Columbus Home Blog

Columbus Residents – Speak Up Now or Be Drowned Out by Speedway Noise

Joe Peffer — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:54:35 +0000

Imagine buying a home in German Village, Merion Village, Victorian Village, even on the East side of Downtown, maybe Olde Towne East. On your first Saturday in your new home you bring some coffee outside to enjoy the beautiful day. The birds are chirping, the sun is out, and your ears are bombarded by noise from racing cars getting their rev on at the old Cooper Stadium space. The Arena District, Grandview and Westgate areas are all likely to be in the path of noise from this race complex. What if it’s only around 50-70 decibels? Well play this video and you tell me.

Allowing this racing complex to be built will negatively impact the personal enjoyment of homes in and around Downtown Columbus. Period.

Now, Today it is time to act. Tomorrow morning the three Franklin County Commissioners are voting whether or not to extend-for the third time-the Developer’s (Mr. Arshot) time needed to pass zoning and get his group’s act together. It looks like only 1 commissioner is leaning toward a no vote, we need to send a message.

First, educate yourself on the facts.

Noise Impact executive summary. The entire noise impact study.

The Developer’s noise study (While ROAR’s noise study is over 170 pages with all the data, assumptions and conclusions included, Arshot Development’s noise study consists of a nothing more than a computer model with unknown inputs and assumptions.)

The Columbus Audubon letter against the racing complex.
The Franklinton Area Commission letter against the racing complex.
The Downtown Residents Association letter against the racing complex.
The German Village Society letter against the racing complex.
The Southwest Area Commission letter against the racing complex.

Some thoughts from Redevelop Our Area Responsibly (R.O.A.R.) :Mr. Arshot was given two full years to clear zoning and has no good excuse for the delay. I strongly suspect that when they asked for the first extension they assured the Commissioners they could get the job done within the first extension period. As they have failed to do so, why should we believe them that another year will make a difference?

If we have to wait an entire year anyway, why not open the process for rebid? Doing so would increase the chances of attracting the kind of use called for in the Cooper Alternative Plan – which never even discussed auto racing. The economy is different now and there may be a better outcome with rebidding.
The Developer has been treated fairly. Two years is fair.
A recitation of entities that have “expressed an interest” in participating in the project is essentially meaningless. When the City of Columbus was shopping the eastern half of the Whittier Peninsula for development into a new neo-traditional neighborhood back in 2004-05, a number of entities “expressed interest” in developing it. When all was said and done, however, no one was willing to commit. If after two years Arshot can’t produce any firm commitments, that should tell us something.

Key responses to anticipated arguments
“If we open this to rebidding, Arshot may drop out entirely or be the only bidder at a substantially lower price – then we lose our bird in the hand.” Response: Given all that Arshot says it has invested in this process and all of the support it claims to have lined up, why would it drop out or risk a low bid that would cost it the property? Besides, if they really thought they had a chance to get the property at a cheaper price, they would allow the contract to expire rather than seeking an extension. They’re seeking an extension because they know darn well that if this gets reopened for new bids they will likely have to raise their bid or risk losing the property. Whose interests are the Commissioners there to protect – Arshot’s, or the taxpayers?

“ROAR doesn’t have any other buyers lined up.” Response: How can we line up buyers before the County indicates a willingness to re-bid? Deny the extension and let’s see what happens then.

“The County has done a great job negotiating the extension – it got Arshot to put up an extra $100,000!” Response: The County has to wait another year to get paid. With the total purchase price being $3.3 million, a $100,000 payment to buy a one-year delay amounts to three percent interest on the purchase price. Is that really the best deal that the County can strike? At a minimum, the County should delay its vote and try to get more concessions.

Don’t Wait. Time is running out. Call and email these offices who control the future of noise pollution not only on the West side, but all over Columbus.

Commissioner John O’Grady
Executive Assistant: Sharon Keels
Tel: 614-462-5589
Fax: 614-462-5999
E-mail: skkeels@FranklinCountyOhio.gov

Commissioner Paula Brooks
Executive Assistant: Whitney Secrest
Tel: 614-462-5729
Fax: 614-462-5999
E-mail: wesecres@FranklinCountyOhio.gov

Commissioner Marilyn Brown
Executive Assistant: Laura Stehle
Tel: 614-462-3461
Fax: 614-462-5999
E-mail: ljstehle@FranklinCountyOhio.gov

County Administrator Don L. Brown
Executive Assistant: Mary Jane Harper
Tel: 614-462-5337
Fax: 614-462-5940
E-mail: mjharper@FranklinCountyOhio.gov

Deputy County Administrator William Flaherty
Executive Assistant: Sandy Menedis
Tel: 614-462-4263
Fax: 614-462-5940
E-mail: skmenedi@FranklinCountyOhio.gov

Office of Management and Budget (Staff)
Tel: 614-462-4132
Fax: 614-462-5999

Public Affairs (Staff)
Tel: 614-462-3322
Fax: 614-462-5999

The Short North gets lots of National Attention –

Joe Peffer — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:51:54 +0000

"Drawing crowds since it started in 1984, Gallery Hop helped transform the formerly neglected, crime-ridden urban district into the vibrant, independent arts enclave that it is today. "

Not only is the Short North a nice place to visit, you WOULD also want to live there. Call me, I can help.

Most Recently, there was a great shout out to the Short North in a nice sized NYT Travel article…..

……Over the past few years, more independent shops and restaurants have joined the galleries, attracting a vibrant mix of young professionals, hipsters and neo-bohemians to the area. During the day, Columbus’s trendsetters shop for under-the-radar labels and screen-printed tees from local designers at Milk Bar (1203 North High Street; 614-754-8802; milkbarboutique.com). Despite the name, no refreshments are served. But at nearby Tasi Café (680 North Pearl Street; 614-222-0788; tasicafe.com), the chalkboard menus list plenty of brunch favorites, like challah French toast with sliced bananas and maple syrup ($7). And even the cafe serves as an art showcase in this neighborhood. In support of the next generation of local artists, Tasi lines its walls with works by students and recent graduates of the Columbus College of Art & Design……

A Mapumental Effort at home search

Joe Peffer — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:38:38 +0000

via youtube.com

Only available in the U.K. but….
I like the fluidity of the software and I love the idea of this kind of real estate search. Often it is about the price but just as often it could be about something else like commute times or scenic value.
It would be interesting to see how this could be done using the sliders and something like an overlay of homes actually on the market with additional criteria. This pretty much exists from certain home search providers but not in such a good looking format.

Posted via web from Sights and Sounds of Columbus, Ohio Real Estate

Downtown Columbus Condos – Evening Views

Joe Peffer — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:29:01 +0000

From a couple nights ago when I was showing condos. The 9th floor
West facing common patio and party room in Carlyle’s Watch is under-
rated IMHO.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Sights and Sounds of Columbus, Ohio Real Estate

Big Love – When homes that need TLC get it, Columbus neighborhoods improve

Joe Peffer — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:05:05 +0000

Download now or listen on posterous

Memo.m4a (1281 KB)

And….. It makes me happy.

Posted via email from Sights and Sounds of Columbus, Ohio Real Estate

Clintonville Charmer! and the Lack of Originality in Columbus MLS Remarks

Joe Peffer — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:33:12 +0000

The Original Clintonville Charmer. 79 Acton sold in 1996 for $145,545

You’d be amazed how often I read the remarks on a new listing, check out the history of the listing in the Columbus MLS, and find the EXACT same remarks the previous agent used. It’s uncanny. Sometimes the remarks are in the entirety, sometimes it’s most of the old remarks with a few fresh ones thrown in or maybe it’s simply an obviously borrowed phrase from a past listing.

The whole idea simply proves my point about how unoriginal and lazy many real estate agents are — and I’m not even talking about maximizing views of the home in front of potential home buyer’s eyeballs (i.e. marketing).

Every once in a while you find a phrase that sticks through the years. “Clintonville Charmer” is one in particular. It was in the description of a home that came on the market today in the 500 block of Acton and it got me thinking about how over-used some descriptive phrases are in the Columbus MLS, “Charmer” being one of them.

The phrase Clintonville Charmer has been used to describe a home for sale in Clintonville 145 times since the inception of the modern Columbus multiple listing service. Most recently today. The earliest recorded use of the phrase seems to be on another Acton house -79 Acton Pictured Above- on the market 13 days in May and June of 1996 before selling for $145,545.

Anatomy of a Clintonville Charmer:

4 Active Clintonville Charmers averaging 1,728 sf listed at an avg of $154.25/sf

117 all time Sold Clintonville Charmers averaging 58 days on market and 1,455 sf

2 Clintonville Charmers that are in contract currently for $148/sf on average and both, coicidentally, on East Pacemont

I look at listings all day long and see some doozies. What descriptions of Columbus homes for sale have caught your eye over the years?

What the heck is this on page B4 of today’s Dispatch?

Joe Peffer — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:45:26 +0000

Posted via email from Sights and Sounds of Columbus, Ohio Real Estate

City, OSU working to boost East Side

Joe Peffer — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:54:40 +0000

I’m all for fixing and filling up vacant homes with people who want to live there. Surely the area could use the $10MM of tax savings the hospital will receive as well as the jobs the hospital brings. I’ve long felt that, while OSU probably saved this hospital from becoming run down when they took it over, they haven’t done enough (or I haven’t heard about them doing enough) -aside from some free health screenings at the YMCA – for the neighborhood. Most visibly, they took the greenspace on Long Street, paved it, and never went back to do any kind of a streetscape benefiting the neighborhood. Hear Me OSU Hospital East – do something about that streetscape!

City, OSU working to boost East Side

Campus hospital expansion to fuel reclamation plan

By Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State University will reinvest $10 million in tax incentives from an expansion of its campus medical center to improve health care and housing on the East Side, officials said yesterday.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman and OSU President E. Gordon Gee made the announcement at University Hospital East, the center of an area that will be the focus of a decade-long effort to reclaim vacant houses, offer help to homebuyers and address problems with residents’ health and health care.

“It will change and transform this neighborhood for the better for generations to come,” said Coleman, who said he thinks the plan will help residents and not chase them away through gentrification.

OSU officials said they don’t know yet how the effort will be implemented. It will begin with a study of the neighborhood and input from residents.

The investment will include programs to buy and fix up homes and provide down-payment assistance to buyers. It also will include a $1 million initiative, run through neighborhood churches, to improve people’s diets and encourage them to exercise.

Ohio State announced plans last fall to build a new 17-story tower as part of a $1 billion expansion of the OSU Medical Center on its main campus. Officials say it will create 6,000 permanent jobs and 5,000 during construction.

The project is targeted for completion in 2014.

Columbus is offering Ohio State an incentive equal to 30 percent of city income taxes generated by the new jobs. City Council members must approve the agreement, which would be capped at $35 million over a 15-year span.

Columbus still would net about $77 million in new income taxes, Coleman estimated.

OSU, in return, would spend $10 million of its incentive money on the East Side effort.

Dr. Steven Gabbe, chief executive of the OSU Medical Center, said University Hospital East has renovated its patient floors in the past decade, rebuilt its emergency room and offered free health screenings on the East Side.

“That’s just the start in the years to come,” he said. “It’s a great example of neighbors helping neighbors.”

State Rep. W. Carlton Weddington, whose father delivered 3,000 babies during 40 years as a doctor on the East Side, said the focus on both health and housing is needed.

Problems ranging from high diabetes rates to a large number of vacant homes affect the quality of life for residents, said Weddington, a Democrat from Columbus.

“We’re in the epicenter, right here,” he said. “This says to the people who live in this neighborhood: The city cares; the Ohio State University cares.”

via dispatch.com

Posted via web from Sights and Sounds of Columbus, Ohio Real Estate

Columbus and America’s Safest City Neighborhoods….

Joe Peffer — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:14:44 +0000

*Spoiler Alert….on this list of the safest neighborhoods in the top 50 U.S. cities, the safest neighborhood in Columbus isn’t technically in Columbus

America’s Safest City Neighborhoods

The Safest Neighborhood in Each of America’s 50 Biggest Cities

By NeighborhoodScout.com

Most Americans equate big cities with high crime — New York, Los Angeles, Boston. But even the cities with the highest crime rates can have relatively safe neighborhoods, and thus it is less useful to generalize about an entire city.

Getty Images

Using exclusive neighborhood crime data developed by Dr. Schiller at NeighborhoodScout.com, and based on FBI data from all 17,000 local law enforcement agencies, we found incredibly safe neighborhoods in every major American city. Some big cities offer neighborhoods that are among the safest of any place in the nation. Here we reveal for the first time the safest neighborhood in each of America’s 50 biggest cities.

The No. 1 Safest Neighborhood in Each of America’s 50 Biggest Cities
(The 50 largest U.S. cities are listed below in order of population size within the city limits. The #1 safest neighborhood in each city is shown. You can click on the neighborhood name for a neighborhood map and more details. The Crime Index indicates how safe that neighborhood is. 50 is average for America. 100 is safest among all neighborhoods in America.)

City: New York, N.Y.
Safest Neighborhood: (New York U Institute of Fine Arts / 5th Ave.)
Crime Index: 96
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 625

City: Los Angeles, Calif.
Safest Neighborhood: (Sesnon Blvd. / Tampa Ave.)
Crime Index: 95
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 588

City: Chicago, Ill.
Safest Neighborhood: (Bedford Park)
Crime Index: 97
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 1,000

City: Houston, Texas
Safest Neighborhood: (Route 6 / Westheimer Rd.)
Crime Index: 97
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 833

City: Phoenix, Arizona
Safest Neighborhood: (Parkview Estates)
Crime Index: 91
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 294

City: Philadelphia, Pa.
Safest Neighborhood: (Allens Ln. / Wissahickon Ave.)
Crime Index: 85
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 182

City: San Antonio, Texas
Safest Neighborhood: (Timberwood Park)
Crime Index: 94
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 455

City: Dallas, Texas
Safest Neighborhood: (Hillcrest Rd. / Alpha Rd.)
Crime Index: 91
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 303

City: San Diego, Calif.
Safest Neighborhood: (Carmel Mountain Rd. / Black Mountain Rd.)
Crime Index: 97
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 769

City: San Jose, Calif.
Safest Neighborhood: (English Town)
Crime Index: 94
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 500

City: Detroit, Mich.
Safest Neighborhood: (The Strand / Casino Way)
Crime Index: 59
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 57

City: San Francisco, Calif.
Safest Neighborhood: (Bay Shore Blvd. / Raymond Ave.)
Crime Index: 84
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 164

City: Jacksonville, Fla.
Safest Neighborhood: (Ortega Forest)
Crime Index: 84
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 167

City: Indianapolis, Ind.
Safest Neighborhood: (Meridian Hills/Williams Creek)
Crime Index: 89
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 263

City: Austin, Texas
Safest Neighborhood: (U.S. Route 290 / Farm-to-Market Rd. 1826)
Crime Index: 96
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 714

City: Columbus, Ohio
Safest Neighborhood: (Marble Cliff)
Crime Index: 94
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 476

City: Fort Worth, Texas
Safest Neighborhood: (Haslet)
Crime Index: 92
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 357

City: Charlotte, N.C.
Safest Neighborhood: (Providence Rd. / Colville Rd.)
Crime Index: 87
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 213

City: Memphis, Tenn.
Safest Neighborhood: (Capleville)
Crime Index: 84
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 172

City: Baltimore, Md.
Safest Neighborhood: (Glendale / Glenmont)
Crime Index: 91
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 323

City: Boston, Mass.
Safest Neighborhood: (Washington St. / Rutherford Ave.)
Crime Index: 81
Chance of Becoming a Victim Here (In One Year): 1 in 141

via walletpop.com

Posted via web from Sights and Sounds of Columbus, Ohio Real Estate

The Scoop on the New Good Faith Estimate

Joe Peffer — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:00:57 +0000

If you’re in the market to buy a new home this year, you may have heard mention of the new Good Faith Estimate that has been in use since the beginning of the year. There has been much written nationally regarding the new form. Much of the drama has revolved around whether or not it is actually helpful to consumers and much of the griping has come from lenders and title companies who’ve had to adjust their routines a little.

I think anything that clarifies what to expect going forward for the home buying consumer is a positive step for the industry. You know, complete disclosure and total transparency and all. So far this year, there’s been a little hand-wringing by both Delicious Real Estate Buyer’s lenders and title companies but no hold ups, real confusion or problems around closing time–having to do with this anyway.

So please note that there is a new form, it’s for your benefit, and you can find it right here. For all the discussion, it’s really pretty self-explantory. If you don’t think so, the two humorless NAR guys in the suits in this video will do their best to explain it to you. Remember, always compare apples to apples when judging one lender’s program with another lender’s program.