By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
A proposed project to build two warehouses along Saltzgaber Road has been put on hold while the developer revises the plans for the development.
The developer asked Groveport City Council to refer the legislation regarding the proposal back to the city’s planning and zoning commission’s September meeting for review of the amended plan. Following that, council could vote on the amended project proposal at its Sept. 23 meeting.
Originally, Paul Hemmer Companies proposed to build a 275,000 square foot warehouse and a 240,000 square foot warehouse on 37.6 acres located on the east side of Saltzgaber Road south of Groveport Road. As part of the proposal, Saltzgaber Road could be widened to three lanes with a 100 foot diameter truck turnaround cul-de-sac placed on the south end of the road near Toy Road. Also, a 225 foot (westbound) and a 150 foot (eastbound) left turn lane could be provided from Groveport Road to Saltzgaber Road as well as an 125 foot (northbound) left turn lane on Saltzgaber at Groveport Road.
However, on June 3, the planning and zoning commission did not recommend this plan for approval by council. Mayor Lance Westcamp cited traffic concerns regarding the plan and Councilwoman Becky Hutson felt the original proposal did not comply with the city’s Gateway Corridor Plan for the area. She also said the city is receiving feedback from residents “that they want something different from warehouses.”
The city’s Gateway Corridor Plan addresses redevelopment along two of the main roadway corridors into town: the South Hamilton Road corridor between U.S. 33 and Bixby Road; and the west Groveport Road corridor from State Route 317 west to Swisher Road.
The west Groveport Road corridor currently is a mix of warehouses, small businesses, and residences. It features two areas for redevelopment: Groveport Road from Swisher Road to State Route 317; and Saltzgaber Road from Groveport Road south to Toy Road. The 37 acre tract on the east side of Saltzgaber Road at Groveport Road is “one of the few remaining vacant parcels in the immediate area,” according to the Gateway Corridor Plan.
Groveport Finance Director/Assistant Administrator Jeff Green has stated the Gateway Corridor Plan helps the city address: recommended land use, appropriate zoning, overall aesthetic, what types of commercial development would best complement the existing industrial development, and what the best uses are for vacant land.
