The City of Columbus plans to widen Clime Road to three lanes from Harrisburg Pike to Georgesville Road, Tim Lucks of the Franklin County Engineers Office told the Southwest Area Commission on Feb.20.
Between the railroad tracks and Harrisburg Pike the city plans to create a multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists, however before any pavement begins several houses need demolished.
Five houses on the south side of Clime Road will be leveled once Columbus receives funding from ODOT.
"Those homes were boarded up and the folks relocated at the government’s expense," Lucks said.
A stone house behind the BP station will remain intact because it sits far from the street.
Lucks requested that the commission grant a demolition permit for a house located on the north side of Clime. The home has been vacant for decades; however it is connected to an operating tire repair shop.
A small passage connects the shop to the neglected house planned for demolition. The passage contains the main utilities for the shop. Columbus engineers intend to build a four foot square shed to protect the utilities once the house is gone. Otherwise the pipes would freeze, Lucks said.
"We paid (the owner) for the house," Lucks said, adding, "he got money for the land. He’s happy with what we are planning to do."
Franklin Township Trustee Don Cook expressed doubts over the project.
"It looks bad enough now," Cook said. "I see you tearing down the house to (create) something worse than what you have now. If you just build a four by four box you might as well add a half moon to make it an outhouse. It doesn’t sound good to me."
"All we are doing is trying to protect the utilities," Lucks replied. "We will make sure the (finished property) looks better (than it does currently)."
"It needs to be much better, a little better is still not good," Cook said.
"I am not going to promise much better," Lucks said.
