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YouTubeLiz, I really appreciated your letter today. As a lifelong Columbus resident, it baffles me that the city would put any roadblocks in the way of the most life and vitality downtown has had in my lifetime. Put this together w/ the Pearl Alley fiasco and I think the Mayor and City Council really need to show some leadership on this ASAP --especially with an election approaching.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion
City Hassling Businesses on Gay St
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ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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Posted 9 months ago # -
SusanB
Hungarian Village, Columbus' fastest growing Gayborhood!
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Chris-
http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/removal-of-j-gumbo-fence-and-flowers-downtown
Posted 9 months ago # -
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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It seems obvious what is happening here. The suburbs have banded together to create a team of City of Columbus Department of Public Services employee imposters. They tromp around downtown threatening businesses, thus luring them into moving to places like BriHi and Creekside. Crafty suburbs.
Posted 9 months ago # -
ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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SusanB said:
Chris-http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/removal-of-j-gumbo-fence-and-flowers-downtown
Oops, checked to see if it was posted already, but didn't look in the right thread.
BTW Susan, saw you were in the Dispatch today too! :)
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/08/13/housing-plans-poorly-received.html
Posted 9 months ago # -
ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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As you know, I can see both sides on this one, but I thought you argued your points very well in the article.
Posted 9 months ago # -
lizless
Columbus/Hocking Hills
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Thanks, Chris.
Honestly, it's the Mayor and Council that need to handle this.
Mayor can put an immediate stop to the harassment right now if he wanted to by temporarily lifting all non-emergency enforcement.
Council needs to change the 1950s code to a 2011 sidewalk code and they need to do it immediately if they care about downtown revitalization and small businesses. Downtown revitalization depends on it.
We didn't elect Kelsey and his staff but we did elect Mayor and Council to hold them accountable to the growth and vibrancy of downtown. I believe Mayor and Council want a vibrant downtown, it's up to them to fix it as they're the only people who can.
It's time for Mayor and Columbus City Council to put their words into action downtown.
Posted 9 months ago # -
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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johnwirtz said:
It seems obvious what is happening here. The suburbs have banded together to create a team of City of Columbus Department of Public Services employee imposters. They tromp around downtown threatening businesses, thus luring them into moving to places like BriHi and Creekside. Crafty suburbs.You should drive in Upper Arlington, they have safe and ample sidewalks, and all the pedestrians walk in the street.
Posted 9 months ago # -
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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Our neighborhood has no sidewalks at all, it's mid-60s car-dependent design.
Around the corner from me, there's a pedestrian pathway cut across a very long block, I guess the city used an easement because there's a storm drain at each end.
For that matter, there's a pedestrian bridge over the CSX tracks behind Ridgeview which has stairs, you probably couldn't build it that way today. In contrast the pedestrian bridge over 315 and the Olentangy (into the Park of Roses) has ramps, so you could take it in a wheelchair - not that it would be easy.
ETA this was my way to walk to school at Ridgevioew and then Whetstone. As I said, no sidewalks, and instead of a ramp there's a storm sewer. Not fun on a bike. The sewer lid at the Kendale end is dated 1961, and the Kenridge sewer says 1962, but the path went in ~1970.
This is the Kenridge end, note the foliage overhanging the right of way.
This is the approach to the pedestrian bridge over the CSX line behind Ridgeview. Bikes use the driveway apron as a ramp. This was built maybe 1968 or so; before that, students had no legal way to cross the tracks and they'd fence-hop to cross.
Posted 9 months ago # -
cc
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In the other thread there was something about central business districts having to meet stricter ADA regulations. This may be why it seems more of an issue with downtown restaurants. I recall there was a big push in Columbus a few years back to make all those wheelchair curb cuts as the feds were starting to fine the heck out of the city. It is sad if the city and businesses can't work together to meet these requirements as a lot of them do help the disabled (and growing number of graying baby boomers) and will make our city a better place to live. Other cities have to meet these requirements and they don't seem to have many issues.
Posted 9 months ago # -
lizless
Columbus/Hocking Hills
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cc, the problem w/ the wheelchair curb cuts is the City of Columbus screwed up the install in the first place and had to go back and redo them. They weren't done properly to begin with. My friend in a wheelchair toppled going down the too steep incline and was nearly hit by a car. City has since fixed it.
Posted 9 months ago # -
alexs
Limestone bluffs of the Scioto
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alexs said:
You should drive in Upper Arlington, they have safe and ample sidewalks, and all the pedestrians walk in the street.Here you go, I took this shot this morning (cropped from a larger image) - ignore the sidewalk, walk in the street with your back to oncoming traffic, wearing earbuds.
I wonder what she's listening to, maybe 10 tips for a longer life
Posted 9 months ago # -
jpizzow
580 N. Park St.
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Just came from Chicago last weekend and it seems their DPS basically said screw it. There are sidewalk cafes literally everywhere. In some cases you need to wait for the person walking towards you to clear the "path" between outdoor seating and the establishments front door before one can proceed forward. I didn't mind it but I can see the problem with wheelchairs. In any case, they seem to have very lax laws on business spilling out onto the sidewalks and I think, for the most part, it has made that city even better and more vibrant, particularly in the neighborhoods. I was a bit jealous.
Posted 9 months ago # -
cc
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I don't know much about Chicago, but it looks like they got dinged in 2007 by a class action ADA lawsuit that requires them to make over $200 million in sidewalk right of way improvements within the next 5 years. The suit mentions inaccessibility due to sidewalk lunch tables etc.
http://www.wamlaw.com/Chicago%20Settlement%20Summary.pdf
Regardless, I agree that it is vital to keep the vibrancy of the streetscape, and I would rather there be some accessibility 'issues' than a wide open sterile environment. That is not the intent of the laws regardless of what Kelsey thinks.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Static-X
Here
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I could care less about the fencing that a restaurant owner wants in front of their business. The one thing that sickens me most, as a patron of these outdoor seating areas, are the smelly and stinky trash cans that the restaurant owner leaves out by the eating area. Nothing worse than paying for a good meal and smelling the horrible stinch of hot garbage. Just something for you restaurant owners to look in to.
Posted 9 months ago # -
byJody
Rural NW Columbus
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Bump: Meeting Monday at 4pm
4 p.m. Monday in room 300 of 109 N. Front Street.
The printed editorial says "South Front" but it is North Front.
MAP LINKA meeting has been set up between the small-business community and Kelsey for 4 p.m. Monday in room 300 of 109 S. Front Street. If the mayor and council members truly wish to hold the department accountable for its actions and listen to the growing concerns of more than 40 small businesses, they will be there and put their words into action.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2011/08/13/city-hassling-businesses-on-gay-street.htmlPosted 9 months ago # -
Static-X
Here
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byJody said:
Bump: Meeting Monday at 4pm
4 p.m. Monday in room 300 of 109 N. Front Street.
The printed editorial says "South Front" but it is North Front.
MAP LINKA meeting has been set up between the small-business community and Kelsey for 4 p.m. Monday in room 300 of 109 S. Front Street. If the mayor and council members truly wish to hold the department accountable for its actions and listen to the growing concerns of more than 40 small businesses, they will be there and put their words into action.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2011/08/13/city-hassling-businesses-on-gay-street.htmlWill the smelly trash cans, that are left out by the restaurants owners in the eating areas, be brought up as well?
Posted 9 months ago # -
Jordans23000
space
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The resolution (or soon to be resolution) made the front page of Dispatch.com today, good job guys, nice to know if there is a problem in Columbus, common sense will eventually prevail, even if its the city using the iron fist.
Posted 9 months ago # -
cc
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City to business owners: We'll improve customer service
Columbus code officers will be retrained in customer service, Department of Public Service Director Mark Kelsey told Downtown business owners during a meeting this afternoon to discuss complaints about excessive enforcement.
Gay Street restaurant owners say that a Public Service inspector is harassing restaurants that hold permits for sidewalk cafes. For instance, merchants say the department has threatened to revoke patio permits, but Kelsey said officers cannot take away permits unilaterally.
“If I have to fire people, I’ll fire people,” Kelsey said.
Posted 9 months ago #
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