, 2006 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer A pair of road access changes are taking effect in Pickerington next week. Fairfield County is closing a section of Long Road to make bridge repairs and the city is reorienting entry points for the shopping plaza at Diley and Hill roads in hopes of reducing the high number of accidents that occur there. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=pickerington&story=sites/thisweeknews/090706/Pickerington/News/090706-News-219701.html
September 18, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Pickerington, 9/14/06: BOE weighs advantages of matching OSFC funds Thursday, September 14, 2006 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer Pickerington school officials are deliberating the expense of complying with guidelines for state assistance versus the benefit of matching funds for capital development. During its meeting Monday night, the Pickerington Board of Education reviewed the pros and cons of applying for money from the Ohio School Facilities Commission to construct additional schools and renovate existing ones. According to Jeff Krebs, project manager with Ruscilli Construction Co., the district's contractor, by not requesting OSFC dollars to help build schools needed to house Pickerington's growing student population, the district could save on design and construction costs because the facilities would not be subject to the agency's stringent code or maintenance plan. If it accepts state dollars, the district may also be required to abandon facilities whose costs to comply with OSFC code equals two-thirds the price of a new build. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=pickerington&story=sites/thisweeknews/091406/Pickerington/News/091406-News-222552.html
September 19, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 9/14/06: Planning commission Casto gets OK for retail space at 2 shopping centers Thursday, September 14, 2006 By ROBERT PASCHEN ThisWeek Staff Writer The Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission gave its approval Monday to final plans that will add major retail space to two existing shopping centers. The planning commission voted 4-2 on final site plans by Casto developers for a 13,323-square-foot retail space between Wal-Mart and Margarita Mama's in the Waterloo Crossing Shopping Center. The planning commission voted unanimously to approve final site plans presented by Casto for a 17,483-square-foot retail space between Home Depot and Kroger in the Winchester Square Shopping Center. The members made their approval conditional on Casto developers adding landscaping to the north side of the structure, and architectural features to the west and south sides, such as awnings. In addition, planning commission members told Casto representative Lou Visco that the south side of the structure must be made of the same brick as the front. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/091406/CanalWinchester/News/091406-News-222200.html
September 20, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Pickerington, 9/14/06: School board is crafting long-range housing plan Thursday, September 14, 2006 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer Pickerington school officials are investigating ways to avoid a districtwide split-session system that is generally regarded as inevitable if a bond issue that has been defeated several times loses at the polls again in November. In a Sept. 7 meeting, the Pickerington Board of Education began deliberating options to accommodate the district's overflow of students, which is expected to surpass bricks-and-mortar space at the kindergarten through middle school levels by 35 percent by the fall of 2010, according to district estimates. If voters reject a $59.9-million bond proposal to construct two elementaries and one middle school this fall, superintendent Robert Thiede said the district would continue to add classrooms, either through procuring more portable units or through leasing commercial space, over the next few years. However, he said, without the additional buildings the bond issue would provide, the housing shortage is expected to reach the ultimate tipping point by 2010, likely requiring the district to implement split sessions. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=pickerington&story=sites/thisweeknews/091406/Pickerington/News/091406-News-222553.html
September 27, 200618 yr Author Both from ThisWeek Pickerington, 9/21/06: City buys more land for Diley project Thursday, September 21, 2006 By SEAN CASEY, [email protected] ThisWeek Staff Writer Pickerington City Council is pushing through another wave of property purchases necessary to transform Diley Road from a country road into a commercial artery. On Tuesday night, council passed eight settlements for right of way acquisitions for the project. Of the initial 104 parcels required for the project, either permanently or temporarily to allow for the road construction, 36 are complete, 35 more are being negotiated and the remaining 43 are in the appraisal stage. "We're in the thick of things with the project," City Manager Judith Gilleland said of the Diley Road widening, which entered planning stages in 1997. The city hopes to purchase all rights of way for the by the close of this year so that utility companies can begin to relocate service lines, as the project design dictates, when the construction season resumes early next year. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=pickerington&story=sites/thisweeknews/092106/Pickerington/News/092106-News-228240.html
October 3, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 9/28/06: Group works on marketing plan, efforts to raise funds Thursday, September 28, 2006 By ROBERT PASCHEN ThisWeek Staff Writer Local governments and business organizations in Fairfield County are pooling their resources and taking the first steps toward a long-term marketing and business development plan for the Route 33 corridor from Lancaster to Canal Winchester. The Route 33 Growth Alliance is made up of representatives from Canal Winchester, Pickerington and Lancaster; Violet, Bloom and Greenfield townships; Fairfield County; and chambers of commerce from Canal Winchester Pickerington and Lancaster. The group has been meeting every two weeks since June in Canal Winchester and is finalizing contract negotiations with Resource Development Group (RDG) of Dublin for a business plan and long-term fund-raising. Though the exact terms were unavailable, Lancaster economic development director Mike Pettit said the framework of the contract calls for RDG to conduct a two- to three-month assessment of the Route 33 corridor, detailing the assets attractive to businesses, followed by fund-raising from the private sector for a marketing campaign. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/092806/CanalWinchester/News/092806-News-230608.html
October 4, 200618 yr Author From the 10/1/06 Dispatch: ThisWeek Pickerington: JEDD pact held over in committee (9/28/06) Pickerington, township far from deal Councilman wants to stop annexing residential land Sunday, October 01, 2006 Kirk D . Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Pickerington would suspend its right to annex residential land for 30 years if Councilman Jeff Fix gets his colleagues to approve an agreement with Violet Township. Fix is running into resistance. Other council members refused to bring the agreement out of the finance committee, where Fix introduced it last week. Nonetheless, Fix promotes the agreement he negotiated and wants a special meeting called to hash out issues to get it passed. He says the agreement is needed to limit residential growth and to work with Violet Township to attract more commercial development. "One of my frustrations as a new council member was seeing how long it takes to get things done," said Fix, who was elected last year. "It drags on for too long. We’re missing out on commercial activity." Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/10/01/20061001-D4-00.html From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 9/28/06: Council to consider stricter zoning rules Thursday, September 28, 2006 By ROBERT PASCHEN ThisWeek Staff Writer Canal Winchester is taking steps to establish planning and zoning standards for residential development. An ordinance to approve the new residential zoning standards will get its first reading before Canal Winchester Village Council at its Oct. 2 meeting, said Allan Neimayer, village planning and zoning administrator. The proposal, presented to council at its Sept. 25 comittee of the whole meeting, includes requiring builders to have greater diversity of home models, larger lot sizes, larger houses, full rather than partial chimneys, more architectural features on homes, side-loaded garages, landscaping and park space. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/092806/CanalWinchester/News/092806-News-230609.html
October 5, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 9/28/06: Overpass gets high MORPC priority Thursday, September 28, 2006 By ROBERT PASCHEN ThisWeek Staff Writer The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission voted unanimously Sept. 21 to name the High-Bowen overpass the second-highest priority road project in a seven-county area of central Ohio. Each year, MORPC gives its recommendations for road work to the Transportation Review Advisory Council, the state agency that doles out money for major road projects, or those that cost $5-million or more. Bob Lawler, MORPC interim executive director and transportation director, said MORPC's recommendations have in the past carried weight with the TRAC. The TRAC funding schedule this year covers 2008 to 2013. TRAC awards funding in five-year increments. Lawler said road projects approved in this round will likely see funding in 2013. Canal Winchester is asking the TRAC for $19.9-million. The money would be used to purchase rights of way and pay for construction of the overpass. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/092806/CanalWinchester/News/092806-News-230610.html
October 11, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Pickerington, 10/5/06: JEDD plan goes to new committee Thursday, October 5, 2006 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer Tempers flared at Pickerington City Hall Tuesday night, as Mayor David Shaver approved the transfer of a controversial development agreement from one city council committee to another, a move that puts the pact on the fast track to appear before the full council. At the conclusion of what was otherwise a swift and congenial meeting, Councilman Jeff Fix, requested removing a proposal to form a Joint Economic Development District with Violet Township from the finance committee, in which it has been held up in debate. Fix, who negotiated the agreement on behalf of the city, asked to reassign it to service committee, in which it reportedly has the support of two of three members. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=pickerington&story=sites/thisweeknews/100506/Pickerington/News/100506-News-236578.html From ThisWeek Canal Winchester, 10/5/06: BIA calls proposed standards too strict Thursday, October 5, 2006 By ROBERT PASCHEN ThisWeek Staff Writer A spokesman for the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio told village council Monday that Canal Winchester's proposed new building standards are too strict and would have a negative impact on new home costs. BIA executive director Jim Hilz said he wants to work with village to change proposed residential standards before they become law. Council heard the first reading Monday of legislation that would require builders to have a greater diversity of home models, larger lot sizes, larger houses, full rather than partial chimneys, more architectural features on homes, side-loaded garages, landscaping and park space. Hilz said the standards are too strict and will make homes more expensive to build. He said he could not predict if the new standards would reduce the number of builders wanting to construct homes in the village. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=canalwinchester&story=sites/thisweeknews/100506/CanalWinchester/News/100506-News-234645.html
October 20, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Pickerington, 10/12/06: Service committee to get first look at development pact Thursday, October 12, 2006 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer Pickerington officials will continue debate on a controversial development agreement proposed between Pickerington and Violet Township during the monthly meeting of council's service committee. Although this latest round of collaborative talks with the township began late last year, tonight will mark the first time the proposed agreement is heard in the service committee. The contract, which would codify an overarching cooperative pact between the two entities to attract new commercial growth to the area, had been at issue in council's finance committee. Throughout the summer, the draft agreement divided the four voting members of the finance committee, two in favor and two opposed, and the committee planned continued discussions on the matter. The master agreement would apply to any new commercial development outside Pickerington's city limits, excluding any area north of Interstate 70 and areas within the jurisdiction of Violet Township's existing Cooperative Economic Development Agreement (CEDA) with Canal Winchester. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=pickerington&story=sites/thisweeknews/101206/Pickerington/News/101206-News-240279.html
October 22, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Pickerington, 10/19/06: Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Agreement questioned by City Council (10/16/06) Columbus Dispatch: Pickerington anti-growth plan stalls (10/13/06) Work session on JEDD plan set Oct. 24 Thursday, October 19, 2006 By SEAN CASEY ThisWeek Staff Writer All members of Pickerington City Council will have the opportunity to propose amendments to a joint development agreement with Violet Township, even though the proposal has yet to pass out of committee. This latest effort to resolve the history of land disputes between Pickerington and Violet Township would obligate the two parties to jointly develop areas outside city limits and within the township, excluding any area north of Interstate 70 and areas with the jurisdiction of Violet Township's existing cooperative economic development agreement (CEDA) with Canal Winchester. Full story at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=pickerington&story=sites/thisweeknews/101906/Pickerington/News/101906-News-243300.html From the 10/15/06 Dispatch: PICKERINGTON SCHOOLS Fast-growing district seeks bonds for three new buildings Sunday, October 15, 2006 Charlie Roduta THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH There’s no vacancy at Harmon Middle School. This year, the school added about 200 students and 25 staff members, changed pick-up and drop-off patterns and installed portable classrooms in places where they never were before. The changes were supposed to be a temporary fix until new schools are built, said Principal Gary Morrow, but they haven’t ended the Pickerington middle school’s struggles. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/10/15/20061015-C4-04.html
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