Posted: 6/5/02

Columbus EDC will make list of uses

Berk Brown
Staff Writer

Making a list isnít as simple as checking it twice for proposed uses in Columbus Townshipís freeway development district.

At the May 22 meeting of the Columbus Economic Development Committee, it was decided to initially let someone else make a list for potential uses.

After hearing from multiple planners later this month, members of the EDC decided they will then begin to pick apart uses they would like to see in the freeway district.

That conclusion wasnít reached, however, until the end of the meeting after 90 minutes of debate during which the EDC went over use lists from other communities.

Initially, EDC member of township chairman Mel Mettler didnít like the idea of putting together a comprehensive list.

ìAs soon as you make a list, youíre changing it all the time,î Mettler said during his support of a broader range of uses instead of an itemized list.

EDC member Bob Linwood, a business owner in the freeway district who has been outspokenly critical of future plans, said whatever the township decides to do, it should try and become more conducive to development.

ìEveryone might be anxious to get development going somewhere, but youíve got to get it described so when a developer comes in, itís a streamlined process,î Linwood said. ìYou put these people through too much...do something so we donít have to go through months and months just to get something we want.

ìThereís a reason why nothing has happened here yet.î

Mettler rebutted Linwoodís thoughts about the townshipsí timeline for permits and the like being too long.

ìI donít think thatís unique to Columbus,î he said.

Linwood closed by cautioning the EDC not to come up with uses so specific they become detrimental.

ìIf you get it too specific, weíre going to chance people,î he said.

Township supervisor and EDC member John Gross theorized it would be better to simply end the debate and bring in someone with experience in putting together uses for developing areas.

ìWhy not get somebody in here thatís a professional who can save us a lot of time and energy,î Gross asked.

Supervisor Renae Fry, also an EDC member, wasnít sure it made sense to bring in planners to come up with a list when the EDC had a pair of working lists in front of it.

ìWeíve already got it here and all we need to do is tear it apart,î she said, adding that it would be easier to pull apart an existing proposal as opposed to trying to put one together.

Before the EDC decided to get information from multiple planners for the list of uses, Fry added that those sitting around the table should be the ones capable of coming up with the lists.

ìWe live here,î Fry said. ìWeíre the experts.î

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