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Upper Arlington A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section
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Whatever the season, you know when you are nationwide, and every elementary school entering UA’s boundaries. Our entry marker will enjoy either a brand-new or extensively boulders and limestone-edged landscaping renovated facility, providing unparalleled, greet you with a classic beauty. You find your21st-century learning opportunities. self surrounded by exceptionally The City is more than halfway maintained neighborhoods along through its first 10-year capital mature, tree-lined streets. As you plan that aims to reinvest in Upper pass through, you encounter parks Arlington’s infrastructure—transand other public facilities filled with forming our streets, replacing activity, as well as thriving business critical underground water and and retail districts. sewer lines, and breathing new Upper Arlington sets the stanlife into our parks, pools and dard for upholding long-treasured public facilities. Kip Greenhill traditions and nurturing a strong Beyond meeting our reinvestsense of community. Multiple genment obligations, we proudly provide erations of the same family can innovative services that residents often be found living here, benefithold in high regard. Our police and ting from—and in turn preserving— fire divisions are second to none, the qualities that help define our with exemplary emergency response community. times and a dedicated, fully The signs of reinvestment are equipped staff ready to handle any everywhere. situation. Whatever the season, our Dan Ralley Year after year, residents public works crews keep our streets demonstrate their confidence in safe and clean. In the development the UA housing market, undertaking extensive arena we are ready for business, with a cusrenovations so that their older, character-filled tomer-friendly building and permitting process. homes meet today’s living standards. We now When it’s time for leisure, we offer a multitude have more options for young professionals of park facilities and educational, sporting or and empty nesters—from quality apartments to play activities and programs for all ages, and a condo living—located within vibrant, walkable calendar packed with community events. districts that offer easy access to nearby If you don’t know much about Upper shops, restaurants and amenities. Arlington, we invite you to learn about our Following the passage of a levy that special community. As we close the books received broad community support, Upper on a successful first century, much has been Arlington Schools is breaking ground this accomplished to preserve UA’s place as a summer on major replacement and renovapremier residential community, while keeping tion projects. By the fall of 2021, the new an eye firmly set on the future. UA High School will be the envy of districts Sincerely,
Kip Greenhill President, Upper Arlington City Council
Dan Ralley Acting City Manager
INSIDE
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envision the next 100 years
A look at Upper Arlington’s transformation
THE CENTURY AHEAD A COMMUNITY Community leaders FOR THE PEOPLE
AN EVOLVING LANDSCAPE
How creativity and collaboration foster growth
DEDICATION TO LEARNING AND CURIOSITY
Bettering the future through quality education
OLD NEIGHBORHOODS, NEW HOUSES
Solutions to challenges of building in a landlocked community
ON THE COVER: The city’s Fourth of July parade | Photo courtesy Upper Arlington Civic Association
UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
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A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section
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Upper Arlington: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section is published by GateHouse Media, LLC. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © 2019, all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.
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FEATURE
A Century Ahead With the city’s first centennial in the rearview mirror, community leaders reflect on goals and ideas for the next 100 years. AS TOLD TO EMMA FRANKART HENTERLY AND TRISTAN RELET-WERKMEISTER
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Debbie McLaughlin
Director of Parks & Recreation The Parks & Recreation Department has recently completed a Comprehensive Plan, which is our guide to the future of the department and for the amenities and services we will provide to the community. The plan was developed with extensive public feedback and suggestions, so we’ve heard what our residents want us to improve within the Parks & Recreation system in the future. We’ll use that public input to guide the development of existing parkland, the services we provide, and as we explore opportunities for land acquisition and indoor recreation. Our priorities are to upgrade our existing parks—being considerate of the lifecycle of our amenities—and to offer amenities for all age groups. Our residents notably indi-
UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
cated a preference for a multigenerational, indoor recreation facility over something limited to the senior adult population. Another lesson learned from residents’ feedback is their interest in nature and passive parkland, as well as the need for athletic field improvements. Indeed, some fields suffer from poor drainage or overuse, which will need to be addressed to meet the needs of the population. Through the Comprehensive Plan, the Parks & Recreation Department is looking into the next 10-plus years at least. Residents have an interest in connectivity to get to parks, but also to get to regional trails. They are interested in commuting without using their car. Therefore, we need to look at our bike paths on the roads, shareable paths and eventually update some paths and sidewalks to a proper width to make them multiuse.
PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON
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Rich Simpson
Longtime resident and former chair of 2018’s Centennial Task Force and the 2014 Citizen Financial Review Task Force The community has continuously reinvested in itself, I think, in the last 100 years, certainly in the last 40 or 50 years after it became fully developed. You see that continuing today all the time with people adding on to their houses or remodeling, or tearing down old houses and putting up nice, new houses. I think the community’s always going to be a great place to live, a great place to raise families. In the future, what I see is a continuation of all the great features that made the community so attractive in the past. People who live in Upper Arlington really like a lot of things about the community, and hopefully those things will continue—the emphasis on great schools, great city services, unbeatable location, walkable neighborhoods. Hopefully the community spirit and the focus on schools and city services, neighborhoods, all that will continue. Also, I’m a fan of increased density. I think that it improves the city; not just Upper Arlington, but Columbus as a whole. If we continue to resist efforts to increase density, it’s going to make it harder and harder to build affordable housing for less affluent people. And it’s going to prevent public transit from ever really taking hold in the community. So, when developers come along and say, “I want to build a bunch of small houses on this site,” I say, “Terrific.” If they say, “I want to build a apartments or condos that will increase density,” I say, “Bring it on.” That’s a good thing for the region as a whole.
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Vice chair of the Upper Arlington Community Foundation Board of Directors As I look ahead to Upper Arlington’s next 100 years, I envision our community’s work together through the guiding principles of continuity, commitment to investment, collaboration and controlling UA’s destiny. Continuity in our city reflects the quintessential convergence of honoring UA’s deep history and traditions, while building a forwardthinking future of a thriving community where we can live, learn, play and work. There are generations of families who remain in Upper Arlington because of the strong sense of pride and connection our residents have to this community. One approach to ensuring that continuity moving forward could include an
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Mark Abell
President of the Upper Arlington Civic Association Last year, we tried to improve some of our events specifically for the celebration of Upper Arlington’s 100th year. They got some really favorable feedback from the community, so going forward, the notion is to always try to improve or update—we’ll strive to do everything a little bit better, without losing a lot of the history and context that made the activities that we put out for the community so special. Every year, we reach out to the community in a number of ways and try to get their feedback. We have 13,000 or so houses in Upper Arlington, and I’d love to hear from as many of them as possible. It’s great to get feedback on what they see for the future for Upper Arlington. It’s important to me to hear what they can see for the events that we have going forward, but also what they see for the city as a whole going forward, and what kind of role we play in that dynamic. And I should mention that the City itself is one of about seven or eight different groups
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that we partner strongly with. What we do is not possible without that help and those partnerships. So everything we do in the future, a lot of it will rely on their thoughts and opinions as well. And we absolutely want to continue developing new relationships; there’s new groups that have come up over the last five years and it’s always good to get a new perspective, a new point of view. Everyone that’s come in to the Upper Arlington Civic Association in the last five or so years has tried to do something that isn’t a short-term game; it’s probably a little more cumbersome in the year that they’re doing it, but it’s going to be a long-term help for everything. That attitude of, “OK, it’s going to be a little more work on me, but over the next eight years that’s going to help everyone after me,” is beneficial.
Jacolyn Thiel
Public service director and city engineer One hundred years is a long time, and technology is rapidly evolving. I think of smart cities and looking at intelligent street lighting and traffic signals and autonomous vehicles— all that will be here before we know it. We have to look at how to incorporate that, make our infrastructure smarter so that we are ready. I’m also thinking about sustainable infrastructure. Right now when most roadways are rebuilt, we haul the old material away to the dump. This is not sustainable. We are exploring recycled asphalt materials and doing some testing for reusing what we already have here. When we passed the city income tax increase for infrastructure in 2014, we
expanded our Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to a 10-year look-ahead. We expanded it from about $4 million a year to right now, where we’re averaging $12 million-plus a year. We typically spend about 50 percent of our CIP budget on street improvements, with a big focus right now on “active transportation”—really figuring out how to incorporate pedestrians and cyclists and any other mode of transportation that comes along into our street network so people don’t always have to get into their car to go somewhere. We’re doing that by adding more sidewalks and shared-use paths and adding more bike accommodations where we can. Active transportation really gives our residents and business owners a way to connect to the community, by getting out and walking or riding their bike to a destination. And with what we’ve already done, I hear from neighborhoods that—because they’re out and about and not always getting into their car—they are feeling more connected to their neighbors and using more local business, versus driving out of the city. I feel like, long-term, it’s going to provide for a healthier community when people are active in their ways to get places.
Dan Ralley
Acting city manager Over the last decade, Upper Arlington has seen a resurgence in its commercial areas—a major reinvention of Kingsdale and dramatic growth in the Lane Avenue corridor. Over several decades, and across multiple administrations, there has been a concerted effort to strengthen these commercial areas and
The Upper Arlington Civic Association's Easter Candy Hunt
UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON
intergenerational, multiuse, indoor gathering space that brings together the diverse crosssection of our citizens. Those citizens demonstrated their commitment to investing in our future when voters supported a bond issue to address long-term, critical infrastructure needs, as well approving a school levy that will assure the crucial investment in the education of our children. People move and stay here because Upper Arlington is uniquely defined by the quality of our schools. In a spirit of collaboration, the Upper Arlington Community Foundation serves as a convener that provides a unifying platform to support safety, wellness, education, beautification, and vibrancy in the arts, parks and recreation. The UACF guides collaboration that brings together the City’s administrative leaders, councilmembers, schools, libraries and many other partners and stakeholders to support our community. When it comes to controlling our destiny, it’s often challenging to envision the future. It’s much easier to pursue more concrete short-term plans, rather than to contemplate the next century. Our collective community imperative compels us to frame our future, or the future will frame us. We’ve got to be intentional and thoughtful with our aspirations to secure our long-term viability and vibrancy! We, as a community, have the capacity to do that, thanks to our smart, engaged, committed residents and leaders.
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broaden the city’s income tax base. Today, we’re harvesting the fruits of those labors with a strong demand for mixed-use redevelopment in our commercial corridors. Looking forward, what I see is a continuing strong demand for redevelopment along Lane Avenue and near Kingsdale. Certainly we have a strong interest in seeing the former Macy’s site redevelop, but I think we are going to see other sites near Kingsdale redevelop, too. These redevelopment efforts—in addition to our location within Central Ohio—are positioning Upper Arlington to be a suburban community with a lot of urban amenities: walkable neighborhoods close to commercial centers with great restaurants, located right next to Ohio State, and with easy access to Downtown and 315. At the same time, we're continuing to invest heavily in our own infrastructure. We're spending between $10 million and $12 million a year on city infrastructure and really trying to position ourselves to be ready for that development and to take care of what we already have in our community. For example, we're looking at all of our parks and open spaces, almost all of which feel like local neighborhood parks because they are surrounded by residential homes, and looking at ways that we update the facilities, fields and open spaces. Upper Arlington is a fully builtout, developed community. We can't grow any more parklands within our own boundaries, so we’re trying to more fully utilize what we have. In the future, we need to examine ways that we can add additional indoor recreation space. We're one of the only suburban communities in Central Ohio that doesn't have a community center, and we have an aging senior center facility, so a multigenerational, indoor recreation and community center space that encompasses dedicated space for older adults is on the wish list of a lot of people.
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Kip Greenhill
President of city council I think the key to our future is building and enhancing a sense of community. I would like to see the creation of more community gathering places where residents can come together for dining, shopping, social and cultural events. What’s already happening on Lane Avenue is a prime example; it’s becoming a more walkable, fun place to be. In a perfect world, I can envision intergenerational gathering places such as at Kingsdale— a community center—in place of the old Macy’s. It would include indoor recreation facilities, meeting rooms, senior facilities and a theater UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
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PHOTO: DISPATCH FILE/ JOSHUA A. BICKEL
for cultural and artistic performances. The site could include intergenerational housing, with access to medical facilities, pharmacies, meeting areas, restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores. I’d love to see public/ private partnerships here also—perhaps Ohio State could be a partner, building on their presence at Kingsdale with the medical center—they could place interns at the center for preschool services and provide elder care. Physical activity is also important to being a healthy community—finding ways to get people off the couch and be more active is essential. Indoor recreation is part of that, but I also think we have to give more attention to our parks and what will make a park appealing. There have been a lot of studies on what they call “blue zones”—communities with an inordinate number of 100-year-old people. There are characteristics in those cities that help people live longer: physical activities, attention to nutrition, bringing people together so they’re interacting with each other. It all comes full circle—the key is building and enhancing a sense of community. Runners at Thompson Park
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The city’s Fourth of July parade is a beloved community event.
A Community for the People From bike sharing to new building developments, this once-quiet suburb is in the midst of a complete rejuvenation. BY NANCY BYRON
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UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON
LIFESTYLES
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For a landlocked community, Upper Arlington is experiencing an extraordinary amount of growth and reinvestment. Large, mixed-use retail/apartment/office developments; a new high school; expanded roadways and multiuse paths; refreshed parks, pools and playground structures—there are dozens of building projects taking place or on the books. “It’s bringing more of a fresh look to Upper Arlington,” says Jacolyn Thiel, the City’s public service director and city engineer. “We want to maintain the tradition people know, but add improvements based on what people are saying is most important to them.” To that end, the City is doing its part to reinvest in the community with an aggressive, 10-year Capital Improvement Program that now incorporates projects that directly reflect feedback from the community, which was gathered for the Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan. One of the top requests: more ways to get around town. “People want to live in a community where they can walk down the street and get a cup of coffee, or walk their kids to school,” Thiel says. “People don’t want to drive as much anymore.” Recognizing the shift in focus, the City now looks to include a “complete street” approach for reconstruction projects whenever possible—adding bike lanes, shared-use paths and sidewalks along major thoroughfares. Tremont Road was the first street reconfigured in this way, in 2015–16. “This year we’re adding a shared-use path on Henderson Road between Riverside Drive and Sawmill Road,” Thiel says, noting sidewalks have also been added on some additional east-west connectors including Cambridge Boulevard, as well as Canterbury and Lane roads. “We’re also looking for a way to extend our shared-use paths from Fifth to Trabue and even across Riverside Drive.” A safe pedestrian crossing over—or even under—Riverside would be especially helpful when the new Quarry Trails Metro Park is developed southwest of the city. Another modern addition to the city’s landscape this past year has been the introduction of the CoGo bike-sharing program (see “Ride Away, UA,” Page 15). “It’s a lot of fun to see all these great things coming up,” says Charlotte Harden, CEO of La Chatelaine, who volunteered to have a CoGo station installed outside her family’s Lane Avenue restaurant last fall. “We want to get more of a community feel around here, and the more they promote walking and riding bikes here, the tighter a corridor this will become.”
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Storywalk installations at Fancyburg Park help support childhood literacy.
Harden is also excited about the upcoming Arlington Gateway project, a combined retail, apartment and office complex to be built along Lane Avenue, just east of North Star Road. Crawford Hoying’s Lane Avenue project, called Lane II in a nod to The Lane, completed by the company in 2013, is another upcoming development that will include a hotel with two condo buildings behind it. “These projects will add a sense of community since you’ll have one place to go for everything,” says Thiel. “There are office components where people can work, condos and apartments where people can live, and retail with restaurants and shopping.” “I totally welcome all these changes and additions,” says Jeff Ross, owner of Jeffrey Thomas Co., a boutique clothing store in the Kingsdale area. In the 32 years Ross’ shop has been in Upper Arlington, he’s seen Kingsdale bring more shopping options and, in turn, more customers. “There are more reasons to come to Upper Arlington,” he says. “There’s a big history here. With the expansion of multi-unit living, there’s been a lot more activity around the Kingsdale corridor. That’s been a big plus for our business.” Colin Gawel, who owns Colin’s Coffee, the 2018 Upper Arlington Business of the Year, says the City’s revitalization efforts have already started changing the local demographics. “We’re starting to get a mix of different people—more families, more kids,” he says. “It’s a nice community for meeting people from different walks of life.”
UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
Northam Park
Having strong schools and more walkable, bikeable neighborhoods is also a big plus. “That’s what people want,” he says. “The more you can connect parks and schools and businesses with paths, the better. That’s what smart cities do.” Debbie McLaughlin, the City’s Parks & Recreation Department director, says increasing trails and walkways throughout Upper Arlington is a big priority right now.
PHOTOS: COURTESY CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON
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Ride Away, UA Walking and biking are more than leisure activities; they’re becoming prime modes of local transportation. That’s one of the reasons the City installed five CoGo bikesharing stations around the community last October. “This affords our residents an entirely new option for recreation and transportation,” says Chad Gibson, senior planning officer with the City of Upper Arlington. “They can get on a CoGo bike and explore.” Stations are located in the Kingsdale area, on Lane Avenue in front of La Chatelaine, in the Tremont Center, along the Old Arlington Mallway and at the corner of North Star Road and Northwest Boulevard. Passes cost $8 and include unlimited 30-minute rides for 24 hours; annual passes are $75. “We’re also hopeful that this will have economic benefits for our local businesses,” Gibson says. “Having this option makes the community more desirable. Some Realtors are even going to add ‘Within walking distance to a CoGo station’ on their sales sheets.”
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“This year we will be replacing the 4-footwide sidewalk in Northam Park with an 8-foot-wide sidewalk for multiuse,” she says. “The Devon Pool sidewalk along Waltham is going to be replaced. At Westover Park, we replaced the playground there, but there’s also an area to cross over to the park where there aren’t intersection connectors, and we’re adding connectivity there.”
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Additional sidewalks, crosswalks and intersection improvements around Barrington Elementary School will also begin this year as part of the state-funded Safe Routes to School Program, Thiel adds.
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When Melia Wolf bought Cover to Cover, a longtime youth bookstore, and relocated it from Clintonville to Upper Arlington last year, she knew location would be key. “I looked at a spot in Grandview by the Chocolate Café,” she says. “I looked at Tremont Center, across from the library. Then this space became available, and I thought it was wonderful.” Being in the quaint, walkable Old Arlington Mallway area—near Jones Middle School, Barrington Elementary and two branches of the Upper Arlington Public Library—felt right. “Everyone has been so welcoming and generous,” says the former teacher who, along with husband Ed and two sons, also calls Upper Arlington home. “I’m trying to reach out and embrace everyone.” In just her first year of business, Wolf has hosted field trips from four different school-age groups, partnered with neighboring Picassos Art Studio to provide arts and crafts during illustrator and author visits, facilitated a children’s book-making activity at the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival, hosted a weekly Kids Yoga Storytime with nearby GoYoga, partnered with the library on large children’s author events and participated in the City’s annual Winter Festival. “We want to connect to the community,” Wolf says. “I want this to be for a greater cause than just selling a book. ... So far, I feel pretty good about it. And I’ve been so grateful to have the support of my community.”
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Enhancements to the nearby swimming pool complex—including new restrooms, a concession stand and administrative offices— will be completed this spring, and the Northam Park clay tennis courts also will be getting a multiyear facelift starting next year, McLaughlin says. “Having outdoor clay courts is one of the traditions of Upper Arlington, and we’re looking to continue that tradition,” she says. “We want to look at the number of courts necessary to accommodate the tennis community and what the right system is to maintain the condition of the courts.” Upper Arlington parks provide many recreational opportunities; a top priority is to create positive resident experiences. “We provide so many ways for our community to connect and engage,” McLaughlin says. One big way is the City’s annual Labor Day Arts Festival, held in Northam Park. The event, now in its 53rd year, draws about 200 artists and more than 20,000 visitors in a single day. “It showcases the city and gives people the opportunity to see finer art than they might see at festivals where the art is not juried,” McLaughlin says. “It’s also an entertainment event and allows people to experience art in a hands-on way.” Eight additional community events, including the annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks, are run by the Upper Arlington Civic Association, a volunteer organization. From UA Stage, which allows senior residents to preview the high school’s spring musical, to the Easter Candy Hunt for children and families, there’s an event for every age group. “The idea is to try to touch everyone in the community and do something to improve their lives in some way,” says association president Mark Abell. “We try to make every event more impactful every year. These events help connect everyone together.” Gawel, who also lives in Upper Arlington and donates space at his coffee shop to a multitude of community, school and artistic groups during “off” hours, says it’s these little extras that make the city special. “You know you’re lucky to live here,” he says. “People take pride in the community. There’s always something going on.” “Upper Arlington has a very rich tradition of being a family-oriented and educationoriented community,” adds resident Connie Leal Ballenger, owner of Le����������������� á���������������� l women’s clothing boutique in the Old Arlington Mallway area. “It’s just a great place to raise a family.”
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BUSINESS
An Evolving Landscape Growth in a landlocked community requires creativity and collaboration.
Apartments, restaurants and offices at The Lane
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PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON
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Veterinarian Adam Parson does not hesitate when reeling off the advantages of living in Upper Arlington. “My family grew up here in Upper Arlington,” Parson says. “The school system is fantastic in Upper Arlington. We have three kids, and we’re putting them through the Upper Arlington City Schools. You cannot beat these schools.” In addition to the quality of life the area offers, Parson—who, with his wife Joanna, runs the Upper Arlington Veterinary Hospital—also sees good reasons to do business in the city. In 2008, the veterinarians opened their original, 2,000-square-foot facility in Grandview, but earlier this year, they relocated their entire practice to a remodeled midcentury building on Lane Avenue after operating in both cities for several years. “It’s a really nice location to be for our practice,” says Parson of the 15,000-squarefoot hospital. “[There are] a lot of animal lovers in the city of Upper Arlington, and a lot of opportunity for us to provide outreach to the community.” The Parsons’ belief in Upper Arlington as a place for businesses to grow is far from unusual. Numerous businesses, large and small, are seeking to either move to, or expand existing operations within, the city. Case in point: Brassica, the fast-casual Mediterranean concept from the owners of Northstar Café, recently chose the city for its third restaurant and headquarters. Such activity comes as major commercial corridors are being redeveloped. Hot on the heels of Crawford Hoying’s bustling, mixed-use development The Lane, a second, similar development—Lane II—is in the works just west of the first. Also on Lane Avenue, a new branch of Heartland Bank will feature a bank on its first floor and financialplanning offices upstairs. “What we’re seeing is growth that’s coming out of Ohio State, and certainly out of the Downtown area, where people want to work a little bit closer to where they live,” says acting city manager Dan Ralley. According to senior planning officer Chad Gibson, $100 million worth of construction activity has taken place in Upper Arlington during each of the last four years. “We are less than 10 square miles in area, we’re landlocked and we’re already fully developed, so to see those numbers is impressive,” he says. But the city did not reinvent itself as a boomtown overnight. Years ago, Ralley says, 38 percent of the city’s income-tax base was generated by the presence of AOL (which had acquired CompuServe). “When they left
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Adam and Joanna Parson chose Upper Arlington for their growing veterinary practice.
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Brassica’s newest restaurant and headquarters opened on Lane Avenue in January.
Today, following redevelopment, Kingsdale is home to the expansive Giant Eagle Market District, which, Ralley says, draws customers from half of Central Ohio and has spurred further growth by attracting other tenants. “As we’ve seen in lots of different retail areas around the country, food and restaurants tend to be the growth engines,” he explains.
UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
The redevelopment of Kingsdale has also been aided by the success of the 104,000-square-foot Ohio State Outpatient Care Upper Arlington facility on Zollinger Road. “Not only is it a financial windfall for the City in terms of income tax from high-paying jobs, it also provides worldclass medical care for our residents,” Gibson says.
PHOTOS: COURTESY CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON
and went to Hilliard, it was a major blow to the community,” he says. So, from 1999 to 2001, city leaders embarked on what they describe as a visioning process. The two-pronged goal: to preserve its noted neighborhoods while simultaneously strengthening fiscal stability. Revenue from businesses is especially important since, Gibson says, approximately half of the city’s budget is taken up with safety services—major attractions for those with the goal of calling Upper Arlington home. “The City of Upper Arlington had to identify its commercial areas and reinvent those areas so that we can maximize the return, both from a financial standpoint as well as the services that are provided to the community,” Gibson says. As part of the process, the City zeroed in on seven planned mixed-use districts. One high-profile district is the Kingsdale Triangle and Kingsdale Shopping Center. At one time considered a regional shopping destination and home to the first Limited store and a popular Lazarus department store (later Macy’s), it had by the early 2000s turned into a blight on the community, Gibson says. “We had more than 50 percent vacancy rates, and a lot of those structures were in poor condition,” he says.
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Indeed, certain businesses—namely, medical, health care, professional office and IT—are specifically sought out by the City because they benefit those who already live there, says economic development director Joe Henderson. “That was exactly the type of business that UA is trying to bring,” says Henderson, referring to the OSU medical facility. No less vibrant is Lane Avenue, which over the past decade has evolved into a kind of economic cornerstone for the city, says Crawford Hoying principal Nelson Yoder. “Only 5 percent of the land area in this city is commercial,” Yoder says. “Ninety-five percent is residential, so the very little land that they have that’s on these commercial corridors is very, very valuable to them to develop in a dense fashion.” Crawford Hoying’s The Lane—which, after years of negotiations, was constructed on the site that once housed the Lane Avenue Baptist Church—has proved a smashing success with its highly concentrated mix of apartments, hotel rooms, office space and restaurants, among them Cameron Mitchell’s Hudson 29. The upcoming Lane II promises to offer more of the same, with first-phase plans for
a hotel and townhomes. A second phase will include apartments, office space, a J. Liu Restaurant & Bar and additional townhomes, with extensive parking to accommodate both projects. Because Upper Arlington is fully built out, the introduction of such housing options is critical, Henderson says. “The region as a whole is going to grow by over 1 million people in the next 50 years,” he says. “We all need to find opportunities to house those folks.” Meanwhile, the well-established Shops on Lane Avenue has long drawn diverse tenants, including the Rusty Bucket, Talbots and Whole Foods Market. Later this year, one of its most innovative tenants will set up shop: COhatch— a “modern town hall” that makes space available for locals to work or play—will open its latest concept, The Overlook. “We usually always go in great walkable locations with strong communities—and UA is obviously a super-strong community,” says COhatch co-founder Matt Davis, who stumbled upon an available space above Carsonie’s in January 2018. “Not too many people could figure out how to use it, but we really embrace … restoring and repurposing vital assets in the middle of town.”
Also ripe for redevelopment is the city’s stock of office buildings, many of which are aging and could benefit from being brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “We’re trying to … give incentives for property owners to modernize their buildings in a way that allows not just the current tenant to benefit, but perhaps future tenants, as well,” Ralley says. For example, the City helped defray the cost of installing an elevator in an aging office building on Riverside Drive. For the most part, those who cherish the way of life offered in Upper Arlington seem to approve. “The City just did a statistically valid survey of its residents,” Gibson says. “Overwhelmingly, the respondents support what is going on on Lane Avenue.” Home values, he added, have risen around the redevelopment. City leaders see nothing but promise on the horizon. “We’re really excited about creating this downtown core [in Upper Arlington] … that’s a little bit more accessible and modern than the sleepy, historic downtown—which is fantastic in its own right,” says Yoder. “I think the momentum has started,” Henderson adds. “The snowball is going down the hill, and I think people are going to jump on.”
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A rendering of the new Upper Arlington High School
EDUCATION
Dedication to Learning and Curiosity A community invested in first-rate education for its children is a community invested in bettering its future. The schools in Upper Arlington have taken this commitment to heart.
“This district is a special place for many reasons,” says Paul Imhoff, Upper Arlington City Schools superintendent. “First, we have a long tradition of educating the whole child. An important part of that today is our use of technology to personalize learning for each student. We also enjoy an unprecedented amount of support from our community, which allows us to make amazing experiences possible for our students.” Support from the community was essential when it came to redeveloping parts of Upper Arlington schools. Imhoff says that in 2014, the district asked a group of local business leaders to research and review the efficiency and productivity of the operational side of the district. The study found what many dis-
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tricts with decades of history will eventually encounter: maintaining aging buildings was the biggest threat to the district’s long-term financial health. On learning this, the Board of Education launched a three-year, community-driven, master planning process. “The goal was to bring the community together to develop a long-term, sensible plan to address our facilities’ needs,” Imhoff says. Construction on the first phase of the Master Plan began in March and will extend into 2022, with six buildings either being built or renovated to meet the growing needs of students. The improved facilities will allow Upper Arlington to continue to perform at a stellar academic level; Upper Arlington High
UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
School is ranked 19th in the state of Ohio by U.S. News & World Report and boasts a graduation rate of 98 percent. Students’ scores on the ACT and SAT are regularly higher than the state and national averages, according to the Ohio Department of Education’s Quality Profile for the school. The community rated it at 87.2 percent when it comes to the quality of education provided. The high school also received an A on ODE’s State Report Card for its students’ preparedness for future opportunities in work or college. In addition to impressive academics, athletic teams consistently perform at a high level. The district offers 32 varsity sports in the high school and 20 sports in the middle
PHOTO: DISPATCH FILE/ ANDREA NOALL
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schools. The Upper Arlington High School girls’ lacrosse team has been state champion every year since 2015, and the girls’ swimming team recently won its 20th consecutive Division I district championship. The district’s successes can be attributed in large part to the same community collaboration and support that helped drive its master planning process. Similarly, that spirit of collaboration can also be seen firsthand in the initiative to try new, comprehensive programs, like Upper Arlington Idea Day.
PHOTO: DISPATCH FILE/ JOSHUA A. BICKEL
Embracing Curiosity in Learning Inspired by Chicago Ideas Week, Idea Day allows Upper Arlington High School students to explore their curiosities about subjects outside the classroom and imagine careers and opportunities they haven’t been exposed to before. “Our hope with this was to really shake things up for a day. It gives students the chance to not worry about something going on their transcript,” says Laura Moore, instructional leader for the Upper Arlington High School research and design lab. “They are given the chance to just be curious and see that learning is fun.” Moore has been involved with Idea Day from the beginning and has helped grow last year’s inaugural event from one set schedule for students to a wide variety of off-site field trips, panel discussions and labs for students to choose from. The student response and interest has been so impressive that since last year, the number of students volunteering to help provide feedback and coordinate the event has grown from nine to 80. “There’s a saying: you can’t be what you can’t see,” Moore says. “I think it’s important that kids understand all of the things they can be.” Education with a Global Perspective Exposure to unique and diverse opportunities is something that Robert Brisk, head of school at The Wellington School, has also considered when overseeing the private school’s curriculum. “We’re trying to help students reach independence and autonomy,” Brisk says. “We’ve put together an agile program in which we can shape future-focused opportunities for kids that don’t necessarily fit in a traditional curriculum.” Wellington’s kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment is about 660 students, allowing all ages to receive dedicated attention. It
offers a program for humanities and science research in the high school in which students select an area of particular interest and dig deeply into that area. The middle school also has “deep dive” classes, where students can take time-intensive courses in things not typically offered at that level, like constitutional law or virtual reality development. Engagement is an important focus, and the school has developed a tool for measuring student engagement in every class that is now being used in 40 schools across the country. Wellington will offer a new travel component next year in which all students will have an international travel experience, with the cost included in their tuition. The goal of the Wellington International Student Experience program, Brisk says, is to get every student to look at serious issues in the world outside the U.S. before they graduate. “We are proud about the fact that while students get excellent traditional courses, they are really charged to find a bigger world through global commitments, through service and through curriculum in which they have significant autonomy to chart some of their own direction,” Brisk says.
The appreciation for learning that Upper Arlington educators instill in their students also extends to adult education. “It’s really important, as you age, to continue to learn new things,” says Chris Taylor, director of the Upper Arlington Public Library. A wide variety of subject areas are offered, but recent popular programs include classes about social justice and cutting cable in favor of the internet and apps. The gardening topics and filmmaker series are also widely attended. “The library field is a really great field, and there’s no such thing as a ‘trade secret,’ ” Taylor says. “We share everything with each other, and if we know about a program at another local library that was popular, we do something similar.” The library pays attention to trending topics and schedules classes about three months in advance to ensure they’re relevant to the community. Learn more about what the library has to offer by visiting ualibrary.org and clicking on “Library Link.”
Faith-based Education At St. Andrew School, the focus is on educating the whole child with faith interwoven throughout different subject areas, says principal Joel Wichtman. The school offers kindergarten through eighth grade education with an off-site preschool.
The students at St. Andrew go through robust Latin and Spanish programs, along with physical education, music, art and technology classes for all grades. Kindergarten through fourth-grade students participate in a supplemental, Montessori-based faith program called
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UPPER ARLINGTON: A COLUMBUS MONTHLY SUBURBAN SECTION MAY 2019
“The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd,” and the school strives to expose students to volunteer opportunities outside the boundaries of the school and neighborhood. “Being in a faith-based community gives our students an advantage,” Wichtman says. “Families are very much involved, and we see academic successes in our students because of that involvement.” Family is an integral part of education for nearby St. Agatha School as well, says principal Luna Alsharaiha. “We’re an extension of the home,” says Alsharaiha. “The values parents teach their kids at home, we do that here in school as well. The kids feel like they’re a family here, and we promote our Catholic faith in everything that they do.” St. Agatha offers kindergarten through eighth grades and will be opening a preschool next year. In addition to an impressive core curriculum, the school offers a host of themed daylong events such as Fitness Friday or All Art Day, where the entire school participates annually in learning about different subjects. The school also recently created two rooms dedicated to STEM classes, where students can participate in projects like dropping an egg from a zip line or building the tallest structure under different limitations. “Many of our teachers and staff have gone to school here or their children have gone to school here,” Alsharaiha says. “They have a strong commitment to St. Agatha and its success.”
PHOTO: DISPATCH FILE/ BARBARA J. PERENIC
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Collaborative Problem-solving The Upper Arlington City School District is regarded for its forward-thinking and collaborative approach to issues within both the district and the community at large. The Stand Project is just one such example. The Stand Project came about after a group of community leaders, including Upper Arlington City Schools superintendent Paul Imhoff, came together to address the issue of substance use and abuse in Upper Arlington. “We specifically talk about how it’s really isolating and you feel a lot of shame,” says Alison Scott, a community volunteer and member of The Stand Project. “If we can approach these issues with an honest, compassionate, empathetic response, it feels that much better to someone.” The group first met in 2014 and spent about a year structuring the organization. Since then, members have focused on prevention projects through events partnering with various police forces, the high school and the Upper Arlington Public Library. In January, members created a six-part video series educating parents on the dangers of vaping, which the district was able to send to all of its families. “We let people know that they’re not alone,” Scott says. “You’ve got someone to walk beside you in this, because it’s really painful.”
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HOUSING
Old Neighborhoods, New Houses With demand increasing and stock in limited supply, city planners and would-be residents are discovering new ways to create dream homes in Upper Arlington. BY ABERNATHY MILLER RINEHART In 2001, after extensive research and community input, Upper Arlington’s City Council approved a master plan designed to secure fiscal longevity, prepare the community for the future and preserve historic charm. To support the city’s safety services, infrastructure costs and quality of life, city officials needed an innovative way to bring in more people and businesses, without jeopardizing the area’s feel. “We decided to maintain and preserve our high-quality residential neighborhoods and designate our commercial areas for mixed use, with a denser development pattern. We had to ensure that reinvestment was targeted in the
designated districts to offset growing costs and improve the quality of life for residents,” Gibson says. “The OSU Wexner Medical Center [Outpatient Care Center] at Kingsdale is a great example. Not only does it provide world-class medical care for residents, but it’s a major financial benefit to the city.” As a landlocked community that’s already highly developed, Upper Arlington’s redevelopment efforts to bolster economic growth and provide more housing options are focused in mixed-use districts, and zoning codes are designed to protect residential neighborhoods and historic districts from
Neighborhoods south of Lane Avenue have a stately, historic feel.
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PHOTO: COURTESY CITY OF UPPER ARLINGTON
From the historic, picturesque houses and well-manicured lawns to the top-rated city services, Upper Arlington is one of Central Ohio’s most enviable places to call home. “Upper Arlington has everything a young family could want. We have fantastic schools; our police and fire services are second to none in the region; and we enjoy a convenient location,” says Chad Gibson, senior planning officer for the City. “But the City recognized [that] to maintain fiscal stability and preserve the character of neighborhoods long-term, we needed to reinvent ourselves.”
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS over-development. The challenge was striking a balance between the City’s vision, builders’ needs and residents’ desires. “The main message from the residents is that UA doesn’t need an overhaul. We just needed policy tweaks to ensure we have quality infrastructure and that any reinvestment in the area is appropriate,” Gibson says. An offshoot from the 2001 Master Plan was the 2009 establishment of historic legislation in the area south of Lane Avenue that falls within the Upper Arlington Historic District (which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985) that discourages the demolition or substantial replacement of homes with historic significance. “Driving from the south to the north of the community, you can see the evolution of architectural styles and housing trends. South of Lane, you see wonderful, historic homes— post-World War II homes in the center, and more modern homes and condos to the north,” Gibson says. “These houses are mostly unique and a precious component of our community.” Retaining the quaint feel of Upper Arlington doesn’t stop with mixed-use development and historic preservation. As the result of community input from a 2018 study on the River Ridge/Kingsdale West neighborhood by consulting firm Planning Next, stricter zoning codes were adopted, including height restrictions on infill structures. Increased code enforcement efforts are planned to ensure homes in the district are well-maintained. “These historic houses are a precious component of our community, and you protect and preserve these places through our zoning laws,” Gibson says. “The issue for us is neighborhood compatibility. It’s not just that developers are wanting to build; they’re wanting to build bigger homes. We want to ensure new builds fit in with the existing homes on the street.” Navigating zoning codes and finding opportunities to build has changed the way builders approach the Upper Arlington market. “We have to take a different approach to building in Upper Arlington,” says Lisa Theado, president of sales at luxury builder Tuckerman Home Group, which has had many projects in Upper Arlington. “We meet with the City to determine the best design for that particular piece of property, so a client doesn’t get excited about something we may not be able to do. ... It is important to us to work with the City and community and help keep the neighborhoods informed prior to beginning a new project.” For potential residents and builders, building in coveted neighborhoods has
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also become a high-roller’s game. Luxury infill home builders like Tuckerman Home Group and Compass Homes are feeling the pressure that comes with a deep-pocketed client base. According to Mark Braunsdorf, president of Compass Homes, luxury clients want more bang for their buck in communities with older housing stock and limited space. Open floor plans, gourmet kitchens, sprawling master bathrooms, endless closets with ample storage and decked-out in-law suites are among regular requests—and builders are doing their best to both accommodate those requests and comply with city code.
PHOTOS: DISPATCH FILE/BROOKE LAVALLEY
* Family * Traditions * Schools * Community
PHOTO: WILL SHILLING
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Residents can find spacious, luxury kitchens in recently renovated properties.
“The value in Upper Arlington is in the land. Our city leaders have done a great job with public/private partnerships to bring jobs to the area, but with the great jobs come housing needs, and housing needs have changed since many homes were built in the area,” Braunsdorf explains. “Most of the homes are closed off [and] have smaller kitchens and formal spaces—in those cases, it’s easier to rebuild and start fresh than to remodel. So on the low end, a custom infill build will run you $350,000, but most custom builds are closer to $500,000 to $600,000.” For young professionals and empty-nesters who want to take advantage of Upper Arlington’s amenities but don’t have $500,000 to build, the City is encouraging alternative housing options in mixed-use districts—like condos and apartments at The Lane and Arlington Crossing—to help fill the gap. “The vast majority of the housing stock is single-family homes. As a result, there aren’t many empty-nester or senior housing options in Upper Arlington,” Gibson says. “When done properly, more condos and apartments are beneficial because they provide more housing to fit varying stages of life.”
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Since the initial draft of Upper Arlington’s Master Plan and after $500 million in construction since 2015, Upper Arlington has been able to hold true to the City’s vision despite its challenges. Through changes to zoning codes, Upper Arlington leadership has been able to encourage economic growth in mixeduse districts while still preserving the area’s historic neighborhoods and maintaining the aesthetic integrity of residential areas.
Aging in Place First Community Village, a senior living facility owned by National Church Residences, has offered independent and assisted living options to Upper Arlington seniors since 1963. “In Upper Arlington, residents over 65 are the fastest-growing segment of the population and are expected to increase by more than 20 percent in the next five years,” says Matt Rule, senior vice president of development at National Church Residences. “But Upper Arlington offers very few senior housing options, and new construction opportunities are limited.” Fortunately, the options soon will increase. National Church Residences is in the process of adding 70 luxury housing units to First Community Village’s campus through The Fairfax. Set to open in 2021, The Fairfax will feature English country manor-style apartments with open floor plans and up to 2,300 square feet of living space. Residents will be able to enjoy large windows, 9-foot ceilings, a gourmet kitchen, walk-in closets and more, in addition to communal facilities like a spa and fitness center and underground, heated parking facilities. “Seniors recognize the importance of community,” Rule says. “Another senior living option will provide seniors with access to amenities and the opportunity to age close to their friends, family and grandkids.” Other amenities available to all residents of First Community Village include a neighborhood setting, a dining center with chef-prepared meals, an indoor pool with programming, a full calendar of social and wellness activities, walking and biking trails that connect the campus to the surrounding community, and professionally maintained landscaping.
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It’s in our
Nature
to provide quality parks, facilities, programs and events that leave you wanting more! Whether it’s cooling off at one of our pools, in one of hundreds of programs tailored to every age group, the whole family will leave happy after a day with Upper Arlington Parks & Recreation!
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SENIOR CENTER
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PARKS
3 POOLS OUTDOOR
8 PLAYGROUNDS
HUNDREDS 12
OF ANNUAL CLAY HARD RECREATION TENNIS COURTS PROGRAMS
COMMUNITY EVENTS
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PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT @CityofUAPR | upperarlingtonoh.gov