GAMBIER — Gambier residents and council members discussed at length a proposal to rezone a neighborhood near the village center from a residential to a mixed use zoning classification.
A public hearing was attended by 10 village residents and members of the village’s planning and zoning commission, which recently recommended the change]. The area under discussion includes the properties bordered by Brooklyn Street to the north, Wiggin Street to the south, Ackland Street on the east and Center Lane to the west.
The recommendation stems from a request by Charlie Laymon, who cuts hair in a space under the Village Inn on Gaskin Avenue, to open a salon at 101 Ackland St. His lease with the college is set to expire at the end of 2009.
Village resident Doug Givens said he thinks rezoning the block, and so increasing the amount of properties with a mixed use zoning classification, would be an irresponsible move on the part of council. He said he doesn’t think the commission spent enough time discussing the matter and addressing the potential impact rezoning could have. For instance, he said, there was no discussion of the impact the change could have on traffic flow, street capacity and sidewalks.
Givens said the college owns 17 of the 21 buildings in the mixed use district, and voiced concerns about the future development by Kenyon College of properties in the area up for rezoning. He said the college owns one building in the block and could one day acquire a fire department building there. He said a hair salon is one thing, but a larger commercial property going into the area is something else.
Kachen Kimmel, chairwoman of the planning and zoning commission, said the commission gave considerable amount of thought to the proposal and, although she acknowledges different point of view on the proposal, changing the properties from residential to mixed use will not affect the village as much as some fear and will not result in intrusive, ugly or crowded uses of the properties.
Kimmel said it isn’t the case that just any type of commercial business could move into the area if it were rezoned, adding that there are many restrictions for use for a mixed use district. She said mixed use allows for residences, retail establishments, professional offices or accessories to these uses.
There are many prohibitions as well, she said: No agricultural, no car washes, no auto dealerships and no commercial storage buildings.
Commission member Harold Ballard said he thinks the commission was motivated by a desire that there should be businesses in Gambier and not just the college.
Ruth Woehr, also a commision member, said a survey conducted last year by the Sustainability Work Group uncovered a desire by many who live and work in the village for more businesses in the village center, as well as concerns about inadequate space for entrepreneurial endeavours.
Some members of the audience murmured that the work group is largely made up of those affiliated with the college, namely students.
Jim Dunham of Gambier said said he questions the whether the findings of the survey are statistically valid.
Councilman Tom Stamp, a member of the group, said the survey is valid and reflects the view of many village residents, not just college students or those affiliated with the college.
Councilwomen Betsy Heer and Susan Sukys questioned the cost of adding sidewalks, utility work that would have to be done, and tree removal to make the district viable for businesses.
Susan Givens of Gambier said increasing the number of businesses in the village would require making the village a destination spot for tourists, and that she opposes any plans to increase this kind of activity. She said making the village a desintation would upset the peaceful and free atmosphere in the village, adding that many people who live in the village do so because it is a college town.
Village resident Eric Holdener said he questions statements by college representatives that the college is so concerned with the neighboring community, but is willing to push Laymon out of his space.
Councilman Lee Cubie said the college cannot be expected to take a financial loss to keep a barber shop going in its current location. It is not up to the college to provide such spaces, he said, but council has to govern those spaces, keeping in mind the view and will of residents.
After much discussion, council voted down the original rezoning request, but gave a first reading to an ordinance to reduce the area proposed for rezoning and include only the area bordered by Scott Lane to the north, Wiggin Street to the south, Center Run to the west and Ackland Drive to the east. This excludes the area that includes the fire department building, a small telephone company building, and a college-owned property, but includes the nearby bed and breakfast, the college’s women’s center, and Laymon’s residence.
Emmert said he and Heer met with the College Township Trustees and some of the officers of the township fire department. They learned that the departemnt is renewing its efforts to continue as a volunteer department, with, perhaps, the addition of a career fire chief, and, later, its possibile evolution into an independent fire district supported by the village, College and Monroe townships, and Kenyon College. The department would need additional funding, but significantly less new funding, if a core of three or four career firefighters were hired to run the department. He said that at the meeting, he expressed the village’s appreciation for the work done by vollunteers in the department, and stressed the village’s strong support for retaining the department in Gambier.
In other business:
•Village Administrator Suzanne Hopkins reported that the village will be sending out letters to all property owners who need to install backflow devices, informing them of what kind of device needs to be installed and when, when the devieces have to be tested and what they need to do to meet the village’s backflow program requirements. Nothing is required from those who do not receive a letter.
•Council adopted an ordinance to establish rates for the village’s storm water utility. The rate per month for a base residential property is $4, a property with 3,000 square feet of impervious surface. Residential properties with more or less impervious service carry greater or less rates. Non-residential properties are charged a monthly rate $4 plus an additional amount determined by the amount of impervious surface.
•Council approved expenditures of $3,900 for the cover over the bar screen at the village waste water treatment plant, $20,000 for large water meter at Kenyon College, and $15,000 for pit meter installation on village and a few college properties.