By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
Groveport City Council decided not to change the parking regulations on Elm Street because council feels more study and input are needed regarding parking issues in the older sections of the city.
Council instructed city administrative officials to conduct a full review of the parking rules on Elm Street as well as all the older streets in the city. Council is also interested in getting feedback from residents regarding the parking issues on the older streets in town.
Elm Street resident Rick Johnson had requested council change the parking on Elm Street between West and College streets from two-sided parking to one-sided parking. He said having cars parked on both sides of the 25-foot wide street makes it tight for cars to pass through and also causes problems with snow plowing.
City Administrator Marsha Hall said the city’s current subdivision regulations call for no parking on the hydrant side of the street on streets that are 26 feet or less in width.
However, many of the narrow, older streets in town were created more than 150 years ago and rules established for them were already set before the current standards were put in place.
Hall said the city’s review of the parking situations on the older streets will include factors such as width, access to properties, speed, length of blocks, and hydrant placement.
Councilman Shawn Cleary noted that street parking serves to deter speeding.
“The less street parking there is, the faster the cars go,” said Cleary.
Street improvements
Several streets and parking lots in the city will be repaved this year as part of the city’s street maintenance program.
The city received a bid of $512,893 (which is below the estimated cost of $631,000) to repave the following streets this summer: College Street to the railroad; Walnut Street to Grove Street; Canal Street from near Lesleh Avenue to near West Street; Cherry Street from near Lesleh Avenue to near West Street; and Clyde Moore Drive.
Parking lots to be repaved are in Blacklick Park, KidSpace, and the police station. Greenpointe Drive South and Opus Drive (south of Greenpointe Drive South) will get pavement re-striping and various neighborhood streets will be crack sealed.
Additionally, Phase I of the Wirt Road pedestrian improvements will be completed this year, which includes an asphalt pedestrian walkway on the north side of Wirt Road from Heritage Park to College Street. (Phase II, which will be a conventional concrete sidewalk on the south side of Wirt Road from Heritage Park to Main Street is expected to be completed in 2016.)
Other Groveport news
•Council approved zoning variance legislation to allow the Groveport-Canal Animal Hospital, located on Main Street across from Groveport Town Hall, to expand into the vacant lot the business owns next door. The business owners requested the zoning variance to allow them to build a 2,838 square foot, one story brick addition to their existing building.
Speaking at the April planning and zoning commission meeting, Dave Kerr, representing the Groveport-Canal Animal Hospital, said a construction timetable has not yet been set for the project, but once it is begun, it could take about seven months to complete. He noted the sidewalk in front of the site would be closed for a while during the construction.
•Council approved a zoning variance requested by Stephen Redzinak to allow for the manufacture of food for his food cart and bulk supply for delivery at 480 Main St. Redzinak said the plan is to use the rear, first floor portion of the building to make food for his food cart. The food would be sold elsewhere at various events. He also would supply food for other businesses. He said his cart is 10 feet long and about 5 feet wide and is the only cart that would be supplied on the site. He said no food would be sold on the premises. The second floor of the building would remain a rental residence and the front portion of the first floor remains vacant.
On Dead end elm street how many vehicles can a homeowner park. A resident has 2 trucks parked at the dead end. 2 in his garage one in the driveway and a big 5th wheel in his drive. He parks behind my driveway making it very difficult for us to back out of our driveway