By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
The closing of the K-Mart Distribution Center has created a vacancy in a large warehouse in Groveport.
Groveport Assistant City Administrator Jeff Green said K-Mart is shutting down operations at the 569,512 square foot warehouse, built in 1982 and located at 4400 S. Hamilton Road.
“We’ve been expecting it for a while considering the fortunes of the company,” said Green. “Income tax revenue from the company had been decreasing for several years. Although I’m not at liberty to divulge the amount of income tax the company was paying, I would estimate the impact to the city to be between $75,000 to 90,000.”
Green said the only other vacant warehouses in the city are the two new spec buildings built by Opus and Van Trust and the building vacated late last year by Avnet (formerly Pinnacle Data Systems—the old Sun TV distribution center) owned by Duke Realty.
“There are a couple companies considering that property at this time,” said Green.
Parade candy tossing nixed
Participants in Groveport’s Fourth of July parade will not be permitted to toss candy, souvenirs or any other items to the crowd during the parade.
“Previously we did not have a formal set of parade rules and now we do,” said Groveport City Administrator Marsha Hall. “We will make sure all participants for this year’s parade are provided with this new set of rules.”
In the past, participants were asked not to throw candy, but no formal rule was in place to aid in enforcement.
According to the newly adopted rules, all items to be given away during the parade now must be handed directly to members of the crowd by walkers near the curb off to the side of the vehicle or float. Also, water guns, “super soakers,” and water balloons are prohibited.
Hall said city officials reviewed how other communities handled the distribution of items during parades and nearly all allow direct hand-to-hand distribution of candy and other items to parade crowds by walkers, but not tossed from vehicles or floats.
The city completed the formalizing of its parade rules after former city councilman Dan Knode recently told Groveport City Council he believed the tossing of candy and other items to the parade crowd created a safety issue.
A need for house address numbers
Groveport City Councilman Ed Dildine said that while recently traveling through the city he noticed many houses in the older sections of Groveport do not have address numbers on them.
“It’s a safety issue,” said Dildine. “Police and firefighters rely on house numbers when responding to emergencies. A minute or two lost while searching for a house number makes a big difference during an emergency,” said Dildine, who encouraged residents to add easily visible house numbers to their homes.
Historical Society seeks variance
Council heard the first reading of an ordinance to grant a zoning variance to the Groveport Heritage and Preservation Society for a triangular shaped property at 536 Wirt Road, located across from the Groveport Cemetery and log house, to allow the society to relocate and display a historic Ohio and Erie Canal era building on the site.
The society’s plan is to move and restore a 62 x 21 foot, one story, brick structure – that is believed to have been used as a smokehouse, bakery and ice house during the 19th century canal era – to the site. The building is currently located at the southeast corner of Rohr and Pontius roads.
The city’s planning and zoning commission will review the variance request on June 1 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building, 655 Blacklick St.
