University Area Commission 2015 January Super Committee

Proposed Goals for 2015, Brainstormed Ideas:

(not in priority—not decided on as a group—categorized for a possible UAC committee goal)

Additional thoughts/suggestions from the University Community Association are added in red; input from other groups always welcome as each committee will (in February) work on priorities and plans.

Executive Committee:

  • Challenge ourselves to organize more effectively
  • Implementation of the newly adopted plan
  • Prioritize goals and help committees to take ownership of the goals
  • Continue continuing education for neighborhood and commissioner training
  • Work in tandem on agreed-upon goals with University Community Association, University District Organization, University Area Review Board, and neighborhood groups
  • In considering priorities, does each committee’s agenda reflect needs for “bigger picture” change?
  • Develop a position paper on 5-7 issues as a base for where community wants to more forward
  • Provide a series of tutorials (community forums/information workshops) over the course of the year on better understanding zoning, rooming houses, group homes, issues of public safety as they relate to community)

Planning Committee:

  • Expansion of UARB district throughout UAC boundaries; ideas for working together better
  • Implementation of city plan into zoning reality
  • City historic preservation districts added or expanded—while some neighborhoods seem ready to embark on a process to become historic districts by the city, other neighborhoods may need more information before considering the process:
  1. Dennison Place (part of National Register for Near North)
  2. New Indianola expanded (look at present boundaries)
  3. Glen Echo (already on National Register)
  4. Circles neighborhood (part of National Register for Near North)
  5. NECKO neighborhood (part of National Register for Near North)
  6. Indianola Heights (to be created, following original layout of Indianola/Summit subdivision north of Iuka)
  7. Fraternity/sorority “row”
  8. Residential North Columbus (to be defined—Commercial North Columbus already on National Register)
  9. Looking at original King/Thompson developments as base for adding to Iuka or Indianola Forest historic districts
  10. Amended Oakland/northwood (Northwood Heights historic district) to include first block of East Norwich)
  11. Looking at increasing individual listings

Housing issues:

  • Creation of a Historic Housing Trust and/or low interest loans to homeowners in historic districts for improvements—perhaps initial target area for Columbus Landmarks Foundation’s home preservation program
  • Homeownership programs from staff and faculty to encouraging diverse groups
  • Working on relation of housing issues to education issues
  • Working to accommodate effects of the sophomore rule; how to deal with STEP ramifications of the Greek system
  • Expand the demographic of the district in response to sophomore rule—how to incentivize changes
  • Need to do more research on current housing situations and needs
  • Need to find means to keep elderly in their homes; virtual retirement community/ support system
  • Review work done last year on rooming houses and other university communities’ models
  • Transitional housing needs?
  • Does eventual fate of Buckeye Village fit into future of University District?
  • How do group homes relate to occupancy?

Traffic issues:

  1. Conversion of Summit and North Fourth into two-way streets (controversial but worth studying for neighborhoods to weigh in)
  2. Traffic lights on major streets—are they staying or going?
  3. Retimed traffic lights on major streets
  4. Use of UAC for public forums on traffic issues and others

Parking issues:

  1. Working closely with Campus Partners and others on bus routes, student parking, expansion of C-Bus to include University District, etc
  2. Positioning and promoting of light rail/11th Avenue airport-downtown connector, etc.
  3. New ideas on permit parking as “parking zones”

Code Enforcement and Safety Committee:

  • Systematic code enforcement where city writes up order but there are also grants for people on low or fixed incomes
  • Entity to oversee parking/zoning/code enforcement so that all are linked
  • Consistency of enforcement policies in code enforcement
  • Create an effective and viable UAC involvement in the code enforcement process

Community Relations:

  • Bringing students into feeling they are part of the community-how?
  • Public relations to promote community (as community not as campus)
  • Create and build on small town sense of belonging
  • Promotion of places to go for students in community other than just High Street, focusing away from High Street to other business nodes or opportunities
  • Microbusiness environment and nurturing, promoting, and incubating for young talent—of student (and neighborhood) entrepreneurship (“Marvin’s Gardens”)
  • Matching student interest to community (older residents?) in more than just service day or MLK day of service but in ongoing projects for students/community for engagement and ownership (more community gardens? Art projects?)
  • More interaction with OSU leadership, as well as, with first year experience of students
  • Examination of previously proposed goals and measurements for knowing when goals are achieved
  • Community forums about bridging student/resident divide
  • Ways to prepare students for a role in the community
  • Promotion and encouragement of neighborhood groups—role of UAC?
  • Posting agendas or links for Historic Resources Commission, other city commission agendas on website

Education Task Force:

  • Fate of Indianola Jr (Middle) school both physically and programmatically
  • Need for a public forum and/or charrette ?
  • Task Force is currently doing initial stakeholder interviews