Groveport Messenger - May 2nd, 2021

PAGE 2 - GROVEPORT MESSENGER - May 2, 2021
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City’s Westport property
Groveport City Council is considering legislation to
sell the city-owned property located at 384 Westport
Drive. The legislation states the property, located in a
residential area, is “no longer required by the city for
its purposes.”
Groveport City Administrator B.J. King said a
house that once sat on the property was abandoned
and blighted a few years ago when the city took it over.
He said the city wants to sell the property so it will no
longer have to tend to it and also so it will no longer
have to pay the property taxes for the site.
Convenience fees
APARTMENTS
Continued from page 1
The apartment complex development is coming in
while upgrades are planned for the busy Bixby
Road/Groveport Road intersection.
“Construction (of the intersection improvements)
should start in spring 2021 and end in fall 2021,” said
Michael Corbitt, village of Obetz deputy administrator
and director of engineering in an interview earlier this
year. “This is a village of Obetz project.”
According to Corbitt, the estimated cost for the
intersection improvements is approximately $1.6 million
and the project will be funded “by the village of
Obetz and partially funded by nearby development.”
Improvements to the intersection will include left
turn lanes and more.
“Groveport Road will have a new eastbound and
westbound left turn lane constructed onto Bixby Road
with associated signal modifications,” said Corbitt.
“This project will also consist of improving the current
condition of Bixby Road south of the intersection to the
village corporation line. A multi-use path will be constructed
along Bixby Road.”
Corbitt said the turns lanes “will provide a safer
intersection while providing additional capacity to
Groveport Road.”
The intersection handles a large traffic flow, especially
on Groveport Road during peak morning and
MAIN STREET
Continued from page 1
storefronts on the first floor facing Main Street and the
interior space divisible as required. Its second floor
space will be open for now.
The cost to construct the two buildings will be
approximately $7.6 million. It is being funded by a
combination of non-tax revenue bonds and tax revenue
bonds. According to Groveport Finance Director
Jason Carr, non-tax revenue bonds equal taxable
bonds and tax revenue bonds equal tax-exempt bonds.
He said the project will be funded by general obligation
bonds, which are bonds from the bond market and
are not property tax bond issues that would be voted
on by the residents.
Hayes Road warehouse project
Groveport City Council is considering entering into
an economic development agreement and community
reinvestment area tax incentive agreement with CA
Ventures regarding two parcels totalling 47 acres on
the southeast corner of Hayes and Pontius roads.
According to Groveport City Administrator B.J.
King, CA Ventures is pursuing the purchase of the
land and annexing it into Groveport.
“CA Ventures plans to build a 640,640 square foot
warehouse on the property,” said King, who added the
company is also seeking a community reinvestment
area property tax abatement on the property.
Groveport City Council is considering legislation to
enact a (not to exceed) 3 percent credit card conven-
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ience fee for transactions at the Groveport Municipal
Golf Course. In 2020, council approved legislation to
pass credit card convenience fees to customers at other
city facilities. Prior to this, the city had paid these fees.
According to city officials, from 2016 to 2020, the city
has paid $80,628 in credit card convenience fees at the
golf course.
Income tax revenue
The city of Groveport’s income tax revenue year-todate
as of March 31 was $4.3 million, which is 10 percent
lower than the same time in 2020. Income tax revenues
comprise the largest portion of the city’s total
revenues year-to-date, or 59.6 percent of all revenues,
according to Groveport Finance Director Jason Carr.
afternoon rush hours. The intersection’s current configuration
often sees traffic back ups on Groveport
Road when drivers attempt to turn left onto Bixby
Road. Residents of nearby Fairchild Estates have
noted it is difficult at times to access Groveport Road
from their subdivision due to the traffic.
“The highest a.m. peak hour is approximately 1,100
vehicles and the highest p.m. peak hour for traffic is
approximately 1,200 vehicles,” said Corbitt of the
intersection.
Other proposed apartments on
Groveport Road rejected by Groveport
Last December, Groveport City Council rejected
plans for a proposed 144-unit apartment complex on
8.3 acres on the north side of west Groveport Road on
property bounded by the Groveport Church of Christ
on the west, storage units across the road to the south,
and a single family lot to the north and east.
Groveport City Administrator B.J. King said the
city’s Planning and Zoning Commission did not recommend
the proposal for approval citing that the city’s
overall plans for the area call for commercial and
industrial development; the possible impact of more
students to the Groveport Madison school district the
development could bring; and potential traffic issues
on busy west Groveport Road.
King said there are several steps that need to be
done before this warehouse is built, including combining
the two parcels into one parcel, annexing the property
into the city, rezoning considerations, and a development
plan must be in place.
Speaking at council’s April 19 committee meeting,
CA Ventures Executive Vice President, Industrial Jim
McGill said the company hopes to begin construction of
the warehouse in August with completion by the summer
of 2022. He said it is “achievable” that the development
could generate at least 150 jobs. He also said
some improvements are planned to Hayes Road along
the frontage of the property.
Councilman Ed Dildine said he hopes the company
will also look into improvements to the nearby intersection
of Pontius and Hayes roads as part of the project.
Green said the community reinvestment area property
tax abatement would be a 100 percent property
tax abatement for 15 years. He said the agreement
would include an income tax revenue sharing agreement
between the city and Groveport Madison Schools
where each shares 50 percent of the income tax revenue
generated by the site.
“All CRA tax abatements for new construction are
15 years,” said Green.