I am happy to see roundabouts finally coming into vogue in Central Ohio. The article is a nice introduction for many people to roundabouts but I thought I would add a couple of tidbits.
Roundabouts and traffic circles can be extremely beneficial to not only suburban communities and heavily trafficked roads but also to major urban centers. NYC and DC have been embracing roundabouts and traffic circles for years in their inner city. Many of these circles have become hugely popular parks and public spaces where city dwellers gather- some are even dog walking parks.
Roundabouts are also great opportunities for communities to place large public art pieces. Dublin has installed a faux ruin in one of their roundabouts and while I find it really cheesy I do applaud them for their attempt.
No getting around roundabout craze
Monday, October 22, 2007 3:42 AM
By Martin Rozenman
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Hilliard plans to build five more roundabouts like this one at Britton Parkway and Riggins Road. Statistics show the traffic circles reduce crashes and injuries when compared with traditional intersections. They save money and fuel, too."
Hilliard plans to build five more roundabouts like this one at Britton Parkway and Riggins Road. Statistics show the traffic circles reduce crashes and injuries when compared with traditional intersections. They save money and fuel, too.
Central Ohioans are turning to the right more often these days. That's because of the growing popularity of roundabouts, not conservative politics.
Long popular in Europe and Australia, the circular intersections where everyone turns right are becoming trendy here, too.
An unofficial count by the engineering and architectural design firm Burgess & Niple showed eight roundabouts moving traffic in central Ohio with four under construction and 19 more planned.
For more...
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/10/22/ROUNDABOUTS.ART_ART_10-22-07_B1_VT88EKR.html?sid=101
Monday, October 22, 2007
SKYBUS GOES COUNTRY
Skybus to make Greensboro, N.C., second hub
Monday, October 22, 2007 12:23 PM
By Marla Matzer Rose
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Skybus Airlines will name Greensboro, N.C., as its first “focus city” outside Columbus today at that city’s Piedmont Triad International Airport. Flights to cities other than Columbus will begin in January, and will include current Skybus destinations in Florida and elsewhere.
State and local officials in the Greensboro area joined the airport in courting Skybus with millions of dollars worth of incentives. Greensboro’s main competition was Richmond, Va., which still hopes to add more service from Skybus as early as mid-2008.
Monday, October 22, 2007 12:23 PM
By Marla Matzer Rose
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Skybus Airlines will name Greensboro, N.C., as its first “focus city” outside Columbus today at that city’s Piedmont Triad International Airport. Flights to cities other than Columbus will begin in January, and will include current Skybus destinations in Florida and elsewhere.
State and local officials in the Greensboro area joined the airport in courting Skybus with millions of dollars worth of incentives. Greensboro’s main competition was Richmond, Va., which still hopes to add more service from Skybus as early as mid-2008.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP STRIKES OUT
City has eyes on Cooper Stadium
Columbus seeks to annex 47 acres from township
Saturday, October 20, 2007 3:29 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
As the Columbus Clippers prepare to move out of Cooper Stadium, their old home might move into Columbus.
The City Council will take up legislation Monday to annex the 47 acres of ballpark, work buildings and parking lots, which have been part of Franklin Township since before the stadium opened in 1932. Annexation also needs approval from Franklin County, which owns the land.
County commissioners put the stadium site up for sale last month, hoping it gets snatched up by private developers with big plans. A proposal backed by Franklinton business leaders, to turn the site into a Harley-Davidson dealership and tourist attraction, fell through this year.
The Clippers will play their last season in Cooper Stadium next year and then move to Huntington Park, which is being built in the Arena District.
In a statement yesterday, Mayor Michael B. Coleman said city government already is involved in projects around the old stadium on W. Mound Street, including the West Edge Business Park and improvements to housing in Franklinton.
"We want to see Cooper Stadium reborn as an asset to the entire community, whether as a site for recreation and tourism or jobs and business development," Coleman said.
Spokesman Mike Brown said annexation will give Columbus a say in the site's future. The city has more experience in urban redevelopment, he said, and will be able to offer tax breaks and other incentives to shape its future.
Cooper Stadium is valued between $3.25 million and $3.7 million. Its tax exemption under county ownership means no taxes for Franklin Township or South-Western City Schools.
Annexation to the city would shut out both -- and benefit Columbus and Columbus City Schools -- just as the property moves into private hands.
"We definitely oppose it," Franklin Township Trustee Tim Guyton said. "We have the same services we need to maintain as everyone else."
Guyton said there's nothing the township can do to stop annexation, though. He said county officials have promised him they will try to broker a tax-sharing agreement with Columbus.
South-Western schools officials weren't available for comment.
Friday, October 19, 2007
COURT DESIGN DISMISSED
I am really disappointed to read that the Franklin County Court House design may change from the bottom image to the top image. Pizutti has really made a sincere effort to come up with a unique design that embraces environmentally friendly practices and interacts well with the site and the surrounding buildings. Downtown which has lost its architectural history through demolition cannot afford to put up another bland appearing building. While I recognize that their are financial limitations to consider I strongly believe that we are once again missing a unique opportunity to create a new image for our downtown by not creating an architecturally significant civic building. Full story below.
Courthouse price tag soars by $11 million
Friday, October 19, 2007 3:53 AM
By Barbara Carmen
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Franklin County commissioners were reeling from sticker shock yesterday, after learning their dazzling, $105 million glass courthouse could run 10 percent over budget unless they make hard choices.
"It looks like $11 million in compromises," Commissioner Paula Brooks said after meeting with architects.
Designers described the proposed ways to stay on budget as "value engineering options."
Commissioners had an immediate reaction to the redesigned exteriors. They didn't like them.
"It looks kind of like an old post office," Brooks said. "Where have these issues been before? This is a pretty big design change."
Architects allowed that the projector they were using wasn't the best, but they didn't argue that they liked the original -- and pricier -- designs better.
Mike Bird of Pizzuti Solutions, which is overseeing the project for commissioners, said they're not over budget, and choices made in coming weeks by commissioners will keep it that way.
General conceptual designs were unveiled in June. Actual engineering recently provided a clearer price tag.
"This is how these projects go. You have to fine-tune. Rarely do they come in under budget," Bird said. "We're saying to commissioners: Here are some options. Here are some opportunities."
Some proposed cuts were better received than others. For example, commissioners indicated it makes sense to eliminate 4-foot-deep ledges on the north side of the building. That will save $2.2 million in construction materials. And the windows will be cheaper to clean because crews won't need to stretch.
"Four feet -- that's as big as me!" quipped Commissioner Marilyn Brown, who is not quite that petite.
The redesign might also please the Downtown Commission, whose members compared the deeply recessed facade to a parking garage.
That commission has the ability to kill a project it doesn't like, but Chairman Harrison Smith said he'll wait to pass judgment until he sees the choices commissioners make.
"It's a question of whether these trade-offs are made in sensible ways," Smith said. "I think we have to recognize budget constraints. The place I don't like to see them come, I guess, is at a time this late in the process."
One proposal already raising eyebrows is the use of pre-cast concrete on the west side of the building. The original design has walls of windows facing the river. This glass would be discarded in 2030 if the courthouse is expanded.
Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy appeared skeptical: "So it would look like that for 20 years? That's a significant change in the look and feel of the building.
"I've asked all along, 'Could we build this building with this budget?' The building seems not quite the same building we were getting before."
David A. Brehm of the DesignGroup, lead architect on the project, told commissioners they are keenly aware that they're producing an "important building … But, we're driven to meet budget."
The public likely won't notice many of the change options outlined yesterday: For example, designers suggested using cheaper floor coverings in support-staff areas and shaving a few inches off each courtroom.
Cumulative savings, however, would be huge.
Brehm told commissioners he wanted to "get a feel for your acceptance" before proceeding with more detailed design drawings and showing changes to those who will use the new Common Pleas courthouse.
Watching closely is Judge Richard A. Frye, who said commissioners must weigh short-term costs with a long-term investment.
"They've never really had any hard designs to put a budget against," Frye said. "This building will really be a landmark. We can't roll over and make this thing a mess."
Courthouse price tag soars by $11 millionFriday, October 19, 2007 3:53 AM
By Barbara Carmen
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Franklin County commissioners were reeling from sticker shock yesterday, after learning their dazzling, $105 million glass courthouse could run 10 percent over budget unless they make hard choices.
"It looks like $11 million in compromises," Commissioner Paula Brooks said after meeting with architects.
Designers described the proposed ways to stay on budget as "value engineering options."
Commissioners had an immediate reaction to the redesigned exteriors. They didn't like them.
"It looks kind of like an old post office," Brooks said. "Where have these issues been before? This is a pretty big design change."
Architects allowed that the projector they were using wasn't the best, but they didn't argue that they liked the original -- and pricier -- designs better.
Mike Bird of Pizzuti Solutions, which is overseeing the project for commissioners, said they're not over budget, and choices made in coming weeks by commissioners will keep it that way.
General conceptual designs were unveiled in June. Actual engineering recently provided a clearer price tag.
"This is how these projects go. You have to fine-tune. Rarely do they come in under budget," Bird said. "We're saying to commissioners: Here are some options. Here are some opportunities."
Some proposed cuts were better received than others. For example, commissioners indicated it makes sense to eliminate 4-foot-deep ledges on the north side of the building. That will save $2.2 million in construction materials. And the windows will be cheaper to clean because crews won't need to stretch.
"Four feet -- that's as big as me!" quipped Commissioner Marilyn Brown, who is not quite that petite.
The redesign might also please the Downtown Commission, whose members compared the deeply recessed facade to a parking garage.
That commission has the ability to kill a project it doesn't like, but Chairman Harrison Smith said he'll wait to pass judgment until he sees the choices commissioners make.
"It's a question of whether these trade-offs are made in sensible ways," Smith said. "I think we have to recognize budget constraints. The place I don't like to see them come, I guess, is at a time this late in the process."
One proposal already raising eyebrows is the use of pre-cast concrete on the west side of the building. The original design has walls of windows facing the river. This glass would be discarded in 2030 if the courthouse is expanded.
Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy appeared skeptical: "So it would look like that for 20 years? That's a significant change in the look and feel of the building.
"I've asked all along, 'Could we build this building with this budget?' The building seems not quite the same building we were getting before."
David A. Brehm of the DesignGroup, lead architect on the project, told commissioners they are keenly aware that they're producing an "important building … But, we're driven to meet budget."
The public likely won't notice many of the change options outlined yesterday: For example, designers suggested using cheaper floor coverings in support-staff areas and shaving a few inches off each courtroom.
Cumulative savings, however, would be huge.
Brehm told commissioners he wanted to "get a feel for your acceptance" before proceeding with more detailed design drawings and showing changes to those who will use the new Common Pleas courthouse.
Watching closely is Judge Richard A. Frye, who said commissioners must weigh short-term costs with a long-term investment.
"They've never really had any hard designs to put a budget against," Frye said. "This building will really be a landmark. We can't roll over and make this thing a mess."
EMPTY SLATE- N. HIGH AND E. FIFTH
Update from the below post...Here is a pic of the cleared site.My camera died on me this morning so I couldn't take a picture but I wanted to let you all know that the fuel station has been torn down. The canopy remains but crews were still onsite so that may be the next to go.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
STATE CAPITOL IN MINIATURE
I think this is another good step at bringing cultural centers alive downtown.
Interactive museum set for Statehouse 
The new museum will be built on the ground level of the Statehouse. It will have touch-screen displays and images projected on the ceiling and walls." border="0"> State officials have approved building not one but two new Statehouses, both made entirely of glass.
Interactive museum set for Statehouse
Thursday, October 18, 2007 4:00 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The new museum will be built on the ground level of the Statehouse. It will have touch-screen displays and images projected on the ceiling and walls." border="0"> Hilferty Museum Planning and Exhibit Design
The new museum will be built on the ground level of the Statehouse. It will have touch-screen displays and images projected on the ceiling and walls.
One will light up internally to highlight architectural features. The second will project video and photographs on the walls showing major events in the 146-year history of the Statehouse.
Of course, the two new Statehouses will be pretty small: 4 feet wide and 18 inches tall, about one-64th the size of the real thing.
The models will be part of a $3.5 million interactive Statehouse Museum that by March 2009 will bring eye-popping interactive electronic exhibits and innovative hands-on displays to the rather drab ground-level floor or "crypt" level of the state capitol. The project will be funded with private donations from the nonprofit Capitol Square Foundation, along with $741,000 previously approved by the state legislature.
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Committee, the panel that oversees the Statehouse and grounds, unanimously approved plans for the 15,000-square-foot museum yesterday.
"Our greatest hope," said Richard H. Finan, former Ohio Senate president and chairman of the board, "is that the Statehouse itself, complemented by the new museum, will inspire the next generation of public servants."
About 61,000 people toured the Statehouse last year; another 24,000 came for special events.
While it won't compete with Disney World, the new museum will feature state-of-the-art interactive technology: touch-screen displays, mini-projectors and images projected on ceilings and walls.
There also will be backdrops where visitors will be able stand at a podium and deliver their own State of the State speech or sit at the governor's desk and sign a bill into law as the governor -- and have it all captured on video.
Another electronic feature will allow visitors to try their hand at the daunting task of balancing the state budget, using a tabletop pie chart and colored balls to allocate spending for various categories. Computerized budget "experts" will be available to help.
Elections also will be highlighted, with a look at voting technology from the ballot box to touch-screens, as well as video displays for campaign TV commercials.
One highlight of the new museum will need no bells and whistles: the Ohio Constitution, displayed in a sealed case. Officials were uncertain whether the fragile original 1802 document or its 1851 successor will be exhibited.
Gerry Hilferty, president of Hilferty Museum Planning and Exhibit Design, a top national firm located in Athens that planned the museum, said no other working Statehouse in the country will match Ohio's high-tech presentation. Hilferty's clients include the Lewis and Clark Visitors Center in St. Louis, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Ky., and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
Charles R. Moses, chairman of the Capitol Square Foundation, said private donations still are being raised to pay for the museum project. More than a dozen local companies and foundations have contributed, including $100,000 from the Wolfe Foundation. John F. Wolfe is chairman, publisher and CEO of The Dispatch.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
SPECTATORS WANTED
The Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon run starts at the intersection of Broad and High Streets in downtown Columbus this Sunday, October 21, at 8:00 a.m. for runners (7 a.m. for walkers).
Marathons are great special events because they showcase city neighborhoods to the hundreds and sometime thousands of participants and spectators.
If you are not running think about cheering on the racers. It is a fun and encouraging way to spend a Sunday afternoon and as a past marathoner can attest to how helpful it is to see people on the sidelines. If you do decide to go this Sunday think about doing one or all of the following:
- Write well wishes in chalk on the street
- Cheer, clap and whistle- call out bib numbers or names
- Bring a poster or sign
- Bring candy, granola bars or cut oranges to hand out
A full course map is available at http://www.columbusmarathon.com/ which can help you locate the runners or find alternative driving routes.
THE SKY IS NOT FALLING
I've long admired the Addressing Machine and Supply building on E. Fourth Avenue across from the post office and was pleased to see it being cleaned out last Thursday. I did have to dodge objects being thrown into a pickup truck from the third floor but it still warmed my hear to see some progress on it.
Cue the rumor mill....what is going on in there? I hope they keep or fix the Adressing sign.
30 ALUMINUM CANS GET YOU A LATTE
Every few days I load up my car with my recycling to take to Kroger on N. High. This never goes well for me. Either I forget to drop them off and my car ends up smelling like a mix of stale Diet Pepsi and red wine for a few days or I take a corner too fast and I end up with juice bottles wedged under my seat. I could simply pay for curbside recycling and end my self-inflicted suffering but I refuse to solely on principle. So the question is why should people be allowed to throw as much as they want in the trash can when it costs to recycle?
And now a vent followed by a suggestion.
To give Columbus credit, recycling collection sites and curbside recycling do exist and the City did experiment with the blue bag recycling for a short while. While these available options are better than not having any recycling programs, what we do have is insufficient and certainly not advancing environmentally friendly practices by the City. Mayor Coleman continually boasts his Get Green initiative but the plan is not all encompassing and only highlights his successes (i.e. Lazarus) and not what he is failing to do. Coleman has an awesome opportunity to make a bold decision and institute free curbside recycling but he fails to do so citing a promise made in the 1950's not to charge for waste collection. His lack of initiative reflects an overall complacency with maintaining the status quo.
Sorry, I got worked up. So if Mayor Coleman believes that people will not pay for trash collection how about starting an incentive-based recycling program similar to Philadelphia's Recycle Bank. This recommendation may sound familiar since it played on NPR this morning.
Recycle-Bank distributes green containers with identifying bar codes free of charge to any city resident. Collection trucks scan and weigh the containers to see how much is being recycled. Each participating household can earn up to 35 USD per month in the form of coupons to be used toward purchases at a major chain such as Starbucks. Participants can track and redeem their points online. Recycle-Bank makes a profit by charging the municipality about 24-30 USD per participating household which the City makes up in money saved in landfill fees.
I think this is a brilliant option that needs to be further explored by the City of Columbus. For more information on Recycle Bank, visit http://www.recyclebank.com/. Their pig/trashcan logo alone is worth the visit alone.
Friday, October 12, 2007
BIG BOX EVALUATOR TOOL
The Orton Family Foundation enthusiastically announced its release of the Big Box Evaluator tool, designed to help communities and individuals learn about the impacts of big box retail stores. The unbiased tool is designed not to take a stand on big box development, but to help citizens make informed decisions based on each community's specific characteristics and values.
Available free to the public at www.bigboxevaluator.org, the web-based interface allows users to learn about commercial and retail development in general, but also to input specific information from their communities and receive customized reports on economics, values, planning and municpal services, and ways to improve the development process.
Citizens in communities facing proposals for big box development can select the type of town that most closely resembles their own, and the type of development proposed (neighborhood store to large "supercenter"). Users can then enter specific information and personal values in four categories (Economy, Environment, Society, and Visual), ranging from expected tax revenues to amount of signalized intersection work required, runoff mitigation requirements to the importance of community character.
The Big Box Evaluator creates a customized report for each user based on the specific inputs, with information like projected municipal costs and revenues, change in average wages, and annual price savings for family. Users are also given a list of action items based on the input values, which store developers can consider in order to help meet the community's concerns.
The Orton Family Foundation is a Colorado- and Vermont-based operating foundation supported by profits from the Vermont Country Store
Available free to the public at www.bigboxevaluator.org, the web-based interface allows users to learn about commercial and retail development in general, but also to input specific information from their communities and receive customized reports on economics, values, planning and municpal services, and ways to improve the development process.
Citizens in communities facing proposals for big box development can select the type of town that most closely resembles their own, and the type of development proposed (neighborhood store to large "supercenter"). Users can then enter specific information and personal values in four categories (Economy, Environment, Society, and Visual), ranging from expected tax revenues to amount of signalized intersection work required, runoff mitigation requirements to the importance of community character.
The Big Box Evaluator creates a customized report for each user based on the specific inputs, with information like projected municipal costs and revenues, change in average wages, and annual price savings for family. Users are also given a list of action items based on the input values, which store developers can consider in order to help meet the community's concerns.
The Orton Family Foundation is a Colorado- and Vermont-based operating foundation supported by profits from the Vermont Country Store
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