August 4, 2011
Weather warnings added to CodeRED By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The city of Gahanna will use the CodeRED notification system Aug. 4 to call the community, announcing the launch of the severe-weather alert service. Mayor Becky Stinchcomb told council Aug.1 that the automated weather-alert service is part of a new “opt-in” system. Residents who already are registered to receive CodeRED calls would have to update their choic-
Calls will be made to residents in the existing CodeRED dataA closer look base Aug. 4, directing them to the city’s website. The message Calls will be made to residents also will encourage them to share in the existing CodeRED data- the information with their fambase Aug. 4, directing them ilies, friends and neighbors. to the city’s website. The mesThe city has had a contract for sage also will encourage them CodeRED, but the system has to share the information with been in use only for boil alerts, their families, friends and bioterrorism warnings and other neighbors. emergencies. James Williams, emergency es to include the weather-alert management director, said he options, she said. recommends that everyone opt
in to the CodeRED weatherwarning system, which will provide notifications directly from the National Weather Service’s forecast office in Wilmington, near Cincinnati. Residents could select the warnings they want to receive, such as those for tornados, severe thunderstorms and winter storms, on their cellphones and residential land lines. “If they change cellphone numbers, they can change their (notification) number,” Williams
said. He said residents and businesses should register for the notifications and provide contact information, including cellphone numbers, home phone numbers and email and text addresses for use by the CodeRED system. In particular, Williams said, those with unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number recently and those who use a cellphone exclusively — or have VoIP phones such as Vonage as their primary num-
bers — should register. “If your contact information isn’t in the database, you won’t receive a call,” he said. Residents may opt in by going to the city’s website at www.gahanna.gov and following the CodeRED link under the “I want to” menu inside the light-blue box. Williams said residents who don’t have Internet access could call the mayor’s office and be See WEATHER, page A3
City code amendment requires more details By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Jack Winger, 8, leaps from the diving board at the Gahanna Swimming Pool on July 28. He was one of many people attending the pool during “Hot Dog Night.” On Thursdays from 5 to 8:30 p.m., visitors to the pool can enjoy music, pay $1 for hot dogs and drinks and 50 cents for chips.
Pool attendance rises with temperatures By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The summer scorcher is at least helping the city pools’ coffers. Gahanna recreation supervisor Shannon Clonch said memberships are up by about 800 compared to this time last year. The Hunters Ridge Pool, 341 Harrow Blvd., and Gahanna Swimming Pool, 148 Parkland Ave., had 4,400 members in July, compared to 3,600 in July 2010. With the extreme heat the past few weeks, Clonch said, the pools also have seen more visitors paying daily admission. “It looks like it will remain hot the next several weeks,” she said. “We have seven-visit passes for $47, where one person can use it seven different
times or more than one person can use for a combination.” The seven-visit pass is good for both pools. Daily admission is $9, or $7 if visiting with a member. After 4 p.m., admission is $7, or $5 if visiting with a member. “This year has been a great year overall,” Clonch said. “We changed our pricing strategy. We dropped prices lower than they have been since I’ve been here. Until the end of April, a residential family membership was $225. It was a wonderful incentive, and the membership base went up by 25 to 30 percent. Operationally, revenue-wise, we’re ahead of last year.” The pools offer more than swimming to attract customers. The Gahanna Swimming Pool of-
fers Thursday hot dog night at 6 p.m. “Hot dog night is our biggest draw,” Clonch said. “We had 600 to 700 people last Thursday night, with people in a line from the grill to the front of the pool. They cooked over 1,000 hot dogs last week. The food isn’t donated, but it’s part of our budget.” The hot dogs cost $1. Recreation superintendent Mike Musser said the popular hot dog nights also feature a DJ, contests, prizes and activities. Hunters Ridge features Tuesday ice cream nights, with $1 ice cream bowls, sprinklers and a bubble maker. Hunters Ridge also has a “DiveIn Movie” series, which will conclude with “Toy Story 3” at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12. The movie is free for members, and a $5 discount admission starts at 4 p.m. for others.
Hunters Ridge is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Gahanna Swimming Pool hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Back-to-school hours start Aug. 23 at Hunters Ridge and are noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday. The pool closes for the season on Labor Day. Gahanna Swimming Pool will be closed after school starts. The Hunters Ridge pool will open to dogs Sept. 17 and 18. Admission is $5. mkuhlman@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNEWS.com
Future development will need more details to get an OK from Gahanna’s planning commission. City codes regarding zoning and rezoning are being updated and will require more comprehensive information on applications. Development director Anthony Jones said work with the council clerk and city engineer should yield city codes that are up to industry standards. “We wanted to make it more cohesive,” he said. “We looked at other communities to see what they consider. It gets future applicants to explain their case and grounds given to approve or disapprove.” Council on Aug. 1 approved a substantial change to the code. An economic development analysis has been added, requiring applicants to provide more detailed information to help the commission and council make well-informed decisions on zoning and rezoning requests. The commission will consider six elements when deciding on any zoning or rezoning: Consistency with the city’s goals, policies and comprehensive land-use plan, including any corridor plans or subarea plans. Compatibility of the site’s physical, geological, hydrological and other environmental features with the potential uses allowed in the proposed zoning district. Availability of sites elsewhere in the city that already are zoned for the proposed use. The compatibility of all potential uses allowed in the proposed zoning district with the surrounding uses and zoning, in terms of land suitability, impacts on the environment, density, nature of use, traffic effects, aesthetics, infrastructure, and potential influence in the value of existing abutting lands or approved developments. The capacity of city infrastructure and services to accommodate the uses permitted in the requested district without compromising the health, safety and welfare of its residents. See DETAILS, page A3
Commission approves warehouse for Columbia Gas By MARLA K. KUHLMAN ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Columbia Gas plans to move into a new warehouse in the Eastgate Industrial area and add about 45 new workers. Gahanna’s planning commission on July 27 unanimously approved a development plan and design review for a 9,360-square-foot office warehouse at 1610 Eastgate Parkway. Columbia Gas will have about 45 new employees based at the facility, Pagura Co. owner Steve Pagura said. The company will develop and lease the property to Columbia Gas.
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Columbia liked the proximity and convenience to the east side of Columbus, Pagura said. “They wanted to be closer to where they do repair,” he said. Construction should begin on the warehouse in about two weeks, and Columbus Gas expects to move in by March 2012, Pagura said. Zoning administrator Bonnie Gard said a fleet for Columbia Gas would be housed at Eastgate. Workers will report to the building each morning to pick up their commercial vehicle. “There will be no gas storage or tanks that would be harmful in any way,” she said. The proposed building meets all applicable
setbacks and the required number of parking spaces, Gard said. The service parking area will be screened by a 6-foot chain-link fence. A bioswale will be constructed at the front of the building, where plants will assist with the filtration and rate of stormwater disbursement. “We suggest the applicant use herbs in the landscape plan, since we’re the herb capital,” Gard said. “We hope they will enjoy being in Gahanna, and we look forward to them coming.” The commission also approved variances and a design review for the BP gas station at 407 Granville St. City engineer Karl Wetherholt said Heath-
based Englefield Oil had requested a sign variance at the business to allow the sign to remain where it is. He said improvements to the Hamilton Road-Granville Street intersection resulted in the sign being moved closer to the new rightof-way line than the code provides. “The intersection improvements are designed to increase safety and help the flow,” he said. Commission chairperson Kristin Rosan said the variance for sign placement is appropriate given that the applicant had no part in creating the circumstances. See GAS, page A2
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