PICKERINGTON CITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY,
MARCH 15, 2005
CITY HALL, 100 LOCKVILLE ROAD
COUNCIL
WORK SESSION AGENDA
6:30
P.M.
1. ROLL CALL. Mrs. Riggs called the work session to order at 6:30 P.M., with Mrs. Riggs, Mr. O’Brien, Mr. Wright, Mr. Hackworth, Mr. Parker, Mr. Sabatino, Mr. Wisniewski, and Mayor Shaver present. Others present were: Judy Gilleland, Lynda Yartin, Frank Wiseman, Jennifer Frommer, John Gallagher, Mike Maurer, Tamaria Liddell, Jack Sower, Bill Habig, and others.
2. Presentation by Bill Habig, Executive Director, MORPC, regarding regional growth strategy. Ms Gilleland stated Mr. Habig was present this evening to provide a briefing on the Regional Growth Management Strategy they have been working on for about three years. She stated he would present the plan to us and give us an update on it. Mr. Habig reviewed the Seven County Growth Strategy they have been working on, and they are in the third year of the study. Mr. Habig stated if we continue to grow the way we are growing, we will raise our land consumption rate by almost 50 percent, and that is a significant trend that we need to be concerned about. Mr. Habig stated they have produced a land use model that looks at different types of assumptions they might make in the growth of the region. He stated they had conducted a survey of Central Ohio public attitudes toward growth and development in topics such as quality of life, attitudes toward growth, freeway system expanded, air quality, development issues, accessibility issues, and planning/governance issues. Mr. Habig stated Phase 2 of the study was a Regional Growth Strategy. He continued the elements of conceptual framework they considered were preserves, corridors, centers, infill targets, and business/industrial areas. He stated they would present a picture of the region with these five categories of a framework and bring it back to the local governments for their own use. Mr. Habig stated some of the payoffs of this study for Pickerington would be a regional land use mode and data base, improvement of I-70, US 33, and S.R. 256 corridors, evaluation of potential Pickerington bypass, local economic development, increased inter-county cooperation, improved local plans, and better development decisions. He continued that the first phase of this project was funded primarily by the City of Columbus, and they have been raising money for Phase 2 for the past six months. He stated MORPC was asking Pickerington for the same amount they have asked other entities, which is to pledge 21 cents per capita. He stated this would be a one time pledge devoted to finishing the plan, and Pickerington’s share would be approximately $2,553. Mr. Habig concluded their goal is to create a regional growth strategy that will protect future quality of life by working with key public and private entities in Franklin and all six surrounding counties. He stated he would be happy to address any questions anyone might have.
Mr. O’Brien clarified that Pickerington ranks among the group of rapidly growing communities that have a lot of needs, and one of the things they focus on is infrastructure financing, such as helping with obtaining federal funds.
Ms Gilleland stated as far as the request for funding, that can be discussed at the next Finance Committee meeting.
3. Discussion regarding Ordinance 2005-18, adopting a new Thoroughfare Plan. Mr. John Gallagher stated all of Council had received a listing of the proposed changes to the current Thoroughfare Plan that had come out of Service Committee. (Attachment 1 to these minutes.) Mr. Gallagher stated he would like to remind everyone that this is a long range plan and is a combination of what we expect the City to be and what we would like the City to be in the future. Mr. Gallagher further stated he felt everyone was in agreement that Pickerington has some traffic issues and the longer we wait to make hard decisions, the harder those decisions will be. Ms Frommer stated she would also like to point out that in preparing the plan most of the surrounding entities have been approached for information on what they are considering as well. Mr. Wisniewski stated it appeared that 90 percent of the roads Mr. Gallagher was referencing were not within the City boundaries. Mr. Gallagher stated the City’s Thoroughfare Plan has always covered the entire Township, so some of it is historical. He stated in preparing the Plan everyone thought it was important to let the Township know what the City’s position is on future improvements. He further stated the plan would be to sit down and talk with the Township as well.
Mr. Hackworth stated the southern annexation is not marked as pending annexation. Mr. Gallagher stated he would take care of that on the final plan. Mr. Parker clarified that even though parking on both sides of the street is authorized by the definition, it may not be authorized depending on the traffic, etc. Ms Frommer stated they will work to see that the definition is cleared up a bit.
Mr. Sabatino questioned where Courtright Road goes through Pickerington Run and then switches over to Cherry Hill Blvd., and is designated as a minor collector, is that the only area of the City where a collector street is put through a planned subdivision. Mr. Gallagher stated on the current plan that is the only one that is shown. Mr. Sabatino questioned how this was originally designated, and Ms Frommer stated she would have to check and see if it changed from the previous Thoroughfare Plans. Mr. Wiseman stated this was probably designated when the subdivision was put in because that would be the mechanism used to make the developer build the road to the standard of the minor collector to get the 60-foot right-of-way. Mr. Sabatino questioned if this situation existed in other communities and Mr. Gallagher stated he would have to go back and look at plans for surrounding areas.
Mr. Wright stated the comment had been made that this is just a plan and should not be used as anything other than a plan, yet our attorneys have said this is the first executable thing that is designating a road as a certain thing, we do need to look at it as the first piece of legislation that states what the road use is going to be. He questioned who Council should listen to, the engineer or the law director? Mr. Hartmann stated he was preparing an amendment to the current ordinance adopting the Thoroughfare Plan to spell out in one of the clauses that this is not intended to be the first in an action to trigger the referendum of any of these particular projects. Mr. Hartmann stated the original ordinance can be amended by substitution at the next Council meeting.
4. ADJOURNMENT: There being nothing further, Mayor Shaver closed the work session at 7:23 P.M., March 15, 2005.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
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ATTEST:
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