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What will the future of Truro Township look like?
(by Linda Dillman Staff Writer - January 07, 2011)
What will Truro and Madison Townships look like 10 to 20 years in the future?
That is a million-dollar question Franklin County planners are hoping to answer with the creation of a plan that examines unincorporated areas throughout the two townships.
A public meeting to discuss a draft version of the Blacklick-Madison Area Plan will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at Asbury Methodist Church, 4760 Winchester Pike, Columbus.
“We will present the results from the first public meeting and gather feedback on the community vision,” said Matt Brown, a county planner and floodplain manager. “We will be giving an overview of the draft vision based on what we heard in previous meetings.”
Individual groups will look at more in-depth issues.
“Then we’ll break out into four groups based on where a person lives and get more in-depth with land use, bikeways, sidewalks and roadway improvements,” Brown said. “We’ll also be reviewing the vision statement for the future.”
The plan area encompasses all of Madison Township’s unincorporated territory, except the areas south of Rohr Road and west of Pontius Road in the Rickenbacker area, and a portion of Truro Township south of Refugee Road, which is home to approximately 1,200 residents and the Refugee Shopping Center.
There are 4,736 households in the planning area, which has a denser population than the rest of Franklin County - 76 percent compared to 60 percent for the county overall. With a population of approximately 13,105, according to the 2000 census, it is estimated by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission that the 2010 count will show growth of a little more than 100 residents when 2010 data is released this year.
During a similar late September meeting, residents told Brown they liked the convenience of nearby stores, schools and medical services. They complimented the townships on road maintenance and winter weather road clearing, sidewalks and streetlights, park land, and law enforcement.
However, many citizens voiced the same concerns over and over again - poor water quality, empty houses, noxious weeds, problems with property maintenance and a large number of rental properties. They also complained about decreasing property values, school taxes and the need for more parkland.
“We’d like to see more businesses along Noe-Bixby Road,” Truro Township Trustee Dennis Nicodemus previously stated.
Although the Truro portion of the plan is small, the region is densely populated and home to a retail complex. Brown said he encourages more local residents to attend the Jan. 24 event.
“We didn’t have too many people from Truro Township at the first public meeting,” Brown said. “We’re hoping to get some more interest from the area at the next meeting. It’s a very important residential and retail area and it is important to Truro Township.”
Approximately 70 percent of the planning area’s population lives in Blacklick Estates. According to the county development department, the majority of the subdivision was constructed in the 1960s and 1970s.
Nearly 78 percent of the homes are owner-occupied, with 22 percent renter-occupied. Marwick Estates is located in the northwest part of the planning area and was developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Edgewater Park was built in the 1950s and is located just west of Blacklick Estates.
“The plan really sets the course for the community for the future,” Brown said. “For those unable to attend the meeting, they’ll still be able to provide feedback on the project’s website by going to www.tinyurl.com/blacklickmadison.”
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