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Merion Village Gateway Planning Meeting Sept 8

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Started 1 year ago by Anne
Latest reply from bdoughton

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Anne
King Lincoln
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The Merion Village Association announces the date/time for the Ã¢â‚¬ËœSpecial MeetingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ to unveil the details of the Gateway Signage & Streetscape Beautification Plan. Cheryl Huffman from the Neighborhood Design Center, will present the results of the fact-finding survey, begun last November, at the request of the Merion Village Association.

Wednesday, Sept 8, 6-8pm. 1330 South Fourth Street

Based in Columbus, the NDC is a leading firm specializing in long range strategies and planning for urban neighborhoods confronting unique challenges in the modern environment. The study was created to augment the growing identity of the community, in addition to building the social and economic values of the area. The Merion Village Gateways Workgroup, the committee overseeing the project, hopes that this plan, intended to reflect the vision of the entire community, will spur economic development until 2025 and beyond.

Topics Include: Gateway Signage Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Pedestrian Signage & Amenities Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Vehicular Signage Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Public Murals & Sculpture Locations Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Funding Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Timeline Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Business Partners Ã¢â‚¬â€œ MV Arts Community Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Columbus City Schools

Panelists Include: Cheryl Huffman Neighborhood Design Center Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The Merion Village Association Executive Board Members The Merion Village Gateways Workgroup Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Jo Anne St.Clair City of Columbus Department of Development

Ever evolving popular culture and sweeping shifts in public attitudes require a more aggressive approach in the denser, historic core neighborhoods of Columbus. ALL RESIDENTS & BUSINESS OWNERS OF MERION VILLAGE ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. The Gateway Signage Initiative is designed to be Ã¢â‚¬Ëœcommunity drivenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢. The meeting will have a public discussion forum which will enable attendees to voice any concerns or offer any suggestions. The Gateways Workgroup has created a website specifically for this project alone. Merion Village residents can view and download any or all of the study, and post comments as the various design processes move forward.

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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This is what I want to see more of: gateway arches in the Arch City. They do wonders not just for anyone unfamiliar with the area, but help to educate Columbus residents by giving neighborhoods a better sense of place in relation to each other. These will surely be on S High, but where is this special online page with all the details? I just worry this might be Highland West all over again where the city comes up with nice renderings of a special gateway treatment and then does nothing to help fund any of it. Is the neighborhood expected to come up with the money in this case or is the city going to fund it like they did the new Goodale Park entrance?

Posted 1 year ago #
MHuckaby

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I absolutely love our Merion Village Arch with logo, but no one knows where we are because it does not crossover High St. Keep the same arch, paint the structure black (Keep the logo the same nice green) and move it over High St! That would save a lot of money. Then put a duplicate one across High St on the south end of the neighborhood.

I love our neighborhood and want to see it cleaned it, but there are certainly many challenges of many types. Tear down all of the trashy, junk and abandoned houses. Get rid of the junk cars on the streets. Make people cut their yards. Get rid of the gang graffiti and so on.

Posted 1 year ago #
misroff7
Merion Village, Columbus
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Thank you all for your comments!
Yes! We want neighborhood recognition to promote civic pride and belonging, but also to bridge with our neighbors we border on all sides with artful elements, signage, and signals that you have arrived...and know when you are in Merion Village.
Cheryl Huffman and The Neighborhood Design Center have partnered with us(MV Gateway Group) to create an unbiased guideline for Gateways(Points of interest, art, and demarcation from pedestrian, vehicular perspectives).The Gateway Group, can take all of this valuable information, and consider the unique aspects of our neighborhood and how/where we may have the most impact based on our collective experiences as residents. We also may choose to address secondary locations that have needing attention or have dual objectives (announcement + beautification + permission + funding)
Of course, funding is an issue as with all civic projects, and we will surely be addressing after the meeting. Beautification is indeed alot of "cleaning-up" and I couldn't agree more that we need to continue to partner with the Mayor's office, absentee landlords as well as commercial landlords to update and "green" their properties to better represent our neighborhood, while maintaining our diversity and ability to express ourselves. The empty lots/ parking lots are soulless blights on our map-enough said. We all provide "gateways" into our micro-neighborhoods as we have friends and family visit our homes,and local businesses everyday.

Please join us for the PUBLIC MEETING!! We appreciate your time and energy in this effort in advance, and look forward to your comments and contributions!!!

Posted 1 year ago #
stinkybomb
merionvillage
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[/quote]I love our neighborhood and want to see it cleaned it, but there are certainly many challenges of many types. Tear down all of the trashy, junk and abandoned houses. Get rid of the junk cars on the streets. Make people cut their yards. Get rid of the gang graffiti and so on. [/quote]

I like my junkie house. I call them "art cars". I mow when I can, 8 months pregnant makes a girl want to not go out and mow in 90 degree weather. We'll have an artist come tag our side building to make the graffiti urbanafide.

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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The arch locations are easy enough: Nursery Lane & High and Morrill & High. If the Near South has a kiosk on E Livingston listing local businesses, I don't see why MV shouldn't have some.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Really looking forward to the results of this project. The community pride that comes out of the MVA is constantly impressing me. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
melikecheese
Merion Village
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I guess I should get involved and go to this, if anything I can vote for an Arch on my street.

Personally I vote we spend the money on exposing the bricks that are under a lot of the paved streets here.

Posted 1 year ago #
misroff7
Merion Village, Columbus
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GREAT Comment "Melikecheese"....Alot of our streets would look better with the brick that is there, waiting for exposure! I was at the wonderful MV BLOCK PARTY last Saturday- and Gates looks great with the pavers!!! Also, it might slow-down traffic that is so annoying- especially on Moler Street-which is open game from Parsons to High St. Motor cycles, loud "bass-line)hoopties, cops even- speed down that tiny street- often to the detriment of parked cars and mothers of young children, not to mention noise pollution which is protected by an ordinance in our neighborhood.

Posted 1 year ago #
misroff7
Merion Village, Columbus
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Please come and share your thoughts everyone (next WED)! Murals are also a great way to engage the senses, create intuitive wayfinding throughout the community and enliven otherwise leftover space or vacant buildings, not to mention thriving, vibrant ones as well!

Posted 1 year ago #
merion villager

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Columbusite wrote >>
The arch locations are easy enough: Nursery Lane & High and Morrill & High. If the Near South has a kiosk on E Livingston listing local businesses, I don't see why MV shouldn't have some.

Thanks, Columbusite, for your input. Streetscape info kiosks are indeed 'top of the list' as an element of the NDC study. In fact, one or perhaps more than one, may well be the first 'implementation' of the different elements defined. 'Knowledge is Power' Neighborhood landmarks - What's going on - things of interest - restaurants et.al. Just defining our geography with a map would be a start.

Posted 1 year ago #
merion villager

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Columbusite wrote >>
This is what I want to see more of: gateway arches in the Arch City. They do wonders not just for anyone unfamiliar with the area, but help to educate Columbus residents by giving neighborhoods a better sense of place in relation to each other. These will surely be on S High, but where is this special online page with all the details? I just worry this might be Highland West all over again where the city comes up with nice renderings of a special gateway treatment and then does nothing to help fund any of it. Is the neighborhood expected to come up with the money in this case or is the city going to fund it like they did the new Goodale Park entrance?

Yeah, very good points. I can only say that from a humble and rather inauspicious beginning, the project has gained community support. Unique perhaps, or not, is the fact that this is 'community driven' MV residents have created the renderings, and we will pursue our own funding. Ingredients for failure, one might suppose, and destined for the purgatory of similar 'glossy' studies, never to see a shovel or a nail. I guess we'll see

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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I'm really looking forward to this and hoping this comes to fruition. I'm certain that even a few things getting built would do wonders to boost the neighborhood even more. For a fundraiser idea I might suggest a bar crawl and maybe end it at Tee Jaye's and/or Dan's.

Posted 1 year ago #
merion villager

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Columbusite wrote >>
I'm really looking forward to this and hoping this comes to fruition. I'm certain that even a few things getting built would do wonders to boost the neighborhood even more. For a fundraiser idea I might suggest a bar crawl and maybe end it at Tee Jaye's and/or Dan's.

sounds like you know your way around these parts? Are you an MV refugee? Please consider joining us weds.evening. No door man checking I.D.'s for spies. Being designed for community residents doesn't necessarily exclude others. We're all in the same business here, regardless of borders, or any cultural attitudes a few streets might make.

I agree with your reflection. I would also be happy with just a couple things, of any nature, at any location.

Give it some thought. You dont have to stay for the entire presentation.

Posted 1 year ago #
merion villager

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MHuckaby wrote >>
I absolutely love our Merion Village Arch with logo, but no one knows where we are because it does not crossover High St. Keep the same arch, paint the structure black (Keep the logo the same nice green) and move it over High St! That would save a lot of money. Then put a duplicate one across High St on the south end of the neighborhood.
I love our neighborhood and want to see it cleaned it, but there are certainly many challenges of many types. Tear down all of the trashy, junk and abandoned houses. Get rid of the junk cars on the streets. Make people cut their yards. Get rid of the gang graffiti and so on.

I know of more than a few who share your thoughts Re: MV arch, more or less 'exactly'. This meeting is designed, in part, to collect community input. Please attend weds.evening and consider becoming a member of the Association if not already. this whole deal might be a 'milestone' for MV. The waymark where, we 'turned the corner'.

Posted 1 year ago #
merion villager

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Columbusite wrote >>
The arch locations are easy enough: Nursery Lane & High and Morrill & High. If the Near South has a kiosk on E Livingston listing local businesses, I don't see why MV shouldn't have some.

where's the Livingston kiosk at, exactly? you got a photo or a link?
For the sake of discussion: where would you locate such an item in Merion Village ?

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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The bus stops here are also themed with "Livingston Avenue" in the same font as the signs. Something else to consider.

Posted 1 year ago #
merion villager

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Columbusite wrote >>
The bus stops here are also themed with "Livingston Avenue" in the same font as the signs. Something else to consider.

You're allright for a Clintonville guy! Thank You Very Much...livingston @ kelton. would you say that design is 'representative' of livingston ave. history i.e. theatre marquees? meant to connect with the 'heyday' of the livingston corridor? is that their brand? is that theme seen elsewhere? i appreciate your effort columbusite! very kind of you....however, i would 'name that tune' at least 8 grand-closer to 10...we ain't packin' that kind of juice. i could see maybe 5 of those on high street - thurman/greenlawn to morrill. to me that thing is 88% art/brand - 12%business info. our approach is a little more formulaic? visibility v. impact v. message v. i'll have trouble getting that image out of my head. be stunning on high street MORPC 25000 cars/day down side is: no destinations? or few, at best...

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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Ha! I've been a Clintonville resident for just under a week. I do think they were going with a heyday theme. If you look at the existing commercial structures you'll notice a few were theaters at one time. I'd love to see what it once looked like, but as with anything outside of Downtown you'll have a hell of a time trying to find anything. I haven't seen much more of a treatment on other less traveled commercial streets: Linden has gateway signage and banners, East Columbus has gateways along with fancy bus shelters that likewise contrast with the declining neighborhood. Franklinton does have a few kiosks along with neighborhood markers that simply read "Franklinton" and a gateway sign near a highway ramp.

Kiosks are certainly pedestrian oriented in their function and yes, MV's stretch of High is rather sporadic in commercial activity and much more residential. Somewhat similar to German Village is the fact that there is no one major commercial street: everything is spread out on various streets. As for placement, I would just put them near the most visited establishments in the neighborhood to enhance the synergy between them and address connectivity issues between each commercial street. S High certainly has room for more businesses and I know I wouldn't mind seeing some of those car lots give way to Late Night Slice type of establishments that serve as a draw. From Neff to Jenkins you do have a good mix of businesses with a dance center, psychic, bluegrass music shop, donut shop, and a pub, which can be expanded on (maybe get the city to zone a couple of empty homes to commercial use?) to increase walkability. BTW, is there anything going on with the former Somewhere Else building?

MV neighborhood pamphlets with history, photos, map and business directory distributed throughout locations in the neighborhood may very well be more effective and certainly much cheaper. With more attention brought to the neighborhood that can only help attract more entrepreneurs to open a business in the area. Perhaps well-placed wayfinding signs for drivers, like a sign before Gates on S High pointing to Red Brick Tavern and Hal & Al's (with a bar and dining icon) would be a good idea. Like you mentioned earlier, the streets by themselves don't offer too much yet, so why not highlight by name what businesses you've got that are of interest for visitors along with other points of interest like parks, churches, historical sites, etc? This way drivers heading down High know there's more than just what's on that street alone.

Posted 1 year ago #
merion villager

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Columbusite wrote >>
Ha! I've been a Clintonville resident for just under a week. I do think they were going with a heyday theme. If you look at the existing commercial structures you'll notice a few were theaters at one time. I'd love to see what it once looked like, but as with anything outside of Downtown you'll have a hell of a time trying to find anything. I haven't seen much more of a treatment on other less traveled commercial streets: Linden has gateway signage and banners, East Columbus has gateways along with fancy bus shelters that likewise contrast with the declining neighborhood. Franklinton does have a few kiosks along with neighborhood markers that simply read "Franklinton" and a gateway sign near a highway ramp.
Kiosks are certainly pedestrian oriented in their function and yes, MV's stretch of High is rather sporadic in commercial activity and much more residential. Somewhat similar to German Village is the fact that there is no one major commercial street: everything is spread out on various streets. As for placement, I would just put them near the most visited establishments in the neighborhood to enhance the synergy between them and address connectivity issues between each commercial street. S High certainly has room for more businesses and I know I wouldn't mind seeing some of those car lots give way to Late Night Slice type of establishments that serve as a draw. From Neff to Jenkins you do have a good mix of businesses with a dance center, psychic, bluegrass music shop, donut shop, and a pub, which can be expanded on (maybe get the city to zone a couple of empty homes to commercial use?) to increase walkability. BTW, is there anything going on with the former Somewhere Else building?
MV neighborhood pamphlets with history, photos, map and business directory distributed throughout locations in the neighborhood may very well be more effective and certainly much cheaper. With more attention brought to the neighborhood that can only help attract more entrepreneurs to open a business in the area. Perhaps well-placed wayfinding signs for drivers, like a sign before Gates on S High pointing to Red Brick Tavern and Hal & Al's (with a bar and dining icon) would be a good idea. Like you mentioned earlier, the streets by themselves don't offer too much yet, so why not highlight by name what businesses you've got that are of interest for visitors along with other points of interest like parks, churches, historical sites, etc? This way drivers heading down High know there's more than just what's on that street alone.

sweet idea re: high street signs for establishments. I'll run that past our 'pocket protector' types (zoning - graphic ordnance)

we all wish somewhere else was in fact somewhere else. owner has granted permission for a mural @ south elev. arguably the least aesthetic view for northbound traffic

MV is full (10+) of little corner buildings once groceries, pharmacys and cottage industries. Now they stand 'swathed' in T-111 grooved plywood. 'kryptonite' for economic speculators

Posted 1 year ago #