Roundabout proposed near Granville schools; planning commission OKs outdoor dining spaces
Granville is poised to get its first traffic roundabout as well as new outdoor dining options.
During its March 28 meeting, the Granville Planning Commission approved two applications for outdoor café spaces and heard discussion about the roundabout proposed for the intersection of Ohio 661/North Pearl Street and New Burg Street.
The village council will hold a hearing and seek public input on the roundabout during its meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, at Village Hall, 141 E. Broadway.
The Ohio 661-New Burg intersection is congested at least twice a day during the school year because New Burg carries traffic to Granville’s intermediate, middle and high schools.
There is no traffic signal at the intersection, and it’s not uncommon for traffic to back up for blocks as vehicles traveling north on Pearl Street wait for those turning left onto New Burg — not only at the start and end of school days, but also before and after special events at the schools.
According to village council documents, the village will build the single-lane roundabout in partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation.
"The proposed roundabout intersection will incorporate improvements to increase safety for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians," according to the documents.
Outdoor dining spaces approved
One of the applications for an outdoor dining space was submitted by Chris Crader for patio dining at the former train station along the bike path just south of downtown Granville. Crader is transforming the historic building at 425 S. Main St. into a café called The Station.
He proposed an outdoor seating area with furniture, including three booths, tables, chairs, and umbrellas that customers can use while dining outside the train station. The only concern that the commission raised was when Jack Burriss, chair of the planning commission, questioned whether trash receptacles would be available on the patio.
"We have encountered outdoor cafes before, and they’ve been better neighbors when there have been trash receptacles," Burriss said.
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Crader agreed and said that he would make sure to have a proper place for trash at the outdoor space.
Burriss raised that same point regarding an application for patio café in front of the Buxton Inn, the historic hotel and restaurant built in 1812 at 313 E. Broadway.
The application submitted by Robert Schilling states the inn owners want to replace the grassy area in front of the hotel with a concrete patio to create an outdoor café with black tables and chairs. The goal, they said, is for inn guests to sit on the patio with coffee and a danish and relax with a street view in the morning. They said there would be no staff service on the patio but simply a place for people to bring their food and eat it outside.
"The hedges and brick will remain," added Steven Smedley, the assistant village planner, clarifying that the Buxton owners are not removing anything from the front of the old inn except the lawn, and that the foliage will remain, preserving the typical look of the inn.
The commission members responded favorably. Burriss raised a question about safety regarding the stairs that guests will use as they exit or enter the door leading from the building to the patio. He suggested installation of a handrail, especially because people will be carrying food and drinks up and down the stairs. It was noted that a broom finish will be used on the concrete patio to keep it from becoming slippery.
The finishing touch to the outdoor café, for which the inn owners also sought commission approval, is a sign for "Bonnie’s Café," with an image of a woman wearing a large and flouncy hat. The sign is to be placed next to the door leading to the outdoor space.
The Granville Inn, across Broadway from the Buxton, had a similar application before the commission, requesting permission for a sign on its lawn to promote daily specials or the hours of its restaurant.
The new outdoor eating areas at the Buxton Inn and The Station will join a number of other outdoor dining options at downtown Granville restaurants.
The Reporting Project, part of Denison University’s Journalism Program, is supported in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Roundabout proposed near Granville schools, outdoor dining spaces OK'd
