POWELL — Powell City Council approved three resolutions Wednesday that inch the city closer to connecting Scioto Street with Grace Drive, reducing congestion around the main intersection.
The resolutions lay the groundwork for the city to provide new infrastructure, better traffic and new jobs and services, City Manager Andy White said. White anticipates construction of the extension will begin next year.
They also allow Powell officials to coordinate a major public project with a private development plan to maximize infrastructure investments.
Powell officials have discussed the Scioto Street extension project since 2004, White said, and traffic congestion at the North Liberty Street and Olentangy Street intersection has only increased since then.
Private-public agreement allows for coordinated development
Council first approved a development and property conveyance agreement between the city and Cohiba Properties LLC to coordinate public infrastructure improvements with private revitalization in downtown Powell.
Cohiba Properties LLC owns 28 N. Liberty St., home to The Recipe Cooking and Company, and 36 N. Liberty St., better known as the red barn, which is home to Board and Brush.
The private development plan involves Cohiba adding an adaptive-reuse and mixed-use expansion through a multi-story addition behind the historic red barn building, a restaurant/patio space, and residential and commercial spaces, according to the agreement.
That development will directly abut the extension, and the city plans to coordinate a public plaza and outdoor seating area at the extension’s North Liberty Street entrance.
The agreement benefits both Powell and Cohiba because it:
- Facilitates the conveyance of property from Cohiba to the city to support the Scioto Street Extension and parking project that will add between 130-150 spaces.
- Facilitates the conveyance of Powell property to Cohiba to support Cohiba’s revitalization project
- Creates benchmark incentives for Cohiba to redevelop its properties at 28 and 36 N. Liberty St. Those incentives involve the city paying Cohiba up to $350,000 when it meets certain project milestones, including conveying the property to Powell, obtaining plan approvals, securing a tenant and more, according to a memo sent to city council.
“Coordinating the public and private projects would allow roadway access, parking, utilities and stormwater infrastructure to be planned together, helping ensure the improvements work in conjunction with the proposed redevelopment,” the memo reads.
White said the extension will “provide access to land that has been inaccessible for a long time,” and prompt new development along it.
Two resolutions begin eminent domain process
The other two resolutions relate to eminent domain acquisitions, which is a power legally granted by both the U.S. constitution and Ohio law allowing government agencies to take private property for a public use, even if the owner does not want to sell.
Eminent domain acquisitions ensure that a single property owner cannot block important public projects that benefit the public, such as new roads or bridges.
Councilman Tyler Herrmann was the lone objector to both resolutions. However, White told council the resolutions are not actions, but placeholders.
“This is a large project. It spans over several properties, and we’ve been in discussion with several property owners for going on three years now,” White explained.
“This step in the process provides for the city to continue with the project. If it’s needed to go through a taking of the property in some future state, this authorizes that action to happen. It is not an authorization of any type of taken this evening.”
The approved resolutions begin the required eminent domain process, but the city does not yet own the properties. Powell will have to pay the owner fair market value for the portion of the property.
Powell officials seek to permanently obtain a 0.067-acre parcel of the 0.2-acre property at 32 E. Olentangy St., owned by Olentangy 32 LLC.
The city also seeks portions of properties located at 24 E. Olentangy St., home to the Parlor, and 22 N. Liberty St., home to the Powell Liberty Antique Mall, as well as adjacent property owned by Powell Liberty Associates LLC, according to the resolution.
Property owner opposes resolution
Owner of those parcels, Chris Freiheit and his daughter Sarah Freiheit, asked council to reconsider approving the resolution.
Chris Freiheit said he hasn’t spoken to city officials in over a year about their desire to obtain portions of his properties.
“Intending to take my land is, I think, a little beyond the pale,” he said. “We haven’t seriously discussed a way to make this work, but I’m not opposed to this parking arrangement. I’m not opposed to my acreage being used for it. In fact, I supported it in the past.”
His main objection, Freiheit said, was the city taking parking from his existing businesses.
“By taking my land on 24 N. Olentangy, they’re destroying that business. It will have no parking. It has no future redevelopment possibilities,” he said. “It’s only a small parcel with a house and 14 spaces that I currently have there. They want to delete those spaces and take the land for this overall larger project. I think that’s inappropriate.”
Sarah Freiheit backed up his statements, saying she thought the city seeking use of eminent domain was shortcutting a private developer’s problem.
“The city calls this a public parking improvement, but how is taking one family’s private property and spending public money to create exactly the 55 spaces that COhatch was relieved of providing a greater public benefit,” she said.
The city previously approved a development plan for the new COhatch at 50 E. Olentangy St. that reduced parking from 78 spaces to 23.
Vice Mayor Tom Counts said residents continue to express their concerns with traffic and parking downtown and this extension aims to address those needs.
“This particular connection has been out there for a long time. It has not been done because we have had no money, but it is the function of government and the government has the power to provide for these kinds of community needs,” Counts said.
“At some point if you can’t come to that kind of agreement, we’ve been given these powers to do so, for the the betterment and the greater good of the community.”
