South Messenger - August 21st, 2022
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
www.columbusmessenger.com<br />
<strong>August</strong> 21, <strong>2022</strong> - SOUTH MESSENGER - PAGE 3<br />
Obetz establishes Buckstone community authority<br />
By Katelyn Sattler<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Obetz City Council approved the creation<br />
of the new community authority for<br />
Buckstone.<br />
Buckstone is a mixed use development<br />
that will occupy about 800 acres at the corner<br />
of Lockbourne and Rathmell roads.<br />
“The new community authority is a separate<br />
board that operates independently of<br />
the city,” said Obetz City Administrator<br />
Rod Davisson. “It’s comprised of members<br />
from both the city and from the participating<br />
developers. It is the entity that receives<br />
the tax distribution.”<br />
The new community authority also<br />
receives the 5 mill new community authority<br />
charge in addition to the tax money for<br />
the Buckstone area, and has been named<br />
the “Buckstone Community Authority.”<br />
“With regard to the improvements, they<br />
can either contract with the city to make<br />
those improvements themselves or pay for<br />
the improvements,” said Davisson. “The<br />
new community authority is a separate and<br />
distinct entity. Although, to be fair, it is<br />
controlled by the city in the sense that your<br />
representatives are the most numerous on<br />
the board.”<br />
Of the nine board members appointed by<br />
council, four are citizen members, one represents<br />
local government, and one is a<br />
developer (since Obetz is also a developer of<br />
the former Warner farm in Buckstone). So<br />
council appoints six out of nine board members.<br />
Each board member council appoints<br />
will serve two-year overlapping terms with<br />
two of each of the initial citizen and developer<br />
members appointed to serve initial<br />
one-year terms.<br />
Mowing expenses<br />
Obetz is looking to reduce expenses by<br />
contracting out mowing.<br />
“Our lawn care expenses are running at<br />
$1.1 million,” said Davisson. “Some of our<br />
folks took the buyouts that worked on the<br />
lawn care crew. We were able to continue to<br />
get through because we have interns who<br />
work in that department, where we keep<br />
mowing, then reshuffle some of our other<br />
guys to help out. All of that's coming to an<br />
end.”<br />
Davisson couldn’t get many companies<br />
interested in a big contract this late in the<br />
season, but found Davey Tree was interested.<br />
Davisson said, “They do the tree trimming<br />
and the neighborhoods and we were<br />
kind of like, ‘you've been doing a good job<br />
for us’. They were interested in taking on<br />
this contract for us for this year. But<br />
because they have to hire people and buy<br />
equipment, they would really like an 18<br />
month contract. So essentially you finish<br />
out this year and do one more year.”<br />
The total cost would be $550,000 per<br />
season with Davey instead of the $1.1 million<br />
per season the city spends on lawn<br />
care.<br />
Zoning issues addressed<br />
By Katelyn Sattler<br />
Staff Writer<br />
A request for a zoning variance for the<br />
property at 4251 Holstein came before the<br />
Obetz Planning and Zoning Commission on<br />
Aug. 10.<br />
The application is for a variance to construct<br />
a small shed on the corner of the<br />
property. The property owner told the city<br />
that because of the way the property is<br />
graded, that was the only spot available to<br />
put a shed. The shed would be two feet<br />
from the property line on each side. The<br />
zoning code requires five feet from each<br />
side. The shed would also be in an easement.<br />
The homeowners association is<br />
agreeable to this location. There have been<br />
no objections from neighbors.<br />
The city would need access to the utility<br />
easement, so the shed would need to be<br />
moveable.<br />
Council Clerk Stacey Boumis said, “I<br />
think a lot of these smaller sheds can be<br />
moved on skids.”<br />
The property owner is agreeable to that.<br />
Mayor Angela Kirk said, “As long as it<br />
can remain moveable so that we can have<br />
access to the utilities, I’m agreeable to<br />
that.”<br />
The motion passed 5-0.<br />
Other P&Z news<br />
•The owner of the property at 4125<br />
Groveport Road is asking for a variance to<br />
allow a five foot high mesh fence. A mesh<br />
fence by itself is not permitted in the zoning<br />
code. Chain link is permitted up to four<br />
feet, however, mesh fence has only been<br />
permitted as a filler for typically another<br />
type of fence. For example, in the Butler<br />
Farms subdivision, if they have mesh, it is<br />
to be as part of a split rail fence, like the<br />
three-rail.<br />
For this parcel, the fencing is visible<br />
from Dill Street.<br />
Boumis thinks the fence should be more<br />
decorative than the one the owner showed<br />
the city, like what is permitted in Butler<br />
Farms.<br />
The owner indicated that a more decorative<br />
one is no problem. He also wants to<br />
put some landscaping on the inside and<br />
outside of the fence.<br />
“I think there needs to be a top rung and<br />
a bottom rung on that fence to make that<br />
look more like a fence than stockade fencing.<br />
How quickly are you going to take to<br />
do this?” asked Kirk<br />
The owner said he can comply with the<br />
type of decorative mesh fencing that was<br />
shown during the meeting.<br />
The commission approved the variance<br />
to the zoning code, with the conditions<br />
being that the city has access to that utility<br />
easements as well, and that the same or<br />
similar type fencing be constructed in comparison<br />
to something like in Butler Farms.<br />
Davey wanted a three year contract, but<br />
Davisson said, “My plan would be to let<br />
them finish this year and do next year, presuming<br />
everything goes well, bid it next<br />
summer for the 2024 mowing season.”<br />
Davisson said Davey wanted to buy the<br />
city’s equipment, but the city will keep<br />
their mowers.<br />
“We have about $20,000 in Scag mowers<br />
that we’ve already bought and paid for,”<br />
said Davisson. “If we use those every time<br />
(for finish mowing of rights-of-way and<br />
ditches), we won’t have to really buy anymore<br />
for a while.”<br />
Davisson also said Jess Griffith, now<br />
assistant safety director, and Lionel Dean,<br />
now in the facilities department, will still<br />
do all of the spray and treatment, which<br />
will “save the city about $2,000.”<br />
Davisson estimates it will take about 65<br />
days for the bidding process, which is why<br />
he asked council to approve a no-bid contract<br />
for Davey Tree this season.<br />
“Sixty five days without mowing grass is<br />
a problem,” he said. “But the city will save<br />
about $600,000” off the $1.1 million the city<br />
spends on mowing.<br />
Other news<br />
•Obetz Police Chief Mike Confer said<br />
that there was not a shooting in Butler<br />
Farms, even though television news and<br />
Facebook said there was.<br />
Mayor Angie Kirk added, “Several<br />
weeks ago, the Citizen app said there was a<br />
house on fire, which happens to be my<br />
brother-in-law’s house. I called him and we<br />
drove by and it was not on fire.”<br />
•Anyone 18 years of age and older who<br />
want to join the <strong>2022</strong> Obetz Zucchinifest<br />
Volunteer Team, email your full name and<br />
phone number to Kerri Duffy at<br />
kduffy@obetz.oh.us for a list of available<br />
volunteer positions and shifts.<br />
•Obetz City Council meets the second<br />
and fourth Mondays of each month at 6<br />
p.m. in the Council Chambers at 4175<br />
Alum Creek Drive, Obetz, to review and<br />
pass legislation and hear concerns from the<br />
residents.<br />
Call (614) 491-1080.
Change language