June 25, 2015Volume 1 :: No. 1

Lifestyles Communities Proposes Development Plan for UMCH Property, Public Meeting Scheduled June 29

In May, the City of Worthington announced Lifestyle Communities is working on a plan to purchase the United Methodist Children’s Home property. The plan proposes 571 residential units, including 350 units in three-story apartment buildings close to High Street.

The other residential units would be in the form of single-family owner-occupied housing. The non-residential portion of the plan proposes four-story commercial office buildings, including medical office space and retail space.

A portion of the plan is dedicated for green space in the Tucker Creek natural reserve, which is land that cannot be fully developed due to storm drainage systems already in place.

The City will host a special public forum at 6:30 p.m. June 29 at the Worthington Education Center, 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road. Worthington’s Municipal Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board will hear a presentation by Lifestyles Communities representatives on an upcoming proposal for the site.

The public is invited to attend and provide public comment to the developer. Lifestyle Communities has not submitted a formal application for the proposed plan.

City of Worthington Planning Process for UMCH SiteThe UMCH property, located across

High Street from city hall, is owned and operated by the United Method Children’s Home Board of Directors. This is a non-profit group.

Like all land in Worthington, the City dedicates the zoning regulations on this property. Under the current zoning this property is divided into three sections, but largely is “special-institutional’ (S-1) zoning. This means that, currently, an organization could construct a preschool, a religious building, or a building used for a charitable organization. A smaller section is zoned as “institutions and office” (C-3). This section touches High Street and can be used for medical offices and offices for most professional services. Within the C-3 section are two small parcels that are zoned for “community commercial” (C-2), which would enable a business to construct a retail store. All plans would go in front of the Municipal Planning Commission and the Architecture Review Board to meet Worthington building guidelines for materials used and aesthetics.

In the case of the Lifestyle Communities (LC) proposal, they could move forward with a portion of their plan once they purchase the property. The portion of their proposal that meets current zoning regulations could be constructed with no interference, except for some potential architecture mandates.

Currently, the LC proposal includes a large portion that needs zoning changes to occur in order to construct. Namely, they propose a large number of residential houses and apartments.

UMCH Planning Process

Even though the city does not own the property, city officials were aware of UMCH Board’s intention to sell the property, and knew it would have a large impact on the entire community. As a result, the City hired MKSK Consultants to conduct a site evaluation and public engagement process to determine the most appropriate use of the property for any future development.

MKSK hosted a series public meetings, forums, and surveys with Worthington residents, business owners, and young professionals. After several months of public input, they determined what public

input was considered valid in light of recent regional studies conducted by Arthur C. Nelson and Insight 2050 showing that the

Educating Residents about Worthington IssuesVisit WorthingtonOhio.org for more articles.

High Street, Across from City Hall

4-Story Office Buildings

Tucker Creek

3-Story Office Buildings

Single-Family Homes

3-Story Apartment Buildings

Rendering not the actual proposal

Single-Family Cottage Homes

and Town Homes

Lifestyles Communities Apartment Complex in New Albany

Worthington Comprehensive Plan Updated Vision for UMCH Site

see PROCESS page 2

2 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Upon my election to City Council in 2011, I promised Worthington residents that I would listen to their concerns. When

it comes to creating public policy, listening is the first step. Subsequent steps are research, reflection and discernment.

Some questions that arise during my discernment process are: Why do people move to or stay in Worthington? How do we

preserve our historical culture? Which residents are most impacted and what are their thoughts? What are the facts? Why does an issue exist?

The City of Worthington is faced with a project impacting the entire community: the sale of the United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH) property. A developer, Lifestyle Communities (LC), has proposed to build offices and residential units on the land. Some of this residential development includes dense apartment buildings totaling 350 units.

In general, I am not opposed to development

when it is done responsibly and when it is respectful to the surrounding community. Furthermore, after meeting with LC representatives in May, it is apparent that they wish to work with the community’s officials, organized groups and neighboring residents to implement a suitable plan for Worthington, following the guidelines set in the Worthington Comprehensive Plan, the city’s plan for any future developments, most recently revised and approved by City Council in Fall 2014.

Because the Comprehensive Plan is only a guideline, the plan is open to an individual’s interpretation. However, the LC development proposal does not match my interpretation of the approved plan.

I cannot speak for my Council colleagues as to how they interpreted the plan. Ultimately, one purpose of a governing body like Council is to interpret guidelines so that the community’s culture and desires will be protected and enhanced. Specific to this development, that day will soon come. I believe public input will help guide Council’s interpretation of the

Good Public Policy Begins with Listening to ResidentsAn Open Letter from Councilman Doug Smith

Columbus region is growing. The studies also go in detail about young population housing trends as well as Baby Boomer housing trends.

Based on the “best planning practices and development trends, as well as economic realities of future development of the site,” MKSK proposed an update to the Worthington Comprehensive Plan, which City Council approved.

The Comprehensive Plan update states “mix of uses should contain a range of residential types together with commercial office and neighborhood retail uses integrated with contributing and shared green space and amenities.” The Comprehensive Plan leaves room for interpretation and does not specifically outline what those mix uses should be. The following sentence in the Comprehensive Plan states “any proposed design must be sensitive to the neighbors adjacent to the UMCH site.”

Community Reaction

Worthington Alliance for Responsible Development (WARD), has been involved throughout the entire process with questions, concerns, and direction for MKSK and any potential developer, including Lifestyles.

At the May 18 City Council meeting, WARD spokesman Tom Hamer expressed concerns about the LC proposed development “process is moving too fast and without proper public participation… we are beginning to wonder if, after the hundreds of hours we have devoted to this issue, we are still being taken seriously.”

Since public input was not more integrated in the MKSK planning process outcome, WARD requested Council provide assurances to the community that they will fully consider residents’ concerns.

“The ultimate pitfall from a speeded up process could be a situation where key

decisions are already made by the time input from the community is evaluated. In other words, the desire to get the project going would outweigh the need to hear from and value the views of the residents. That would be less than democratic and would be seen by many as a violation of trust,” said Hamer.

Property Layout in Comprehensive Plan

In the ‘Neighborhood Core’ section, which is the large center of the property, the Comprehensive Plan update states “between six and 14 dwelling units per acre gross density with a height limit of three stories” is desired with any future development. Based on public comment during the MKSK planning process indicates that small single-story and two-story homes with small lots are acceptable when coupled with complementary green space.

The ‘High Street Mixed Use’ corridor of this property is expected to be Class

A commercial office space facing High Street. This will provide the City with income tax revenue to support any residential development that occurs. The Comprehensive Plan states “residential uses might occur behind as a transition to the Neighborhood Core.” The Plan does not indicate what types of residential uses are desired or acceptable.

The LC proposal includes high-density apartments in the High Street corridor behind the commercial office spaces.

School Impact and Taxes

Under the current Lifestyles proposal, the commercial office space proposed would generate approximately $10 million in annual wages, resulting in the City receiving approximately $250,000 per year in tax revenue to add to their current $30 million annual budget. It is difficult to determine the tax revenue generated from property taxes since nearly all property taxes go to the schools and county services.

Worthington Schools will be impacted positively in a financial way under the current Lifestyles proposal. Unfortunately, the impact on the schools will likely affect all schools. There is not expected to be a large number of school-aged youths moving into the proposed housing, but there will likely be some young families.

According to Vicki Gnezda, Director of Communication at Worthington Schools, “It is premature to discuss the enrollment of specific elementary buildings and how that impacts the school assignments for future residential developments. It is safe to say that we currently have available space in elementary schools throughout the district though we could not guarantee student placement in their nearest school.”

At least one top school official is speculating that any elementary student living on this property will likely be sent to Wilson Hill Elementary School.

PROCESS FROM PAGE 1 IMAGE: Proposed density in the “neighborhood core” portion of the UMCH site, 6-14 units per acre

see SMITH page 7

June 25, 2015

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 3

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June 25, 2015

Citizen Group Announces ‘Keep Worthington Beautiful’ Referendum Initiative

by Mark E. WendenWHS Class of ’72

People come to Worthington to live because they love the kind of community it is. They like the way it looks, the friendliness of their neighbors, the values that are reflected here, and the general flavor of life. Those of us who grew up in Worthington feel the same way, perhaps even more strongly. We all sense that who we are is closely connected to where we live.

Everyone knows that nothing ever remains the same, and most would not want it to. Change and development can be positive, and can serve to preserve and enhance the quality of life in our community. The path that we take to create a clear vision for the future of our community, and to steer development in directions compatible with that vision must, however, be mapped out carefully.

The City of Worthington stands at a crossroads. Decisions made today with regard to development will determine what Worthington will be like for future generations. Most of these decisions will be irreversible. And most of these decisions are being made with insufficient input from the very citizens whose lives will be the most deeply impacted.

Long-time residents of Worthington have had firsthand experience of the irretrievable loss that can result from hasty development decisions. In 1964, the Griswold Tavern, a landmark building which stood on the northern side of the village green, was razed despite the efforts of the Worthington Historical Society to save it. A beautiful brick building that would now be considered an historical monument, lending charming atmosphere, while serving as communal space and an architectural focal point, was lost forever. Similarly, the Worthington Female Seminary building, on the site of the current Worthington United Methodist Church and its parking lot, was allowed to fall into disrepair and finally burn down.

We like to think that these irreversible

mistakes were made in the distant past by people who did not appreciate, as we do today, the importance of long-term community planning. But in fact, right now the City of Worthington is poised to make decisions regarding large-scale development, such as the United Methodist Children’s Home property, that will be equal or even greater in their impact on the nature of life in our community.

For this reason, the Keep Worthington Beautiful Charter Amendment Initiative is being launched.

The objective of this Initiative is to give the citizens of Worthington a greater voice in the decision-making process regarding development.

This will be accomplished by amending the city charter to establish:

a) that Citizens’ Referendums on zoning ordinances can be initiated by submitting the required signatures within 60 days of the passage of a zoning ordinance (compared to the current 30 days),

b) that zoning ordinances do not go into effect until 60 days following their passage by City Council (compared to the current 30 days), and

c) that zoning ordinances cannot be given “emergency status,” which if allowed, would enable circumvention of the referendum process.

Through this Initiative, we, the citizens of Worthington, will be empowered in our engagement with city staff, council and developers. A greater balance in the decision-making process will result, as our voices will have a greater chance to be heard. Even more importantly, we will possess tools that have a realistic chance of reversing development plans we strongly oppose. Simply changing 30 days to 60 will provide citizens with more time to organize, educate and petition our fellow citizens.

Further, with passage of Keep

Worthington Beautiful, city staff and commercial interests will be less likely to propose projects that clearly do not reflect the vision, values and interests of the broader community, as they come to understand that such projects will meet effective resistance.

The Keep Worthington Beautiful Referendum Initiative will not succeed without the active help of you, the residents of Worthington. We must gather 351 signatures to place the initiative on the ballot. Please do not hesitate; we must act quickly to have an impact on

current events. Please reach out to family, friends and neighbors who are registered voters in the City of Worthington, urging them to support the Keep Worthington Beautiful Referendum Initiative. Contact us today, using the contact information below.

email: keepworthingtonbeautiful@gmail.comphone/text: 614-749-6654Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/KeepWorthingtonBeautiful

Read More ArticlesVoice your Opinions

Support this Publication

WorthingtonOhio.orgOnline Articles:

History of the UMCH Property

Sustainable Worthington’s Recommendations for Development

Old Worthington Association Comments

4 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio4

Worthington Resource Center Moves to New Location, Expanding Services and Programs

by David Harewood

Even in times when the economy seems to be growing again, some families are in need of help That’s why the Worthington Resource Pantry opened their doors in 2008, and have been thriving ever since. They recently moved to a new location on Huntley Road, enabling them to offer their clients a more accessible facility to meet their basic health and wellness needs. As they did with their previous location, they’re able to offer area families three days’ worth of food up to twice a month. Portions are rationed by the size of the family, so no matter whether a family is large or small, help is available.

“We are a choice food pantry and we offer a wide variety of nutritious foods with a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and more of a focus on fresh food, but we provide enough food for the families to last at least three days,” says Jennifer Fralic, the pantry’s executive director. “We serve an average of about 45 families every time we’re open. We’ve had as many as 84 during one of our open shifts.”

The pantry will be able to help even more families in their service area now that they’ve moved. They pair this food service with periodic educational programs, allowing for their customers to learn about ways in which to prepare foods in such a way that maximizes their nutritional value and tastiness, too.

The pantry serves more than just people’s stomachs. This team of volunteers and staff takes a comprehensive approach to health, providing Worthington families with a wide array of other services. The pantry regularly holds classes and seminars on topics ranging from legal advice to financial literacy and more. They’ve formed a series of partnerships with libraries, physical and mental health care providers, nutritional experts, and more to help bring the people who come to their storefront out of poverty.

Inter-organizational partnerships are also part of the pantry’s activities. One that’s particularly piqued volunteer Sandy Byers is the Healthy Community national initiative. “We have had Healthy Worthington since 2003, doing a lot of different activities. And then it evolved

into the Worthington Resource Pantry. The Healthy Communities initiative seeks to coordinate and support organizations with similar missions and values. It has a draft vision of “ Worthington is a community that supports and promotes healthy living”. Together we address the needs of more citizens. This opportunity for organizational level collaboration supports all our goals. Our unique purposes have very similar values and collaboration can promote a degree of efficiency to our organizations and the city.” To date, the partners include the Worthington Schools, Worthington Resource Pantry, Worthington Libraries, Old Worthington Partners, Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce, Community Relations Commission, City of Worthington, MC connell Art Center, Partners for Community and Character, Sustainable Worthington, Drug Safe Worthington, and Leadership Worthington.

The Worthington Resource Pantry started serving the community from its new location June 15. If you or anyone you know is in need of food or social services

of the kind mentioned, visit their website at www.worthingtonresourcepantry.org.

Volunteers and financial support are always needed. To donate your time of money, please visit the website.

Additionally, the Healthy Worthington Partnership task force is looking for individuals to provide expert knowledge and financial resources as advisory board members. Contact the leadership through the website.

Their new address and hours are listed here:

6700 Huntley Road, Columbus, OH 43229

Hours:

Mondays 11am – 1pmWednesdays 6pm – 8pmThursdays 6pm – 8pmSaturdays 11am – 1pm

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Council Appoints Bike/Pedestrian Committee Membersby David Harewood

In 2012, the Worthington City Council created the Bike and Pedestrian Steering committee to explore ways that the city could improve its basic infrastructure, education about, and overall accommodation for making it more attractive for enthusiastic cyclists and walkers alike. That initial project set out to answer questions regarding what the committee dubbed the five

E’s-- Engineering, or infrastructure as it regards to bike and pedestrian-friendly environments; Education about safety, etiquette, Enforcement and enhancement of existing traffic laws, Encouragement to take advantage of these new initiatives and Evaluation of their effectiveness.

The newly formed Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, comprised of nine Worthington residents with a mixture of cycling and pedestrian enthusiasms as well as a great deal of state-level policy

guiding experience among them, will continue the work begun by that initial exploratory committee into 2016 and beyond.

“Columbus as a metro area is doing leaps and bounds better every year for cycling,” says Amy Cooper, an appointee to the committee who’s been living in Worthington the last two years. An avid cyclist and nonprofit professional who worked with the state on policy issues in the past, Cooper is enthusiastic about

the committee’s ability to help guide the City Council into making the city even more accommodating for cyclists and pedestrians than it already is.

The hope is that this committee will work to keep up pace in this area with the rest of the Columbus metro. Clintonville for instance, where Cooper used to live, has a well-established biking/walking community and infrastructure, and the success of programs like the CoGo bike share program have offered some models on which Worthington can build in the near future.

As the committee was just formed, details about exactly what next steps the committee will take are still forming. With that said, Parks and Recreations director Darren Hurley has also been appointed staff liaison for the committee, indicating that any policies recommended would be given full support by the entire city apparatus.

Some projects identified as a high priority by the former steering committee consist of: sidewalk analysis and update sidewalk policy, develop wayfinding standards, dedicate a percentage of annual budget for bike/ped improvements, create a Safe Routes to School program, create a bike/ped web page with maps and educational information, and many more. Nearly 100 projects were identified and separated into four categories based on need, feasibility, and city priority.

City Council appointed the members of the committee at the June 1 Council meeting. The members include: Committee Chair Eugenia Martin, Michael Bates, John Rist, Amy Cooper, Kelly Whalen, Emma Lindholm, Ann Horton, Larry Creed.

June 25, 2015

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Worthington Wages War on Drugs, Not Their Usersby David Harewood

Over the course of the last fifty years, debates about how to deal with abuse of, and addiction to, controlled substances have raged on from the intimacy of our homes to the centers of our city halls. Over the last decade and a half, abuse and overdose from prescription and street-level opioids has grown dramatically. Whereas the previous national strategies of criminalizing and demonizing these behaviors has shown themselves to be largely ineffective, communities all around the country - Worthington included - have begun to institute changes that reflect not only a change in thinking on these issues, but a more effective and holistic approach to the problems we face.

“Our statistics at the statewide level have shown us that there’s an enormous increase of deaths associated with prescription drugs. The state has really cracked down on pill mills to get them off the street. Now they’re moving to heroin,” says Nancy Sajano, a community volunteer and the secretary for the

Drug Safe Worthington program. In service primarily to the community as a whole and partnering with organizations like the Worthington Police and Worthington City Schools, the mission of the organization is to mobilize the community “to promote a culture that prevents drug and alcohol abuse while supporting individuals and families affected by substance abuse.”

“The move from prescription drugs to heroin starts with very legitimate needs for pain medication. For our young people, it’s often been associated with a sports injury. Young people in high school and also college…end up getting a lot of pain pills - perhaps more than they need, and then the dependency starts,” she continues.

In existence since 2011, their strategy to achieve these goals include educating the public, preventing as much abuse as they can, and providing support to both those people struggling with addiction and the families who care for them. As part of the process to educate and support the community,

the organization actively seeks grants to hold seminars, educational events, and counseling support to those in need.

On the prevention front, the organization has been in partnership with the Worthington Police Department to address some of these issues. Since October of 2013, the police department has had a prescription drug drop off program that allows people to safely dispose of medication they no longer need. “We partnered with Drug Safe Worthington because there was a lack of education and a lack of resources for parents who were dealing with family members or children who were dealing with addiction,” said Worthington Police Chief James Mosic.

Until recently, the general approach from law enforcement regarding drug abuse had been decidedly punitive, taking the message of the decades-old War on Drugs that those who use and abuse illicit substances were to be treated as offenders rather than as people in need. “A lot of times it takes an arrest to get them into that mindset that they need help,” Chief

Mosic admitted. “The problem is that once the prescription meds run out, heroin is so prevalent and so cheap that it’s easy for them to continue down that destructive path.”

Chief Mosic elaborated on the change in mindset taken by the law enforcement community regarding the use, misuse, and treatment for addiction to these substances: “Realistically, enforcement without treatment does not work. You have to have treatment options available for these individuals who want to get off of drugs, and we are struggling, especially with adolescents, to find treatment avenues for these kids. There just are not enough resources out there. Parents are struggling to get help for these kids. Enforcement helps us get some of these people with drug abuse problems to get people into the treatment area. We need to work in concert with these treatment facilities to get people the help that they need.”

For more information on Drug Safe Worthington or the resources they provide for the community, visit drugsafeworthington.org.

Old Worthington Partnership Begins New Era of Community Enhancement

The mission of the Old Worthington Partnership (OWP) is to advance the Old Worthington experience. Our name defines our geographic area of interest while also communicating that we are comprised of several (also known as “Partners”) formed in support of a common cause. We’re focused on working together as partners to achieve a better community for our residents, businesses and visitors.

The efforts of the Old Worthington Partnership are concentrated in three key areas: collaboration, engagement and sustainability.

OWP collaborates with many of the other organizations who care about the well being of Old Worthington in order to support our residents, businesses and visitors. OWP engages in various ways such as community events (Farmers Markets, Arts Festival, and Wedding Walk) and hosting merchant meetings to share news and notes.

Specific to sustainability, OWP provides ideas and input on ways to preserve our community’s assets, including the historic buildings, promoting walking and biking resources, saving energy and other resources.

A survey recently conducted by OWP showed that a large majority of Worthington residents and business owners favor the ability for restaurants to serve alcohol outside on the sidewalk (right-of-way). This information helped guide Council’s June 15 decision to pass guidelines for outdoor alcohol use.

“We are so excited to be working cooperatively with several different groups and individuals in Worthington on things like the food truck policy,” said Jaime Moore, Executive Director of Old Worthington Partners. “We believe we can positively contribute to the outcome of growing our community and the experience that people have with it, both visitors and residents alike.”

Join as a Partner by investing in initiatives of the Old Worthington Partnership. To learn more, please visit www.oldworthingtonpartnership.com, or email us at oldworthingtonpartnership@gmail.com.

Old Worthington Business Association Morphs into OWP

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1 4 c o n v e n i e n t c e n t r a l o h i o lo c at i o n S

1. Green Space: Desired at least 20% green space on development.•In what ways will the proposed development add an additional 10-15% of green

space in addition to the 10% green space at Tucker Creek?

2. Density – LC has indicated that 571 living units are the “fewest” it can have and still make the project doable. This includes:

350 apartments on High Street This number of units translates into a minimum of 350 residents and cars (assuming one resident and one car/unit, with a possibility of up to 700 residents and the same number of cars (assuming no residents have children). We are concerned about these numbers.

200 townhouses/cottage homes located in the center of the proposed developed. From what LC told us, they plan to sell this part of the property a third-party developer to build.

What is the ratio of townhouses to cottage homes? Will they all be two-story units or will some (preferably the cottage homes) be one story? Will all the homes look alike or will there be some variety to what is built?Bottom line: assuming two residents/unit, this adds another 400 residents to the density equation, with the possibility of another unknown number if children are involved. This means up to 200-400 more cars. We are concerned about these numbers.

Medical Clients:How much day-time parking will employees and clients need? Implications: Assuming the numbers above are somewhere close to reality, we are looking at a minimum of 792 new residents and cars and possibly as many as 1142 new residents and cars in our neighborhood as a result of the proposed development. If children are involved the numbers go higher, having an impact on the schools and the traffic.

3. Connectivity/TrafficWhat is the anticipated impact of up to 1142 cars, not counting employees and clients of the office buildings, on traffic in the area?What are the most effective ways to manage this traffic without disrupting existing neighborhoods?The proposed exits onto Evening Street and Longfellow are problematic. What are the alternatives?

LC submitted a reply to WARD’s questions June 12. The document is available online at WorthingtonOhio.org

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Worthington Alliance for Responsible Development Responds to Lifestyles Proposal with Questions

Comprehensive Plan. Council will have to decide zoning regulations for any variation of the proposed development, and the Comprehensive Plan will be used to justify the decision.

That brings me back to listening to residents.

Any development should fully consider current residents, and should not discount them. Development should complement the existing Worthington experience and culture.

The LC business model is to attract young professionals into their rental properties and smaller homes. As a Millennial, I see those of my generation generally choosing two different lifestyles: family life or single life. Worthington successfully attracts Millennials seeking family-friendly culture and good schools. For those who prefer single life, Worthington might have some appeal, especially if they work nearby.

But largely, those Millennials will stay where the people and entertainment are, somewhere convenient to their workplace. Incidentally, Millennials who desire to move to Worthington will naturally want to live in dwellings other than apartments.

As I keep an open mind about any potential UMCH property development, I am hoping LC representatives will take time to work with residents to learn more about Worthington’s culture.

If you have any concerns at all, now is the time to voice those concerns. Likewise, if you favor the proposed development, it is important for you to comment.

I encourage you to contact City Council by writing an email to council@ci.worthington.oh.us or by attending a meeting to give public comment.

Or, visit WorthingtonOhio.org to voice your opinions.

SMITH FROM PAGE 2

paid for by Citizens for Doug Smith, 169 E North St 43085

June 25, 2015 7

City Council Approves ReCAP Funding to Improve Industrial Corridor in WorthingtonIn 2014, City Council approved the Re-

emergent Corridor Assistance Program (ReCAP) to help improve the visual appeal of the industrial corridor including Huntley Road, Proprietors Road, and the Eastern portions of Schrock Road and Worthington-Galena Road.

The ReCAP program addresses commercial buildings’ issues of age, obsolescence, and level of investment, and is intended to spark economic development in the corridor. The program provides a mixture of grant funds and no-cost financing to building owners or commercial tenants to improve their building façades and surrounding streetscapes.

The program is managed by the Worthington Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) and each project requires approval by City Council.

“The ReCAP program has truly made a significant difference in this part of

our business community” said Bonnie Michael, City Council President and Chair of the CIC. “This program gives local small businesses an o p p o r t u n i t y to rejuvenate their exterior presence through this innovative grant/loan program and make their businesses more attractive to potential customers. It is our hope that more businesses take advantage of this outstanding opportunity to partner with the city for the greater good of both the business itself and the Worthington community. “

Since its inception, seven properties have been awarded funds in varying amounts.

These properties are 966 Proprietors, 1028 Proprietors, 6520 Huntley, 6300 Huntley, 7099 Huntley, 500 Schrock, and 6950 Worthington-Galena. The maximum award is $25,000 and is provided as a one-time, up-front cash payment, structured as half-grant, half-loan, to partially fund well-designed exteriors along the corridor.

“The ReC AP funding helped tremendously,” said Dave Kolbe, President of

Kolbe Construction Services. “This is the first building I ever owned, and as a small business owner, the repairs most likely would not have happened without help through the ReCAP program.”

President Michael notes that “Council has approved $121,284 in ReCAP awards resulting in over $242,000 of renovations in the Schrock/Huntely/Proprietors Road district. “

BEFOREAFTER

Kolbe Construction, 6520 Huntley Rd.

Planning a Summer of Fun in Worthingtonby Bonnie D. Michael, Board Member

CVB of Worthington Looking for some fun summer

activities that everyone in your family will enjoy? It’s good to know you don’t have to wander far from home to find them. Best of all, the Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) of Worthington makes it easy by showcasing a variety of ideas on their website at visitworthingtonohio.com. From shopping and dining to live music and seasonal events, here’s what you can expect to find when you visit

the site.Begin by viewing the list of events and

marking your calendars so you don’t miss any of the great happenings that take place throughout the season. Ongoing activities include the Worthington Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning in Old Worthington and the Concerts on the Green every Sunday evening on the Village Green.

Interested in a little retail therapy in our unique shops or dining at one of the many great restaurants here in Worthington? They are all listed on the

website. Or, how about visiting one of our attractions or exploring Worthington’s history? You can learn about those in the ‘What to Do’ section.

The CVB of Worthington and the Old Worthington Partnership work together to keep you informed on the calendar listings. You’ll find everything from historical bus tours of Worthington, offered through the Worthington Historical Society, to a summer concert series at the Worthington Libraries, to various activities at the Worthington Community Center and so much more.

Several venues, such as The Worthington Inn or Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza & Live Music, host live music, making them the perfect activity for date night or a girl’s night out. You will even find information about creative happy hours at places like House Wine, La Chatelaine and Rivage Atlantique.

To stay current, like us on Facebook at Visit Worthington Ohio, and read our weekly blog at visitworthingtonohio.com.

8 June 25, 2015