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Update from Campus Partners: 
Prepared for residents the University Area Commission
January 19, 2005

Contents:

· Gateway construction proceeding to autumn 2005 completion · Extension sought on purchase of Columbus Coated Fabrics site · Community workshop will highlight Weinland Park planning process · Residents continue to monitor refuse collection

· Public safety committee reviews numerous issues · City Council votes to object to renewal of liquor licenses · Appearance of Order Subcommittee offers recommendations · Student and public involvement summarized

Gateway construction proceeding to autumn 2005 completion Construction of South Campus Gateway is proceeding to an autumn 2005 completion. Extraordinarily wet weather has impacted some of the construction work, but retail turn-over and residential occupancy dates for Buildings A and C are being maintained. Retail tenant space in Buildings A and B will soon be available for tenant build-out, Barnes & Noble is on schedule to begin build-out of its bookstore space in Building C in March. All of the structural steel for Building D has been erected, the cinema floors have largely been poured, and the exterior sheathing is being installed. Extension sought on purchase of Columbus Coated Fabrics site The contingency period provided in Campus Partners’ purchase agreement with Decorative Surfaces International for the Columbus Coated Fabrics site ended on Dec. 9. After meeting with environmental consultants Lawhon & Associates and the environmental attorneys from Vorys Sater Seymour & Pease, Campus Partners staff decided to ask DSI for a series of extensions to the purchase agreement that, if fully exercised, could extend for two years. In general, the extensions requested were six months to apply for Assistance Funds through the Clean Ohio Fund, six months to complete the Phase II work, and a year to apply for environmental remediation Funds through the Clean Ohio Fund. Campus Partners staff believes that any other prudent buyer of this property would be faced with the same timeline unless that buyer were willing to accept an inordinate amount of environmental risk. Campus Partners is awaiting a response from the seller. Back to the top Community workshop will highlight Weinland Park planning process An important next step in the city-sponsored community process to develop a neighborhood plan for Weinland Park will be a community workshop on Saturday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Godman Guild, 303 E. Sixth Ave. The broad-based Working Committee which has overseen the planning process will host the workshop. Residents and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to discuss policy statements prepared by the Working Committee on issues such as housing, public safety, land-use and human services and to review maps, drawings and ideas prepared by consultants from Goody, Clancy & Associates. The consultants have interviewed dozens of residents and neighborhood and citywide stakeholders to pull together ideas and recommendations that can build on residents’ vision for the neighborhood. The Working Committee will meet on Monday, Jan. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Godman Guild to discuss preparations for the workshop. Back to the top Residents continue to monitor refuse collection Snow and ice affected timely pick-up of garbage in the University District over the holidays, but on-time refuse collection remained inconsistent during the warm weather of early January. Pasquale Grado of the University Community Business Association and neighborhood residents continue to monitor the refuse situation. The Campus Partners Public Service Committee on refuse and recycling will meet next on Wednesday, March 2, at 4 p.m. in the Northwood-High Building, 2231 N. High St. Back to the top Public safety committee reviews numerous issues In the second half of December, the Columbus Division of Police and the Community Crime Patrol conducted special patrols in the University District to help prevent burglaries. Both plainclothes and uniformed officers participated. The number of burglaries was down, but theft from auto crimes remain a problem, according to Larry Geis, Columbus Police community liaison officer. At the board meeting of the University District Crime Stoppers on Jan. 10, board members discussed reports from students and other pedestrians that some of the panhandlers along High Street have become more aggressive. Officer Geis agreed to talk with his superiors about the possibility of using plainclothes officers to monitor the situation with the panhandlers and to make arrests where warranted. In other business, Steve Sterrett reported that student volunteers from Evans Scholars placed 11-inch by 17-inch Crime Stopper decals on dumpsters on Nov. 18. The decals ask for information on persons setting fires in dumpsters. At the meeting of the University Area Safety Committee on Jan. 12, committee members reviewed the actions taken during the Ohio State-Michigan football weekend. There was broad agreement that the weekend had gone well, although a number of dumpster fires were set and a young man was arrested for setting the fires. Barbara Rich said the Student Affairs support teams had worked well. The teams involved staff from the Office of Student Affairs working with Columbus Police officers. If a party appeared to be growing too large or access to a party was too lax, then Student Affairs staff members would approach the party’s hosts, while the police officer stayed in the background. The teams had good success in gaining the cooperation of party hosts. If asked, the police officer would be available to assist the host in dispersing the party. Andrea C. Peeples, assistant city attorney, explained to the safety committee her efforts to monitor liquor law violations and public safety issues involving liquor permit holders in Columbus. When a liquor permit holder accumulates an inordinate number of violations or there are complaints from neighbors, Ms. Peeples works with staff from the Columbus Police Vice Squad and Community Liaison Section, Columbus Health Department, Code Enforcement and others to investigate. If the situation warrants action, Ms. Peeples will recommend to Columbus City Council that the city object to the transfer or renewal of the liquor license. Ms. Peeples will present the case to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control. Her team of city staff members now calls itself the Nuisance and Alcohol Group (NAG). She noted that, as NAGs, their goal is not to shut down bars and carry-outs, but to require liquor permit holders to manage their businesses in accordance with the law. Citizens who have concerns with particular liquor permit holders should call the Columbus Police Vice Squad. Gary Hollard, deputy public safety director, told the safety committee, that the city-university committee planning the new Neighborhood Policing Center has employed Horne & King Architects to help determine a location and to define the size requirements of the center. David King of the architectural firm has met with a number of community stakeholders. Mr. Holland noted that the Columbus Development Department expressed an interest in incorporating a Neighborhood Pride Center as part of the facility. He said the committee may be ready to issue a public report in about 30 days. A proposed Neighborhood Policing Center, jointly announced last October by Mayor Coleman and President Holbrook, would replace the existing substation for the Columbus Police’s fourth precinct. The next meeting of the University Area Safety Committee will be Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 3:30 p.m. in 33 W. 11th Ave. Back to the top City Council votes to object to renewal of liquor licenses Columbus City Council on Dec. 13 voted to oppose the renewal of eight liquor licenses, including two in the University District. The City Attorney’s office had recommended to City Council that the eight renewals be opposed due to numerous liquor law violations and public safety concerns. The two University District businesses which would be affected are: -- Roxy/Old School, 2159 N. High St., with 10 violations this year, including unsanitary conditions and underage drinking. -- Tobacco International, 18 E. 13th Ave., with 26 violations in October and November 2004, most of them for sales to underage persons. Speaking to City Council in support of the City Attorney’s recommendation regarding these two liquor licenses were Roger Deal, representing the University Area Commission; Bill Riley, a long-time resident of East Lane Avenue; and Barbara Rich, assistant vice president of student affairs at Ohio State. As a result of council’s action, Andrea Peeples, assistant city attorney, will present evidence to oppose the license renewals when hearings are scheduled by the Ohio Division of Liquor Control. Back to the top Appearance of Order Subcommittee offers recommendations The University District Code Enforcement Task Force and the University Area Safety Committee last fall created the ad hoc Appearance of Order Subcommittee to investigate more effective ways to deal with persistent problems of litter, noise, graffiti, disruptive parties, lewd and drunken behavior and vandalism. These problems affect the “appearance of order” in the University District and degrade the quality of life. This subcommittee is chaired by Catherine Girves of the University Area Enrichment Association and includes law enforcement representatives, code enforcement staff, and business representatives. The subcommittee earlier this month issued a series of draft recommendations for comment by local stakeholders. In brief, the subcommittee suggests using an approach initiated in East Lansing, Mich., in cooperation with Michigan State University. East Lansing strictly enforces codified community standards, dealing with such issues as noise and parties, at the beginning of each academic year with the goal that there is less need for crisis intervention during the rest of the year. The subcommittee is proposing that a similar effort be undertaken in the University District with additional code enforcement staff, police officers and Community Crime Patrol staff working for eight weeks during the fall of 2005. This effort would be coupled with a coordinated campaign by the university and student and neighborhood organizations to educate residents about the community standards of behavior. Back to the top Student and public involvement summarized Bill Brethel, project manager for Turner Construction Co., gave a tour of South Campus Gateway, including the interior of building B, to members of the Campus Partners Student Advisory Board on Nov. 19 and to members of Ohio State’s student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers on Jan. 7. The Student Advisory Board plans to meet later this month with Method to discuss the marketing of Gateway. On Nov. 22, Steve Sterrett presented the Gateway video to more than 60 students who are University Ambassadors, the campus tour guides. He explained the project and answered questions, so these students can better respond to questions about Gateway while they are giving tours. On Jan. 13, Mr. Sterrett made a presentation on South Campus Gateway to a luncheon meeting of about 55 members of the Columbus chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management.

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Campus Partners for Community Urban Redevelopment, Inc.
1824 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43201
(614) 294-7300; fax (614) 294-7333