Canal Winchester eyes purchase of South High Street site

Scott Gerfen
·2 min read
Canal Winchester municipal building

Canal Winchester wants to buy a South High Street property currently leased by an optometrist to “potentially look at redeveloping and repositioning the site,” city Development Director Lucas Haire said.

Council heard the first reading June 6 of an ordinance authorizing Mayor Mike Ebert to buy the roughly 1,800-square-foot downtown building for $280,000 from Donald E. Moody.

Optometrist William Murray has occupied the building since the 1970s but intends to move his office to a new location, Haire said.

The property near Stradley Park was appraised at $265,000 in November with an “original asking price” of $300,000, Haire added.

The deal, however, is contingent upon a two-phase environmental study. Abandoned fuel tanks filled with sand remain on the site, which previously was a gas station, Haire said.

“When you abandon tanks now, you have to do soil sampling and reporting,” he said. “That was not required at the time.”

The city expects to spend $13,000 on the environmental study, he said

“The hope is that this site isn’t contaminated, and there’s been no fuel leak,” Haire said.

Members named to

steering committee

City Council completed the list of members who will serve on a large steering committee to guide the creation of a new comprehensive development plan for Canal Winchester.

The committee will include:

• Mayor’s appointee: Brooks Davis

• City Council: Laurie Amick

• Planning and Zoning Commission: Deborah McDonnell

• Landmarks Commission: Rich Dobda

• Canal Winchester Joint Recreation District: Matt Krueger

• Chamber of Commerce: Denise Mathias

• Canal Winchester Historical Society: Brandon Hord

• Canal Winchester Old Town Business Association: Marla Baker

• Destination: Canal Winchester: Karen Stiles

• Ashbrook Homeowners Association: Marvis McGowan

• Canal Cove Homeowners Association: Tim Brunney

• Charleston Lakes Homeowners Association: Eileen Goodin

• Villages at Westchester Homeowners Association: Rick Deeds

• Canal Winchester residents: Ann Bennett, Laura Taylor, Michael Vasko and Richard Brown

• Fairfield County residents: Will Bennett and Kristin Ankrom

Canal Winchester last adopted a comprehensive plan in 1999.

The city has seen a growing list of new annexations and rezoning requests, specifically for industrial buildings and warehouses.

Haire has said the typical components of a comprehensive plan include existing conditions and demographics; community vision; future land use; a thoroughfare plan; parks and open spaces; utility master plan; economic development plan; and implementation and strategies.

editorial@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekNews

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Canal Winchester eyes purchase of South High Street site