GAMBIER — A light agenda faced members of Gambier Village Council at the September meeting. Kachen Kimmel, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, made a report about two rezoning applications by Kenyon College. Also attending was Mark Coleman, representing Kenyon College, to explain the college’s requests.
One area in question is the section of Meadow Lane directly behind the Kenyon Athletic Center. The college purchased seven houses and the land several years ago when the KAC was being built. There are now five houses — one having burned down, the other demolished — which are used to house students.
Coleman explained that the college’s long-term plans are to demolish the remaining houses and make the area green space. For this reason, the college is requesting a zoning change from R-1, residential use, to I-2, recreational institutional district. I-2 includes uses such as parks, tennis courts, stadiums and athletic fields, as well as their accessory uses. The Planning and Zoning Committee determines what accessory uses would be.
Kimmel said the zoning committee reccommended the change because the current R-1 zoning does not reflect the intended use of the property.
Zoning law requires property owners within 500 feet of any boundary of the properties in question be sent notice of the proposed changes, and that a public hearing be held not less than 30 days after the notices are sent out. Council set Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gambier Community Center as the hearing date. After the hearing, council will act on the proposals at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
Village Administrator Suzanne Hopkins said the village maintenance crew repaired two water service line leaks, one on Wiggin Street, the other on Duff Street. Hopkins reported Gambier’s unaccounted water usage was down to 15 percent for the last quarter. That compared to 17 percent the previous quarter.
Hopkins also reported that members of Centerburg Village Council toured the Gambier wastewater plant Aug. 15. Centerburg is in the process of upgrading its wastewater plant and wanted to see what Gambier did in the late 1990s.
Ackland Street from Bexley Place to East Brooklyn Street was resurfaced in August. Hopkins reported the street was ground down 4 inches and resurfaced 2 inches because the street had gotten higher than the surrounding ground. The village also patched several places in town where there were water leaks in the past few months.
Fall Dumpster Day has been scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to noon. Dumpsters will be located at the Gambier maintenance barn at 141 Meadow Lane.