June 2, 2011
Fate of $4M soccer complex in question Proposed project currently dead; planning and zoning could reconsider plans July 14 By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers It’s “sudden death” time for a proposed $4-million indoor soccer complex, as the Pickerington Planning and Zoning Commission holds the fate of the project in its hands. Last February, Pickerington City Council unanimously approved a re-
zoning and final development plans for a proposed 115,230-square-foot complex that would house four indoor soccer fields just west of Hill Road Plaza along Refugee Road. On May 10, however, the project hit a dead end when the city’s planning and zoning commission voted 4-1 to deny Homestead Development Co.’s certificate of appropriateness related to pro-
posed architectural, landscaping, sign and lighting plans. The action effectively killed the project in Pickerington. According to commission member Ted Hackworth, he voted against the development for a variety of reasons, including what he said were inconsistencies between renderings Homestead provided for the project and actual build-
ing material samples and plans the developer presented and communicated at the meeting. “I’m not against the project, per se, but I do have a lot of concerns,” Hackworth said. “They had a hand-drawn picture of the building, and its scale wasn’t in line with what they were saying was going to be the height of the building.
“The roof was blue (in the rendering), and they showed us a sample of the siding on the roof and it was green.” Hackworth said he also was concerned that Homestead’s plans, which called for a 55-foot tall building, didn’t provide adequate buffering between the rear of the complex and a proposed office building. See SOCCER COMPLEX, page A4
Suspect in 2007 murder arrested on drug charges By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Photos by Paul Vernon/ThisWeek
Digging up history
A suspect in a 2007 Pickerington home invasion and murder was arrested last week on federal drug charges. Robert Brandon Ledbetter, 32, of Columbus, remained in the Franklin County jail as of ThisWeek’s press time on Tuesday after he was arrested May 23 by the Columbus District of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency on felony charges of possession of Robert Brandon 2,000 pounds of marijuana, with Ledbetter intent to distribute. During the course of the arrest, which involved a Pickerington police officer working on a regional drug task force team, Ledbetter was identified as a suspect in a November 2007 home invasion and murder that occurred at a Simsbury Court home. Fingerprints later confirmed Ledbetter’s identification in connection to that case, according to authorities. In addition to the felony federal charges, Ledbetter is facing felony charges stemming from the See MURDER SUSPECT, page A5
(Above) Kevin Nolan, a lecturer in the department of anthropology at The Ohio State University, closely examines a section of earth during an evaluation of the Kerr Indian Mound on May 28. (Right) Vince Malone of Pickerington filters a load of soil through a screen to look for pieces of carbon or stone used in ancient tools. The project to evaluate the mound was launched after Malone and Nolan approached Pickerington City Council in April. They said they wanted to study the mound to determine its origins and uses by American Indians who are believed to have settled in the area.
Old Bag of Nails eatery expands to Pickerington By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Play A Palooza
Event raises $10K to offset pay-to-play fees By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers A May 22 program to help local students offset rising pay-to-participate fees generated $10,000. While it fell well short of an overall goal to raise between $100,000 and $300,000 to help Pickerington Local School District students stay
involved in sports and other extracurricular activities, Play A Palooza organizers were pleased. Members of the 2011 Leadership Education and Development Seminar, also known as the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce-sponsored LEADS program, said turnout was good for the May 22 fundraising event.
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They also said it was just the start of a summer-long endeavor to ensure that local students will be able to play junior high and high school sports and participate in chorale, marching band and theater during the 2011-12 school year. “It was what we’re calling the official kick-off,” said Lori Dunlap, LEADS media relations specialist.
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“The spirit of Play A Palooza will continue all summer.” The May 22 event at Pickerington High School North featured food vendors and games from noon to 5 p.m. Admission was $12 for families, $5 for individual adults and $3 for children, with proceeds going to off-
The Central Ohio eating and drinking staple, Old Bag of Nails, expanded to Pickerington this week with the opening of a 5,400-square-foot restaurant and pub. Since 1996, Mike Purdum has been building his Old Bag of Nails brand throughout central Ohio. On May 31, he ventured into Fairfield County when he opened his 15th restaurant and pub at 797 Hill Road North. “We’ve been looking at Pickerington for quite some time,” Purdum said. “Pickerington is a great community and we’ve always wanted to be there.” See OLD BAG OF NAILS, page A2
See PLAY A PALOOZA, page A9
emorial Day was not conceived to be the kickoff to summer activities or as a reason to schedule a three-day weekend. It was established to recognize the nation’s military veterans who died while fighting for their country. In keeping with efforts to recognize and honor the sacrifices and service of military veterans, ThisWeek Community Media is launching Honoring Heroes, a continuing series through which we will share the stories and remembrances from and about local men and women who are either on active duty or retired from service. As part of covering their beats, our reporters often hear about and write about veterans leaving for overseas or com-
ing home at the end of a tour of duty. We’ve covered funeral services of those who have sacrificed their lives. We’ve written about soldiers who arrive at their homes or their children’s schools to unexpectedly surprise their delighted families. We know many more stories are out there, waiting to be told. We want to tell them. And we need your help. If you have a story idea about a friend, family member or colleague, let us know by emailing editorial@thisweeknews.com, with the subject line, “Honoring Heroes.” Honoring Heroes isn’t just a ThisWeek Community Media project: It’s about sharing history.
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