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Neighborhood plan for Italian Village written in 1974.
Citation preview
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THE DEVELOPMENT
FOR
IT .~L;, 0AN'' . .......... ...... . . . ~ . .
.:ILLAGE .. . COLUMBUS, OHIO
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NOVEMBER 1974 , ;f:__ . . . , r/J . .. . ~ c) z . t> ~ j (rrJ;-~ { iJ;, ;t~-A: f L,:i':J, .
Summary - -
Boundaries-
Acknowledgments
Area Background -
Organizational Background
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dangerous Housing (Code Enforcement)- -Fire Zone One
Statistics- - -
Transportation (Public and Private)
Utilities (Sewers, Street Lighting, Water Supply)
Community Facilities- -
Social Service Agencies - - - -
Land Use- - - - - - - - -
Rehabilitation (Economic Sense)
New Construction in Italian Village - - - - - -
- - - - l
4
5
7
- - - - - - 9
- - - - - 13
- - - - - - 15
16
19
28
- - - - 35
37
39
- 44
49
51 A Guide to Rehabilitation -
community Improvement Tools - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59
Housing Rehabilitation Tax Exclusion-- - - - 62
Physical Environment- -
Rating System - - - - -
Design Proposals for Italian Village (Parks, Trees)
69
86
90
Recreational Facilities - - - - - - - -- - - - - - 94
Italian Village Society as a Non-Profit Housing Corporation - - - - 95
Tourism - - - - - - - - - - - -
Citizen and Government Participation-
i
- - - - - - - - -- -
98
99
SuMMARY The plen clearly ahows desires of resident citizens input from Ital18n Vill~ge.
Of prime importance is the commitment from the City to eet8bl1sh It~lien Villege
88 Code Enforcement area. Fire Zone One establiehej by the Fire Dep~rtment
through 8 City Council Ordnence rQmains en important part of Village protection. StatisticBl information has been gleaned from the 1970 census report. ThesQ statistics have changed dr81tically in the pa!t five years, with the late~t
urvey of tatistics shown in comparison.
A study of Tr~nsportation erterials, secondary, end re1idQntial streets with recommended changes discussed therein. Street repairs ere discussed in en attempt
to develop 8 program of maintaining brick streets, the section ends with 8
brief discussion of public transportation.
Combined sewers are a problem but more often a nuisance. Cleaning, maintenance,
and new drain entrance covers ere of prime importance. Street lighting of res-
idential streets is very poor. Recommendati~ns to update street lighting, for
public safety is much needed throughout Italian Village. Water sy~tem preesure
is excellent in residential homQs, however the closQness of buildings would seem to require developers of apartments to increase the number of fire hydrBnta
in their construction Breas.
A summ8 ry of existing cormnunity facilitie~ shows public Bnd private facilities
directly involved in the village and ere n service to Village residents.
Social Service Agencies are scattered throughout the Village, and while Village
residents derive services from these egencie, they also receive services else-
where in the Near Northaide. One problem all the Social Service Agencies are
concerned with is the different agencies ere spreed fer apart and the need of
one centrally located building somewhere in the Near Northa~de h8s Brieen.
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Land use concerns ~ere etudied w:i th resiclentfal holt~ing being III primary
target for voluntary repair, carefully observing the ~rchitectursl conser-
vntion, and concerns that commerd.l'lli~m and indu:r;trfal opertitions are not
a threat to regidential areas.
The development of uring economic sense in P.ehebilitation versus the derr,olition
of existing structures to be replaced by new construction is thor r.Lt,)1ly
explained. Vacant land uses are developed for new construction.
Included ie a summary guide to rehabilitation in keeping with Brchitecturcl
proportions for prese~t structures in Italian Village.
Past and new requests in the use of Community Tools, i.e., Tax Exclu si ons,
neighborhood Housing Services, l'!nd the Community Urban Redevelopment of
Corrunercial Concentration l'!e needed tools of the Village di~cussjng the City's poeition on each.~ seperl'!te treatise has been devised on Tax Exclusion end
proposed methocle of use.
The development of e four month !tudy on the Phy~icl!l Envirorn!lent has produced
various ch~rts describing, building types, zoning, architeetursl signifier.nee,
colors of builnings, stc:1te of repl'lir, conditions of e~ch building, a r~ting
system, viistee, sound and dilep1dt1ted structures currently on eite in t;1e
Villege.
There ie ll Design Proposal for min:t-p~rks, tr ee plantings, etreet furniture,
construction of e fountein end ornamental street lighting, all for improvement of the street scene environment. Recreational facilities ere practically non-existent in Italian Village, therefore
en approech toe mini-gym with weightlifting equipment 111nc tumbling mats for
year round use in e structure thet would relate to en edministretion unit for
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e proposed outdoor swimming pool to he used by residents of the I~~l18n
Villl!lge.
A Aepnrl!lte plan for the development of the It~lien Villlige Soc::l'.ty D! e non-
profit hou~ing services corpor~tion is not included, however t brief di~cussion
of the developr.1ent of this corporc,tion is included.
A look to the future reletive to the Convention Center Tour:tsts infiltrllting
the eree in !earch of commP.rciel !ervices ~nd their trips to vie\ ,; histori.c r.!l
re!toration ~nd rehebilitation of a well pl~nneu community as a wonderful
plece to visit and live.
A need for furthP.r citizen end Govern-nent cooperetion is emphl'lsized in the
finality of this report.
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The Italian Village Plen hes been compiled as e guide to effective implemcmtl'ltion
of a series of events leading to the rehabilitation, preserv~tior., and conser-
vation of the housing stock and physical environment of thP. arP.a known as
Italian Village. This plan discusses major 1esources end problems of the orea, recommending changes necessary in land use and 7.oning, in tr11nsportation, ancl
in public facilities.
BOUNDARIES OF THE ITALIAN VII.LAGE AREA
The boundaries of the Italian Villa~e study area are, on the north, East Fifth
Avenue, on the East, the Penn-Centrsl Railroad; on the south, the Goodale
Expressway; and on the west, North High Street. The area contains about 200+
acres. The Italian Village is centrally located within the City of Columbus,
lying just north and contiguous to the Central Business District.
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A CKNOWLEIX;MENTS
The recommendations of this report follow applicable guidelines of the most
recent Objectives and Policies of the Columbus Plan: 1970-1990. The author, Gilbert M.V. Ricketts, Pre!ident of the Italian Villge Society, is gruteful
for the advice llnd commentery offered by the Italian Villc1ge Sod ety, Ital ic1n
Village Business Associates, The Italian Village Commission, the residents
and property owners in the Village, ~lso to the Most Reverend Edwcirc G.
Hettinger, Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus for
providing facilities for public meetings at Ryan Hall, Svcred Heart School.
Many articles and sections in this plan were written and study work done by
other groups and without their contributions this plan would not have been
possible.
On behalf of the Society and Cormnission our gratefulness to the students
from Ohio State University who gpent four months in compilation of statisticel
data, ~nd for the erea color charts included herein from their study.
Tom Logsdon, Ch~irman 8nd Planning Student Kevin Dougherty, Architecturel Student Donald Berges, PlanniHg Student Stephen Heiser, Planning Student Robert Weiss, Planning Student
For the members of the Italian Villege Commission end their Chairman who h~ve
contributed much dialogue, and written information incorporated herein.
Robert A. Busser, Architect, Commission Chairmsn James Munsul, Architect, Commission Member H8 rry H. Shaw III, Funerel Director, Busines~men, Commission Member Cerrie Russell, Attorney, Commission Member and Resident of Itelian Villege Sam Smith, Postal Employee, Comr.,ission Member ~nd Resident of Italian Village Chester 1. Dennison, Commisaion Member, Contractor~ end Reeident of Itelien Villege Willi 8m Flood, Commission Member, Bue1nee~men, Jerfrey Mining and Machinery Co. Our epecial than1:s to Tully Ross, Planner, with the DepDrtment of Development City of Columbus
Our epeciel thanks to Grant Dyer, Zoning Administrator, with the DepBrtrnent ot Zoning, City of Columbus
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Our thenkB to the Jeffrey Mining end Machinery Co. for fin11ncial l!Ssistence Our thenkB to Battelle Memorial Institute for fin11ncial essistlmce
Our thanks to the Executive Board of the Italian Village Jo Anne Dennison, 5ecret~ry Sam Smith, Vice Pre8ident Mary Dennison, TreasL1rer end to committee chidrper~on8 end their comm1.ttees of the Italian Village Society
RESOURCE
The Vieux Carre Hi8toric Demonstration StucJy, BL1reau of Governrr.ent hesen:1:ch New Orleans, Louisiana, DEC 68
The Vieux Carre, New Orleans, It's Plan, It's Growth, It's /1rchitecture, Bureau of Government Research, New Orleans, Louisian~, DEC 68
On Site Study, New Orleans, 1973-1974, Gil Ricketts On Site Study, Philadelphia, Pa. 1974, Robert A. Busser On Site Study, Quebec City, Quebec, 1973, Gil Ricketts On Site Study, Toronto, Ontario, 1974, Gil Ricketts On Site S--:Udy, Baltimore, Maryland, 1974, Robert A. Busser
An analysis of Community Improvement Tool8, Columbu!, Ohio, Department of Development, City of Columbus, 1974
Stephen, George, Remodeling~ Houses Withcut De!troying Their Charccteristics
GBbree, John, Surviving the .f..!!:i
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AREA BACKGROUND
Italian Villeee has emerged es a historic reminder of the early Iri~h-ItaliBn
settlement in Colwnbus, and later as a solely Italian !Pttlement. With its
nerrow brid: streets and artistically brick romaneaque, gothic, and Florentine
gingle !Ind double family homes of the Italian PBlazzo style, the area is
reminiscent of the towns and cities from which immigronts cor:e ir. t:1e ll!te
l800's and early 1900's, the Village ~till retein~ some charm of Rn Olil
World City.
The area's hou:;ing stock is structurally sounrl with a low level of maintenance
at the Villages inception of the study arec1. Situated elong the eastern border
of the study e.reo, industriol ffrms cluster in well-knit groups with little
intrusion into residential neig-:ibor~wods.
Migration of low-income families into the area has seriously affected the
area's pJ1ysical and sociEil nvironment., s110wing symto:ns of slum :i:ormc:ition,
overcrowd:tng, end deterior8tion. Stabilizing inflnences have been the St.
John, the Baptist, It~lfan National ChLtrch, 21nd Sacre,J nel!rt Church end School
Complex, Third Avenue Methodist Church, Senior Citizens High Rise, Taylor
Terrace, end the recent activities of the Second Avenue Section of the Near
Northside Neighborhood Council now known as t!1e Italian Village Sod .ety.
On the North, Ohio State University in close proximity to the study erea er.d .
on the south the renewal of the CBpitol Square 8rea with it's Convention Center
complex to be built on the border, on the West the remainder of the Near North-
aide Neighborhood Couneil area, composed of the Victorian Villege end Harriaon
west area, cre~te thP. need for further cooperetion an~ ~~~r.dinpt1on between
institutions en~ cor::nunity.
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Rtf ?St? zn
The italian Village Society and ltelian Village Commi~sion is attempting to:
(e) To tudy F"oblems and. detennine the needs for, 8nd of the City in furthering the purpose of rehebilitation, restoring, and preserving
the area of the City known e! the Italian Villege,
(b) To determine what legislation, if any, i! nP.cessary to preserve, restore and develop the Italian Village area end to recommend
legislation and physical improvements to City Council,
(c) To determine from existing Social Agencies, their problems, needs, and recommendations.
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IP'IW@:XM .
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
In the Spring of 1972 e small group of neighbore sttempted to reorganize the Second Avenue Section of the Nenr Northside Neighborhood Council in vn effort to have streets cleaneu, street lights replaced, pot holes on streets repaired.
The neighborhood had declined rapidly in tha past five ye~rs. It hcd been divided
when the Goodale Expre~sway was built forcing many long time residences to move
elsewhere. Demolition in the clearance of other areas showed them that by being
displaced from their homes many people felt this would happen here end the
standard excuse of not investing more money in repairs to the propel'ties became
the norm thus rapid acceleration of property decline began. At this point it
became very difficult for any organization to be formed and find sufficieLt
residences to back it.
Obtaining a local meeting place had been difficult, finally an c11l out effoyt
began with printed bulletins passed door to door and the first large meeting
stirred interest. However the first few meetings though lllrge in attendt1nce
were fruitless, discussione and blemes were passed back ,md forth, accusation~
of past problems, who had done whet for the neighborhoou in attempts to estAblieh
self satisfaction or some present, lenulord tenant difficulties, and other
discouraging remarks. Finelly by AugL1st the n..imber declined to a managc1ble
orderly group, a group thet really was intere~ted in the future of the neighbor-
hood. Discussions in earnest began on organizl'tion, how to let thg city know
there were people here interested in the community. The first step was to drl!ft
e constitution to regulete the meetings, zoning was 1lipshou and completely
urwnanageable, therefore a study group of the area zoning end problems was made,
with reconrnendatioM end requeata to the City. Some Conrnit:tees met elJnoet deily.
1n October 1972 en election we held end the new organization had it' firat
alate of officer. Work beaan on requesting fund from the city, state, and
federal goverrnenta in the form of en Urban Renewal Program. Lettera were even
aent to the Preaident of th U.S without enawer. Hower, by the end of Noveniber th Preeidnt of the U.S. had topped ll fu~da. Same dieccuragernent aet in.
-9"-_JS4M 4.%Z.P a. w Jt .Q! i@) ,S& .. Jq:& U!Q. KW>,;)$ St . .))Qi ~,: , '!CM t+4.a., ~ .
Many discussion! evolved on how to turn the erea around to make it a safe,
decent, plece to live and work in. Some suggestions of past history cEtme 8bout end from Historical background it was felt a new name and new irnree
could be given to the area.
History showed them Irish and Italian had both settled the arec1, b:.it the
Italian style of b..iildings prevailed throughout the area, and it was then
decided to call the aren Italian Village, reqnest a corranission from the City
of Columbu~ to be established in the area. Italian Village was publicly an-nounced in January of 1973, zoning requests bece.me law in April of 1973, end
by September 1973 an Italian Village Ordnance had been passed by City Council
giving a much needed commission. The Italian Village Society operated the
commission from Septer.:ber until January of 1974, when cornmi~sion members were appointed.
The Commission is beginning it's second year opersting the provisions of the
ordnance. The Society is still a functional citizens org~nization feeding
information into the cormnission, with citizen input from the Society. The
Commission is the leg~l representative arm of City Government. Commission members
ere appointed by city government. Five merr.bers of the nine member colill'!lission
sre appointed by the Itali8n Villaee Society. Two members are eppointed by
the Mayor end two members ere eppointed by City Council. One member eppointerl
by City Council is a council member.
Items appearing before the commission are first preeented to the Society one
week in adv8nce of the commission meeting, tlme enabling ti1e Society's citizen
input to be presented to the commission.
'.l'he Society and the Commission have worked well together end one fruitful
event is the evolving ot this plan.
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It~linn Village Connnission
The Commission meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 P.H. in Ryan
Hall, Sacred Heart School, 893 Hamlet Street, a public hearing open to the
public.
To accomplish its goal of pre~erving, rehabilitating imd restoring t~1e Italian
Vill~ge Area, the cominission reviews changes proposed by the property owners
for any exterior maintenc::nce, new constr:iction, fences, signs, and other it'inS
controlled by the ordnance. The Commission attempts to render recommendations
to both property owner and the City for improvements which would enhunce the
Italian Village motif. In order to present their proposals to the Commission,
property owners must file an application for a "Certificate of Appropriateness"
with the Commission Secretary. The Secretary then schedules a project reviE'w for the applicant for the next meeting.
The applicant is requested to provide pictures, plan~ or drawings of t1e pro-
posed work to the Comriiission for review. Upon review, Commission members suggest
measureB that may be taken to maintain the property in keeping with City codes
and the Italian Village ordnance. After review, the Commission votes to either
recommend approval of the project, or disBpprove the proposed work. If the r.omrnission recommends npproval, the 5ecretary then issues the Applicant a
"Certificate of Appropriateness" stating the intended changes to be made. The
applicant receives two copies of the certific8te, one to be kept on the project site uuring work, the other to present to the City to obtain eny building or
zoning permits.
ltelinn Village Societx
The Society is e citizens organization and hes created a Non-Profit Housing
Development Corporation established es e Neighborhood Hcusing Services Corporation
enebling that erm of the Society to receive, locel, state, and Federal tunde '
together with private grants and loans. Thie corporation ia operated end controlled
by 8 board of Trustee end the Executive Board of the Society it' principal
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i l I I I I ,
. W5FSF " - 7 ~13..-x; r-., g -;zm A 3 n ~ ~n
o!~icera The SociPty i!i' PJ citizens forum for involvement in the Community
Planning process, end provides a mechanism for citizens to be heE1rd in their neighborhood. The Society is open to membership of interested businesses, prop-
erty owners, and residences of the Italian Village~ Other members ~ecome non-resident members. Membership dues are nomin0l. Patron Members do not need to
have an interest directly in the Villa88 Area merchants supply certain ciscounts
on purchases of home improvement materials at various times when prcsenter.1embership card of the Society. The Society publishes? newsletter monthly con-
taining interesting points of information for area residents. The Society is
an active member of the Near Northside Nei.ghborhood Council. Italian Village
is one of three neighborhoods subscribing to the Council, along with Victorian
VillAge, and Harrison West. The Society was brought into being as a measure
to halt thP needless demolition of worthwhile homes, and to prevent further
blight end deterioration of the area, also to bring ebo~t a form of unity in
deslgn and purpose for the Italian Village area. The Society has since esta't ,li~hed
a firm commitment to the neighborhood.
Further information regarding the Italian Village are~ may be obtained froJll
the Corn.~ission Secretary, Department of Development, .City of Columbus, 67 tforth Front StJ:eet, Columbus, Ohi.o, 43215. The Society conducts monthly meetings
st 7:00 P.M. on the Second Tuesdt1y of each month in Ryan Hall, Sacred Heart
School, 893 Ha~let Street. The meetings are open to the public.
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I l
l>Al~Gtf.OUS HOU.3U:G
Due to ebandoned, vacated, run-down and hazardous buildings, all rehabitable,
neglected buildings, s good portion of the residnts of the Village Bre being
forced to live under extremely hazardous conditions.
Italian Village should be as a first priority designated a code Enforcement
area effective i!TlP.1ediately. It is recommended that a minimum of fo ur ins pectors
be assigned in quadrants. Each property owner receiving orders should hcive an
attached :-lyer stciting the property is in Italian Village ancl subject to the Itnlian Village Ordnance with information outlining procedures for permits
and repair work. These four inspectors should be assigned to the area for a
minimum of two years. At any time towcird the f uture that services of four
inspectors are not demancli:-ig their f lll "'..:i:.1e, a rnini~um of two inspectors would
remain solely attached to the project aren. The offices of these inspectors would be located in the Village in conju :-.ction with the project housing services office.
Zoning Enforcement inspectors could be coupled with housing fnspectors in the
area, should the City grant authority to Code enforcement areas. Insofar as
zoning violations occur they could be reportec. directly to zoning and each
inspector assigned would hRve the authority to initiate zoning violation orders,
and stop work orders. Since the blanket zoning of Italian Village has taken
place, many zoning violations have appeared and they seem to happen deliberately
when inspectors are unavailable.
Currently there is one inspector assigned to Italian Village, in addition h~ is
assigned to three other areas, a command of areas fer too large for one inspector
to handle even the complaints. At the tiree of this plan th~ inspPctor assigned
had been on the sick liet, ~ith no one replacing him.
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SYST:C:HATIC
CODE
ENFORCEMENT
PR
FIRE ZONE ONE
Italian Village has e portion of its land use area covered by Fire Zone One
under Section 2503.02 Columbus City Codes 1959. This fire zone wvs passed by
city council in order to prese .. :ve the public peace, property, health, safety
and welfare of the buj_ldings and persons involved. Although Fire Zone One covers a considerably larger area in Columlms those portions within the Villcige
are described below,
Star'ting at center point of Second Avenue and North High Street; thence east to the centerline of Mt. Pleasant; thence south on Mt.Pleasant passing the end of Mt. Pleasant in a straight line to the Goodale Expressway; thence west to the centerline of ?~orth High Street; thence north to the Centerline of East Second Avenue and North High Street the point of uginning.
Buildings encompassed within these boundar:'..es have codes directed in their
construction, zoning, spacing, fire walls, and other requirements in addition
to normal codes required.
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STATISTICS
Housing in Italian Village reflects a moderDte to low inco~e nei;hborhood.
30% of 1300 housing units are owner-occupied compared to the Columbus Per-
centage of 48%, b~sed on 1970 census figures, which now ~eem inaccurote. ~ survey in early 1973 again showed a higher percentage of home owners closer
to the Columbus percentage. 745'~ of the units are renter occupied in t)~e Vill-age, 8% lack all plu1i1bing and 2% lack kitchen facili tics. Most homes con-
tain the basic facilities. As in any moderate to low inco r,1e corrnnunity t :,e
:'.ledian value of the owner occupied homes were low (t6 ,600) when compared with the city average of ($17,100). These values were 1970 census, there ag~in showing some inaccuracies, while Village property hcis risen tl,000
the city average took a tremendous increase according to Franklin County
Court House statistics in their 1974 report. The units in Italian Village
are older than most of the city stock with 77% of the structure~ being built before 1929.
These buildings serve the income group they house as well as can be expected.
The median rent is $70.00 in the Vill~ge compared to the City average of ta1.oo. The values of the homes in the Village are determined by geographical location
of the structures, condition of the home and market demand.
20.27% of the families in the Vi:lage earn income below the poverty line. This
c~npares with 9.8% for the Columbus area as a whole. Yet the labor force
percentage is nearly the same for males and femBles in the Village as in Colwnbus. This creates a high percentage of working poor. This statistic be-
comes part of the cycle of children leaving school early entering the employ-
ment market, but still living et home. Median income for the Village ia ~3, 800 compared to $6,906 for Columbus es a whole. 52% of the famlliea do not own eutou1obiles.
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Crim@ stetlstics Bre emong the lowest city wide. According to Police Stetistic~
very few major crimes take place. Only 53 adult crimes and 12 juvenile crimes took place within the community during 1973. Most crime was not of a physical
nature (rape, murder, assault), only seven were burglary. If the vrec1 1.as had a bad reputation for being a crime infested area, it appears ;roundless.
16% of the Males and 24% of the females are over 60 years of age. This is
16 percentPge points higher than the Columb_us average. This also carries over
into the "family heads" category, showing many more seni:>r family heads than
in the remainder of Columbus. This statistic reflects a pl-!ttern of migration
of young wage earners leaving for other areas.
The number of youths in school is another important statistic. A high percentage
of youth between 16 and 21 are net in high school or no high school graduate~,
(51.2%}. The number of high school graduates are 20.7%, low compared to t.~e Columbus average of 55.6%. These factors all interact with the low and median
income of the area.
Recent statistics from Benchmark released in October of 1974, strongly shows
a need for up-grading older neighbor:10ods. 3,000 students are rr:oving out of
inner city neighborhoods.~Dollsrs are not available for rehabilitation to these
families to maintain them in these neighborhoods. Population over the age of
65 seemed to be satisfied with housing as is. Most dissatisfaction occurs in
low and moderate income neighborhocds. An amazing figure concerning trends to
displace people shows that 82% of the Coll.unbus populetion intends to move en.;-
way in the next three years.
The tatiatica of the 1970 census having been reflected are now five years
~ld. vaet changes have occured in the Village since 1970. Two schools serving
the area have been closed. Sixth Avenue served portions of the northern erea,
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when closed students were forced to attend schools further north c~ucing mass
exodu 8 of grade school families in the sUMrner of 1974. Sc1cred Heart SchC1ol
closed in June 1973, at le;ist 100 families from this school dispersed to otl~er
sections of the city. Thus stability norms in the past two years hc1ve cl-:enged
rapidly. A void existed in housing, and while accur~te statistics of new ~igrvntE
cannot be accurately determined, these 1'!cw imrr.igra.1ts on t J1e surface appe;ir to
be senior citizens. Other senior citize:n nep-comers have br~Pn estciblis l!et' c:t
the Senior Citizens building on North }lfgh StTeet called The NeH F::ec:nci~, these seniors are all in addition to the Senior Citizen T.:Jylor Terl'cice established at
the time of the 1970 census. Senior citizens living in private homes ere either
renters or ho~eowners. Only one school ser ves the ~r ea at the end of 1974 ~nJ
its nm:1~ers Ehow the ueclining trend, were it not for occasional boundary chrnge?.
Since the 1970 census, many structures have been demolished, abendcned, or
vacated. Those abandoned and vacated Bre structure.lly sound and ripe for rehRb-
ilitation.
T:.1e Italian Village Society has gnined strength -and substBnce from these Senior
Citizens who take an active part ir . civic duties. Many stories have corae wj_th the new migration of senior citizens as they adapt to their low and moder~te
income statLtS. They reflect the cause of peat clearance projects, highway or urban development and do not have a desire to loose their homes again. Thi~ seg-
~ent of olll~ popu:ation is the most harmed by displacement. But in rehabilitation
ar .d restoration it hz:s been cle8rly noticed in the year of 1974., that Commisr-ion
hearings have been strongly attended by Senior Citizens in their a .. .:tempts to make
Iuilian Villtige a good community to live in. !: vast majority of Ser.ior Citizens ::ire the most frequent segment of the Village population doing t ;1e nost rehabilitatior.
~nd restoration. Protections and guarantees towards the senior citizen will be
strongly motivated in their efforts to not be displaced from the Vill~be 'nleee
same senior ~itizena although in the low end moderate income level, heve the morel,
eociel, and economic value thet tend to make Italian Village a vieule ateble
community. -18-
TRANSPORTATION
Accessibility throughout the study area through its major arterials is generally good. Although automobiles are heavily useu, availability of
mass transit as a means for many individuals to get to and fro m work, shoppinf,
and vocational-educationl'll centers is critically important in t'his erec1.
Some areas, such as the Summit-Fourth Elre?, pre carved by arterir.ls into
undesirable and dangerously small pieces. This problem should be solved
through the Community Development Act program proposed in this report.
~ARROW STREE!S CONTRIBUTE TO CONGESTION
In Italian Village the Columbus street network can be groupe
EXISTING ARTERIALS NEED IMPROVEMENT
North High Street is designated the major north-south arterial throusih and on the western border of the village, a common border shared with Victorian
Village, and some mutual studies betv.,een the two villages should remove c1ny
conflicts. Redevelopment of commercial land along High Street to proviC:e oif-
e:treet parking would alleviate an already tremendous problem d11e to the ptirkinf
ban at peak hours, which allows for additional traffic...;moving lanes during these
noLtrs This is an especially important route, and is also s major mass transit route, with conflicts arising between buses and autos for use of the sar,1e lanes
Sur-:mit Street/North Fourth Street form a functionc1l rcdr of cne-way streets
Both streets are mass transit routes, having problems with conflicts for lc>nes
between buses and autos. The t,,.;,o streets terminate unwieldly north of the stLldy
area at Hudson, where a jog carries throu~h traffic to Indianolc1 P.,enue, e two-lane, north-south arterial. The off-street pc1rkin5 bF.n is in effect on both
these streets during peak traffic hours and is detrimental ~nd difficult for
residents to find suitable parkini spaces. :.ong range proposals for improvements
of these streets would impr~ve the fl.ow of through traffic and parking problems
through the study area.
Fifth Avenue is a major east-west arterial through and bordering the northern boundary , of the study erea, crossing the Olentangy River west of the
Village area and interchanging with I-71 east of the study erea.
The street system in Italian Village was laid out in the l870's in e
gridiron pattern with narrow c1lleyweys end offset or curved intersecti.ons. The
twisting narrow streets togetl 1er with buildings set close to the curb line in
many areas create a sense of enclosure. Small vistas unfold when approeching
an intersection end stir enticipetion of what the next turn -will revefl. Thus
-20-
. F ilfK?ti '1e:)H4"~b%f5 1 :tli~la..@ . 3? 7.il r I
the street design has been an important feature of the Italian Village creation.
However, the major streets bring relatively high volumes of trcJffic througr the area including through truck traffic jarring the quiet image of Italian Village. The combination of on::street parking end two-way traffic movement on some of
the narrower Strtets, and visual obstruction at corners impP.des trrific ci~-
culation. The influx of motoring visitors in cars and buses will add to the
congestion.
On-Street Parkin(' Poses Problems Q The parking situation is chaotic in certain se~ments of the village.Kew land uses
will not be exempted from providing off-street par~ing facilities, the parkinJ
needs of most new residences and businesses will ~e met in part, if not entirely,
by on~street parkin 6 However, this will prove to be ansatisfactory since then
is not enough curb space along many blocks to meet the demand. Presently pc>rldnr;
is banned at certain hours of the day from the North-South routes of Summit Stre~t
and North Fourth Street. Parked vehicles block traefic movement, delay emergency
vehicles, cause inefficient delivery services, and increase the likelihood of
accidents.
Although many streets are too narrow to permit both p~rking on two sides and
free flow of twe>-way traffic, a progr6JT'l of street widening would be economic 8 11y
unfeasible, and perhaps esthetically undesirable. Banning parking along segments
of certain streets to improve traffic circuletion and allow pDrking for uelivery
trucks will have serious disadvantages; since spaces are at a premium, par'king
prohibitions only recluce the supply still more. However, a system of one-way
movement along selected streets, particularly east-west streets, would offer
the advantage of both free vehicle movement and maximum on-street parking.
-21-
If VillBge residents 8nd businessmen indicate an interest in such a system,
the Division of Traffic Engineering end Parking is willing to hold meetings,
conduct field studies, prepare plans, and hold hearings on the proposals. A
one-way system probably should be applied to part or all of llar.1let Street,
allowing parking on both sides of the street with free moving traffic in tl ~e \
center lane, \varren Street, First Aveni1e, Second Avenue, Fonrth Avenuf>, X0tint
Pleasant, Say Avenue, Pearl Street, Prescott Street, and JJincoln t::treet. These
streets a:re only suggested at this time as possible choices for a one-way systcn. r
The actual system can be later agreed upon by the people in the area ~nd the
Traffic Division, if a one-way flow is to be incorporated. Discussions llith the
Traffic Division could also be held on li 1,ii ting trt1ck traffic t o certain streets, _,-
installing stop si gns, elimim itin g left tnrns, bannin 1~ all-c 1ay par k i::-1g on certain
streets, eliminating visual obstructions, w'1ere possible., and identifyi:::ig otl :cr
traffic problems. One point is obvious-- e hi g:r. C::C';::re2 of cooperet i on and coirird t-
ment among property owners will be necessary if ciny such joint effort i .s to be successful.
Brick Streets and Sidewalks c1re I111portant Ini-:redi ents of the ~.1illc1:-,e Irnege
Brick pavinJ of streets ar e one of the elements that gives color and c'!-iarscter
to Italian Village. The manual incorporated in copies of the Itc1lian Village
Code explains the use of brick pavinr,:
The original paving of the Italian Village was almost entirely brfck
because of its abundance in Ohio and its suitability to this climate.
It is noted that the early streets had no curbstones. ~:ot only the
sidewalks and streets were of brick, but a drainage depression was
formed of the same m11terial at the junction between the sidewalk ent1 etreet or in the cente::- of the street.
-22-
Through the years much of the flavor and character of this area has been
lost as streets have been covered by asphalt. Brick sidewalks have eitl1er
been replaced with concrete or obscured with other materials, and curbstones
have been installed.
Today a smnll amount of brick sidewalks exist, and c1 remrirkable 2mo1mt
of brick paving exists, but changes in the original construction had
led to many areas of unpleasant relationships and contrasts. It is
commonly agreed that brick streets used in combination with concrete or
asphalt sidewalks, although not ideal, results in an acceptable c1pnec1rance.
Where the stree:: detracts sufficiently from the texture sur:fc1ce of the
sidewalk to crec1te an undesirable and incongruous appearance. Where brick
is absent in both the streets and sidewalks the effect is ,nost unsatisfacto:i:-y,
especially when there is not 8eparation or relief given hy b,rass areas or
trees, which serve in creating seine surface texture and interest from
their shadow patterns and fallen leaves. It is found that some of the
most interesting and pleasant walks were those which hrd either or both
the street and sidewalk laid in brick or at least one, end further had
large trees along the curb line.
It is felt thl'.: t,1e character of the sidewalks and streets achieved by
the use of brick and the narrowness of the streets, integrates the
assorted buildings Bnd other elements, and lends a feeling of overall
character and "oneness".
New brick sidewalks would be laid as pElrt of many property restorations, b,it
in some cases concrete, especially for driveways, would be used. Another
sidewalk material still in use is cut stone, which is found in curbing elao.
'It is noted that in several instances the wrong type of brick could be uaed
for aidewalka; irregular brick or brickwork.a with uneven surface can be haz-
ardou for pedestrians. Improperly laid brick.a quickly loosen or chip ily
and thus become a potential hazard. Weeds and clumps of grass permitted to
grow between the bricks are not only unsightly but pose Bnother h8zard to
pedestrians. Use of brick for sidewalks would not be mandatory and no special
regulations governing their installations and maintenance. Nevertheless, it
behooves property owners in the area to see to it that the use of brick remains
as asset and does not become a liability.
City agencies and utility companies follow a policy of replacing brickworks
in their maintenance operations whenever possible. However, great vigilance is
needed to see that brick work is replaced and is not covered by asphalt in a
work project. One way to ensure that brick paving is considered in all street and sidewalk repairs would be to form a committee composed of residents,
businessmen, and other interested groups to meet and work with agencies involved
in street and utility maintenance to devise better coordination. One approach
that could be investigated is assigning a specially trained city crew to install
bricks. A progr~m could be instituted to replace bricks where necessary on a
year-round basis. It is recognized that brickwork may be not desirable in terms
of cost maintenance requirements on major streets, but effort should be made to restore and maintain brickwork on other streets and main alleyways. There are three
methods that should be used to retain brick peving materials: (1) preserve and maintain existing streets that are completely bricked; (2) where major streets ...;...__ are covered with asphalt, maintain the curb lane in brick, thus keeping materials
consistent and separating the function of the traveling portion of the street
from that of the parking lanes, (S) where concrete patchwork has been poured 'f... over brick streets, install new bricks on a planned program basis.
-24-
Existing Hass Transit Meets Current Service Needs
The existing mass-transit bus routes include service on North Fourth Street,
Summit Street, North High Street and (cross-town) on East Fifth Avenue. Passenger collection points are well located in the study area.
-2s-
I l I l
FUNCTIONAL STREET
CLASSIFICATION IN
ITALIAN VILLAGE
ARTERIAL -COLLECTOR ""'""' """
SECONDARY ----------------
::
~ -~
- TH I~ .....;.-""t=:::::::::. =:...=~=:!.!:::==i
MA p or PRESE~IT
TRANS PORTA TI ON
PLAN or COTA
BUSS ES
UTILITIES Combined Sewers Need Relief and should be Separated
The combined sto~n-sanitary sewer system in the sturly area is heavily loaded
and has been found to be running full, in some cases, to be operatinz under
pressure. Since the Italian Village area was one of the first sectors of the
city to develop in an urbanized mcmner, sanitary sewPrs, storm SP.wers, and
water lines interlace the streets and alleys. No particular water, storm drein-
age, ~or sanitary sewer problems exist, due to the elevation of the land east
of High Street, although during periods of heavy rainfall, some streets and
basements become flooded. This flooding hes proven to be a temporary nuisance
rather than e hardship. As in most of the older parts of central Columbus, the
sanitary and stoi'il'I sewers are combined in a single system. Presently, there
are no plans to separate the two types of sewers in the Village are~. Main-
tenance, cleaning, and spot improvement programs such as storm dr~in extensions
have been customary in past decades and can be expected to continue in the
future.
A priority need exists to establish periodic cleaning of Storm Sewers. Older
storm drain openings are obsolete in sifting debris from entering the system.
It is strongly urged that all storm drain openings be replaced with iron grid
pattern coverings, sufficient in weight to prohibit removal by children with
omall scaled openings in the grid pattern to allow water to drain into the
system and exclude debris. Establish a program to see that future tap ins from
outer aress do not flow into the areas smaller 36' lines, alleviating over-
loading. These efforts would preclude the installation of separate systems.j..
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I
MAJOR ([ SEWER LINES ' @ DIAMETER OF PIPE
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0 <
s -< (%:
-\:.) ~
Lighting of Arterials and Second11ry Streets Needs Improvement
The need for improved 5treet lighting has been stre!ilsed by area residents Y.
and b11sinessmen. Most incandescent lights are located along the streets
and alleys, with most at street intersections. These light fixtures date
from the l930's and do not meet present nay standards. There have been in-
dividual efforts to illuminate property with flood li ghts, gas light poles
may be installed by some residents of the late 1800's design and are con-
sidered more ornamental than functional but they will contribute to the
Village setting.
Lighting standards requiring 0.2 lumens per square foot on secondary streets
have been achieved on all streets north of Fifth Avenue, in ThurbP.r Village,
and in part of the Dennison J',vem!e Rehabilitation Project. Lighting on major arterials such as Hii;~ Street, Summit Street, North Fourth Street, and East Second Avenue were replaced in 1973 with l Foot Candle Main-
tained lights.
The collector streets of First J'ivenue, \varren Street, and the use of Hull Alley
121 Jhlfid r
an extension of East Hubbard Avenue east from Kerr Street to Summit Street should X be classed as a collEctor, traffic usage durine peak hours is unbelievable in )( t~is alley. These streets should receive lighting of 0.60 foot candle maintained
lights. Residential streets with a spacing of 180' on a 26' wide street require
an installation of 0.4 foot candle maintained. Lights in Alleys will not be
sccomplished until all streets in the City of Columbus have lighting instelled.
At the present time older lighting is replaced on a one for one basis when
complaints are received. However these lights are older lights removed elsewhere
end repaired prior to installation. The use of rehabilitated lights do not increase
light intensity, and the uae of these type replacements may. be exhausted in 8 ahort
period of uaage, cauing a uelesa waste of time, manpower, and money.
-so-
l )
,i
Citizens, concerned about the modern appear~nce this will make of mercury
lamps attached to existing wood poles, should make their desires known to
the city. The Italian Village Society membership voted for the entire area
to receive updated lighting as soon as possible without additional expense.
Another objection was th~t increased light intensity will be too bright, al-though the intensity is based on a National Standard for proper lighting for
driving safety and crime control. Here ,:i_;ain the Italian Village Society un-
animously agreed to receive the increased light intensity.
The Division of Electricity does not install incandescent lighting except for
replacements or a few additional lights in areas that still have incandescent
lighting. The reasons for changing to mercury vapor lights is to improve light
intensity and get more light per watt of power, which results in savings in
operating costs. The City first installs power lines and lights on major streets and then, if the residential areas desire them, they are asked to submit petitions
which are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. At present, there is e
fairly large back log of petitions which will continue to be considerd on bond
issues, Italian Village Section while operating under the Second Avenue Section
of the ?,ear Northside Neighborhood Council did with the Council some four yeers
ago submit these petitions, and as late as January 1974 the City maintained these
petitions were not submitted. See CIP hearings of January 19711.
Staff members of the Electricity Division are willing to meet with property owners
and residents to discuss a street lighting program for Italian Village. Residents
and businessmen desiring new street lights in their area should submit a petition
to the Division of Electrcity signed by at least 75 percent of the effected
property owners~ the Division has found that 1~ is preferable to have the signat-
ures of 75 percent to avoid a aituation where a few owners change their minds end
invalidate the petition. Th~ petition should state the atr~et for which lighting
i requeated, the geographic area involved, end the type nf pole preferred. Wood
-s1-
I I
-
... :,. .... ~ .. - ' .. --" - .. ,,.., \. . .. . : ,,. .. ... ,r - ~ .. .. ,.. ~ .. .. i1
poles end overhead lines are installed from bond money et no expense to
property owners. However, if the petitioners wish ornamental poles, which
include underground lines, or orn8mental fixtures on existing poles, the
property owners must pay the difference in cost.
Several residents will indicate that the city should install gas lights in
~he Village area. There are at least t:wo rec1sons why the City cannot pursue
such a program:
1. The intensity of gas lights does not approach the standard for proper driving safety and crime prevention;
2. The Bond Issue Ordnance, Sectioa 1, from which the money is obtained for street lights specifies "for the purpose of expand 7.ng and improving the street lighting system, power lines, underground tunnels for power lines and other structures;~ installation and construction of power plant improvemP.nts''. The Division is not authorized to spend bond money for anything other than electric lights and lines.
If residents wish to install gas lights on their own property, they may do so,
of course, but the Division of Electricity cannot enter into such a program for
the reasons stated. Should a broad segment of property own.-rs and other interested
parties wish to promote gas lights, they conld form a task force to meet and work
with the City and the Columbia Gas Company of Ohio Inc Perphaps a sin{;le block could be selected for a pilot study to determine feasibility of gas lights in
the Italian Village.
Under the Housing and Community Development Act an idea to improve the environment
would be the installation of corner combined street signs and lights, such 88
those installed in Rochester, New York. Although these may not be feasible for
every corner throughout the Village, the use of these lights could be made
evailable at key entrances to the Village.
-s2-
It has become quite evident from this study that an important priority throughout
the Village is the installation of street lighting. Residents and the Italian
Village Society are in complete agreement on this issue.
Water Supply Needs Improvement
Transmission and service mains in the study area are generally adequate. A
few service lines are dead-end lines and need to be connected with other
existing water lines.
Spacing of hydrants for fire protection has become suustandard, where redevelopment
from single-family homes to apartments will cause an increase in water needs for
adeqaate fire protection. Redevelopers should be required to provide necessary
increases in watex supply at hydrBnts to cornply with Fire Division Standards.
-ss-
WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
@ Pipe Size !Inches) ~ ===;
SCALE 1":1000'
~
-34
-< a: . c..>
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Both Public and Private Schools are located in the Village
There are two elementary schools in the Village, one public and one private.
The Second Avenue School, is a co-educational public elementary school, located
on East Second Avenue between the interf~ction of Mount Pleasant and Sununit
Street. The main building was erected in 1874 and is a Village landmark, the
building is well maintained with a contemporary addition adned to the east
of the main building, without much thought given to architectural styles. In
the board of Educations Bond Issue Passage of }!ovember 1972 this site was to r~ , have been expanded.It is according to the Near Northside Plan of Janu~ry 1972
to include ground toward an easterly direction. Due to the general drop in
student population of the Near Northside it is believed this plan has now been
eliminated. It appears plans from the school board are not given to outside
sources. The main building of this school is an excellent example of Italianate
Influence, particularly the soffets and stone lintels of the building.
Sacred Heart School, a private co-educational elementary school was constructed
in 1955, replacing an older building. Although contemporary in design the school
is compatible with the older buildings of the area beceuse of it's low profile
end brickwork. This school forms part of a church-school complex occupying over
four 8 creo in the heart of the Village. The Church is a principal feature of the
ares, although the present building has existed only since 1922, the old church
and school existed since 1875 on the same site. The present Church building is
of 8 Florentine Design with a Gothic Interior. Two other buildings occupy this
site, the residence of the Auxiliary Bishop of the Romsn Catholic Diocese of
Columbus, who has been established here for over 25 years, and the Sacred Heart
. Convent housing the Sisters of St.Francis who teff the ec~ool. The Sisters of
-ss-
St. Francia still occupy the Convent, although the School waa closed in June
1973, due to declining enrollment of children in the eree, shown by similar
drop in public institutions. The Children of Sacred Heart Bre bussed daily to
Holy Name School. It is hoped that this institution through upgrading of the
neighborhood will once again open the school.
The Third Avenue Day School Nursery iR located at the intersection of Say Avenue
and East Third Avenue. This institution is under the direction of CAMACCO.
The Senior Citizens High Rise :. Taylor Terrace occupies approximately four
acres and it's site lies directly to the West of Sacred Heart's Complex and
directly south of Second Avenue School. Because of the brickwork end well-laid
plan of the complex, it is compatible with the study area.
Another Senior Citizens High Rise is the New Francis located on North High Street
between Lincoln Street and First Avenue, opened for occupancy in 1973.
-86-
SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES
The Inter-Agency School Co:)r
end maintain channels of cormnunicetion between the neighborhood end poli~e.
Officers assigned to this program maintain close contoct with civic and neigh-
borhood organizations and act as advisor and liaison with them. In addition
the officers assigned op~rate a Junior Police Post for boys and girls on sep-
arate nights at the Second AvenuP. .Presbyteril!n Chttnh on West Second Avenue,
ll three year program that has met with much success in the Near Northside.
-ss-
LAND USE
Residential Lend Use One and Two Family Structures should be preserved
Since the dominent land use is residential, the need to halt housing deterior-
ation is clear. This can be done by a combination of renewal programs, mun-
icipal code enforcement, community banking interests, investors, and action
by the Itc1lian Village Soci.ety and Italian Village Commission within the
neighborhood working toward housing restoration, under the Italian Village
Ordnance. Originating in the community, the effort to halt this deterioration
should be coordinated by the Italian Village Society in cooperation and
backing from the city and neighboring organi .zations, with facilities
presently provided by the Sacred Heart Cht1rch and a planner assigned from
the City of Cclmi1'tlus Department of Developrn"c!nt.
Restoration began with Voluntary HoL1sin!j and Inv~stor Repair Progrums Rehabilitation of ho:1sing structures should be carried out as much as possible
by Volunteer groups and Investors in the study area as well as the individual
home owner. Such e plan for this solicitation has been implemented to some
degree, by encouragement a~d a sound plan, coordinated by the Italian Villaee
Society. This plan in the past two years has resulted in numerous stages of
rehabilitation and some complete restorations.
Special ArchitecturEl Conservc.tion of Buildings
Many streets in Italian Village such as Warren Street, Hamlet Street, Lincoln
StreeT, First Avenue, and Fourth Avenue show substantially built horn~A and
institutions of a pleasant and unusual architectural style of Palazzo& end Villea.
Special characteristics are square built two story brick homes and carved, plain,
and stone lintels, slate hip roofs, terrs cotta ml!ssive chimneys, ornete wide
eave covering box gutters. Stonework of buildings are characteristic of Roman
I~fluence while the artwork ahowa Florentine Art.
The Village is not only an erea of atructurea ahowing unique visual unity; it
i 8 residential neighborhood. The restoration of Italian Village 18 initiated
for the preservation of raaidencea, end proper zoning clasaificetion recog--~9-
nizing the existing dominant use acts as a safeguard. The mixture of single,
two, and multiple family structures that now exist in the Village, appears
to be the desired equilibrium. This can be maintained best by enforcing zoning
districts in the Village at R-4, a single, double f~mily zoning district.
However, such zoning should not preclude the possibility of certain properties,
such as large vacrnt lots or large lots with deteriorated industrial structures
that should be demolished, from being used for multiple family units. The site
design, open space, size of buildings, and compati.bility with adjacent properties should be the main consideration in such cases. The single-double family zoning
classification would serve primarily to prevent conversion of resiclential struct-
ures for additional dwelling, units and thereby maintain the lower-density
character.
If the size or shl!pe of a lot does not permit: room for parking, or if by design
a bP.tter yard open space area, garden walkway, or othEr better open spe.ce
arrangement can be accomplished, then a variance could be granted if not unduly
detrimental. The objectives would be to require an effnrt by the owner to l~y out a site desi~n "to accor.iodate parking needs. Or..e required off-street psrking
s;>ace could be E::xempted in Italian Village, assuming t11at one orr-street parking
space is av,dlablP. for each parcel occupied by a residence or commercial use.
-40-
,
Com~ercial Uses Could Thre~ten to Alter the Chsrscter of ItBlten Villahe.
The cha111, of Italian Village would sePrn to attract not only potenthil residents
but also Rightieers and new businesses. The only sector of thP. Vill11ge t11at
would be zoned for commercial uses is alone Higr. Street, and Fifth AvP.nuP, the
remaining larger sector wo~ld be zoned for residentiRl purposes only. The
existing businesses in opPrP.tion in thP residentt~l ~Pctor would be considered
legal nonconforming uses. Generally andPr the Zoning Crde regulritions, no new
businesses can locate in residentiolly z0ned districts. There ere two exception~
to this under city code.
The unrestrained nd.xing c-: comrr.crC'..:.al establishments throughout the residential '
area would he very evident. Besides professional offices, sped.alty shops would
open and a nu:nber of existing businesses would be enlarged. Many goods and
services now non exi~tcnt would hP newly introduced in the area and proh11bly
will not be directer! to the net:>ds of arect rcsiciPnts but rc1ther towsrd a ll'rger seement of t;ie city nnn t(\ to,rrists.
Structtu 4 es originzl'!.y J(-)Sif:ne
Industr is Well located but eome Scattered Non-Conformin uses will be scattered t roughout t e Village.
Large Industrial activities maintain a strip on the EastP-rn boundaries of the
Village and are separated by 8 jagged line of streets north to south thus separating them from the residentir.l neighborhood.
Some light industries are scattered tr :roughout the Village under t11e R-4
zoning. These industries are of a legrl non-conforming use in the neighborhood.
These industries consist :nainly of w,:ire;iousin6, terminal or storage, and of
production operation such E1S fabrication and forging. These indllstries are
located throughout the Village in no ~pparer.t pattern but form smell pockets
of incompatible uses with adverse affects on residential properties nea:r.by.
The noise and . fumes emitted from some operc1tions are particularly disturbing;
the tracl~ and c?utomobile traffic generc1ted is sometioes i.nconveni ,ent and possibly
even hazc1rdous to residP.nts. Most are constructed of exposed concrete block
walls or similar materials. Th (_
some kind of industri~l__g~es in the exist~ .r:ul--
structu::~e may continue indefinitely. However, at tr.e time any of these struc-tures_
is no longer sound for ind..1strial purposes, it should be ir.unedie.tel demolished
to permit a more appropriate developr.1ent of the land, whether residential,
co~nerciel or sone other compatible non-industrial use,
Strii: Commercial Dietric"ts S~1011ld be redeveloped In ti 1e Italian Village Area, the two commercic1l districts along North High
Street and East Fifth Avenue should be restored into an Itelien Motif in con-
junction with the Village Restoration. The closeness of the new Convention Center should add impetus to this wit. specialty shops end restaurants. Upper-
floor residential uses over commercial outlets need draRtic rehabilitation,
many have .been vacated, and a gradual restoration of High StTeet frontage,
to serve the attraction of business from local citizenry as well ss futurP
tourists. Some building owners should be enco1.1rRged to seek rezoning use of upper floors to be converted to office spaces. The clearance and redevelopment
of this commercial strip would be detrimt>ntal to property owners flt the present
time due to a 1963 law requiring a 65 foot set back line for High Street property.
With short lots land use space cou~d not meet the building code requirements.
Expansion of strip commercial development elsewhere in the study area, such
as has been occuring, should be stiongly discourc1ged in favor of a few spotted
services or convenience type businesses in existing commercial propBrties.
REHABILITATION3 ECONOMIC SENSE
At this point it should be rest8ted that the Village survey was external in
character and that, for this reason, suggestions given in this section deal
solely with building facades.
r.. Definitions:
Be:t'ore startinb our investigc1tion into rehabilitation, it is necessary
to define some terms basic to the discussion.
1. Restoration - returning a building to its original condition and
appec1rance. This technique is usually used on buildings of arch-
tectural significance and can be expensive, involving both re-
placement or original features an
4. Modernization - an attempt to make older structures reaemble
current construction through the use of new fac8de materials end treatment. These include "natural finish" aluminum window end
door trim, picture windows, and the entire line of ,:add-oni taciz.l
materials applied over the current exterior siding. These are at-
tempts to post-date a structure and the results are usually
disastrous.
A few words should be included about the opposite side of the coin,
attempts at "pre-dating" a building, or making it appear older than
it is. Examples are the installation of colonial doors, french porch
canopies and small pared windows, all of which have been done in
the Village. The details and proportions rarely, if ever, fit the
original dwelling and the results can even be worse than modern-
ization attempts.
B. WHY REHABILITATE?:
The majority of structures fou:1d in Italian Village fall into the 80-100 year old category, placing the~ in a time period of large scale
construction as urban cores were spreading out along established trade
routes. Until fairly recently, thes structures fell into a nno man's
land", of neither being historically old, nor having the conveniences
of new construction. However, with rising labor and material costs,
increasing public transit and gasoline pricea, and staggering traffic
congestion, many laymen\_ and professionals alike are viewing these
"in-town" structures with new interest. The Department of Development
for the City of Columbus is investigating the formation of a Neighborhood
Housing Services Program which would enable the aged, clisabled, end all
other residents who have difficulty in obtaining improvement loans, to
receive funds for rehabilitation. If Italian Village is designated for
this program, reaidenta will be immediately notified.
-45-
c. HUD, FHh8 VA Although Italian Village is not a federal housing project area, individual residents rr.ay be eligible for government loans and
grants, and should contact the local HUD, FHA, and VP. offices ss early
as possible. (See FHA-VA loans elsew~ere in this study) II. Selecting the ~rchit~ct:
People are often stifled by the pro't>lei:. of selecting an architect and,
as a result, \.1ill take a "stab in the cark", not sure of what they are
getting. However, this need not be the case, since architects can be judged by their past accomplishr.1ents. Start out by looking around the different
villvges in Cclu~bue end choose what you feel to be an exceptional rehab-
ilitation job, :i!'l~ the architect who did the: work and go to see hin. If this m".!thoc:! does not prove satisfactory, call either the local chapter of
the Archite:ctu.rol Institute of l,merics, or the Ohio State University School
of Architecture and as~: for their reco::ll'l)endations. It is important to make SlU'e people know ycu are in the market for sn architect who has expertise
in the r~:1abili tation fif:ld, since ;-:iany respectable architects know relatively
li'ttl~ a?out proper rehabilitation.
Once :;oc. 'have located an architect, ,,isi t his office anrl ask to see some
exanples of past r~habilitation projects. It would also be advisable to ask for th
l. Design: measuring and drawing up accurate plans of the existing
building and, in addition, designing and drawing plans and elevations
of all new elements to be added to the original structure. It may
also be a good idea to have a few perspectives of what the new area
will look like to inspire the bank to lend money.
2. Working Drawingsa set of fully detailed ~nd dimensioned drawings
used by the contractor to perform the
The next important step is to be sure that the builder is symp~thetic to the
type of design app~oach required; otherwise, the end result may in no way
resemble what seemed to be agreed upon at the signine of the contract. It is
possible that the owner wnnts to ret~in all the original features on the
str;.icture, while the builJcr decides it's easier to rip them off. It should
be perfectly clear to beth parties whcit goes and wi1at stays before any cotrP-
mitments are made. You as the owner would be responsible under tte ltAli~n
Village Ordnance.
Unless the job is smcill and the owner has either exc~ssive free th1e, or en understanding of the building profession, it is not c:dvisable for him to act
ns general contractor -:or t11e job, ~:t-iis function being more efficiently per-formed by the buil :1er.
If there is no strongly favored contrr,ctor, i"'.: is customary to accept anc
compRre bids from ell those considere,:1. / 0 ;,in, it is very iinportant to : .. now
exctctly whn't e,ch bid inclu
NEW CONSTRUCTION IN IT:'1.LIM'. VILLAGE
A quick reference to the "Biiildfng Coveragen map incorporated herein will
make it readily apparent to the rec1dc:r. uhy new construction should be con-
sidered in this rc-:port. Italian Villa~c :1as mm.erous VGcant lots, scattered
throur;hout the area, which wo~lld prov:i. ,1e excellent sites for the construct:i.on
of new sint:;le or rr.ulti-fr;1:1ily 11ousini;.
There are nume:ro.is ways ir: w1iich nev c01.str:icticn can cidapt and conform to the
olde:r nei 0hbor' d rr1 f 11 ' ;, t, e cri ter1. a r->sta1.>listed l:, ;1':>0 s .. i1e o m11n 6 ~li ::1,~ry .Jr,se ... on .1 -
in the ,:Historic Prese:cvation Plar. :'0r -t.Le Centn1l Ar8a General HeigM>orhoou
itenewal Plan, Sc'lvunnn1., GPorgic! r: gives SLlcCP:~:io;:-,s on tow to relate new con-
struction to an e):istinb s treetscape.
a. Dy cm1!:'o:rr..inr; to the establishf'.!d proportior. oi t:1e vori.ous openings i.e.,
the width t1 he:-:.glit relatior.ship of \:::.;iclc.vs rinc r.oors
,/
b. 3y conformir.:3 to tr.e established proportion of the total area of the v
openings in a wall to t11a entire ar ea of the wall itself.
c. Jy conforr::ing tc the rythm of s0lids-to-voids-, i.e., a n,lationstip
1.:,.,twecn tte width oi door and windm,, op:;;r.i:1gs ant] tl:e wi(lth of the wall
l0cated '. etween.
J. By adherine to any established rythm of certain elE-r.:ents, such 88 1Jc'y
\d.;1c-!ow.s, enti:y ,,:~ys, porches, etc.
e. 3y relc1tinr to tr.e predo :ninant roof shape in the a1ea, Le., :.:.bh or ..,.. low pi tchec'! 0able, ~1ip, or parapet.
f. :,, relating to t :1 c1rea's preilvr:1fr.ant sc~le, as it rel~tes to man, i.e.
l " .. 11 : 111,rJa see e , ama ~c,=le'' et:c. v
g. By relatin~ the ve.rticsl proportions 0f the wi~dow openinrs ,:1rd buildings ./
'fi, general.
sn -:- r rr:ar z11as ... n .. ,zz,nr:,..,:u 1- - 1u 3 3 rxr ;n c
h. By relating to site and lend~c~pe features evident in the areB, i.e.,
brick walks, privet hedge, picket fence, wrought iron fence, etc
1. By relating to the height of surrounding buildings. Even though new
construction is lower to the ground, raised _first floors end steep roo~s
cnn often visu~lly offset this problem. It is recommended that new construction
come within 10% of the height of older structures.
j. By maintaining any established ryth m concerning the spacing of buildings. k. By relatin 6 to predom-:nant mcitericlls, text 1re (roug~1 or s:.1ooth), colors,
and architectural det0ils in the area. By relating to !";laterials, \-~e do not
mean the synthetic ''fake" materials already ccutioned ep,ir.st. To rel;,te to
architectural
A GUIDE TO REHABILITATION
It will be the attempt of this section to familiarize the reader with ways
in which he can rehabilitate his home and recapture some of the original
character of the structure. It ~hould first be stated that no residence in
Italian Village is independent of those s~ ;1ctur.es around it. The sum of 811
the individual buildings form the nei;hborhood "streetscape" and one or two
buildings which disrupt the congruity of the street can effectively harm the
entire area. This is not to say that each '!-iouse s~1culd be a repetition of
the next, however, it is to say that 2ach house should be 8 repetition of
the next, however, it is to say that each should relate to its neighbors in
a few basic ways, as listec below:
1. By relatinc the materials to those predominent in the area,i.e.,
brick, clapboard, etc.
2. By relatL1b t"r.e textures to those precominant in the area, i.e.,
closely spacea clapboard, rough brictwork, etc.
3. By re Vi ting to the predominant cclcrs in the area, i.e. reci brick-
por :;:, Nhfte clapboard, etc.
, ;,y relatin i to the prir.iary details in the area, i.e., type of door
c1nd window trim, cornice wcrk, etc.
If a property owner finds ~imself in f.:n area which has ~een literally
ncovered ': by e selesrr;;n of some of the n~o:r '.'! objectiorable synthetic sidings alre;-dy rr:er,tion~d, he shol,ld visit tl:ose buildings of arch!tectnr~l ~ignifir.enc~
in his immediate area and use them as a guide.
In the remain~er of this se~tion, choosing ~ateri6l8, colors end method
of rehabilitetion will be discussed.
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I. Choosing Materials:
It can be safely stated thst most rehabilitation work is spoiled by the
use of inappropriate or false matrials than for Eny other reason. For
the purpose of rehabilitation, building ~:ic1terials cen be divided into
three categories:
1. Those suitable when preserving or enhancing the appearances
of an old house.
2. Those suitable when modifyinG a house to permit certciin new or
modern treatments end uses.
3. Those of n~ither genuine treditional nor good modern design
which should Je avoided in all situctions.
All traditional materials, such as brick, wond, cl~pbcard, drop siding,
slate, stone around the foundatior., etc., 0re included in the first CE;tei _;ory.
Because of the high expense of slate, asphalt shingles of the proper color
are also included in this list. In category two are such items as vinyl or
aluminum siding, black, white or b:~onze cclored metal windows or doorframes
of cippropriate design, flush doors (or.es '7ith a ~ingle continuoui=: {le.t sur-!:ece), etc. Catgory three, nnac
As 8 general rule a the materic1ls originally :i.~ound on the structure ere the
h h f h l b k 4r: or 6" elen-ones w ic should be mr1intainecl. Most o t ese, sue 1 as TJ .C , r
boRrd, drop sidin;,~, etc., have c1 timeleJs quality, still bein,.J used in much
of the new c1rchitecture being bailt.
II. Color:
In choosin~ a color f01 e reridence, t11e probler; ' is how to exp~ess o:i~'s
indi vidnali ty w11ilf' still fi ttin :~ :.arr.1onio,1~ly j nto the neichborhood. This
is not to say t~rnt the solution is a streetF ,ccJpe raintcc solely one color,
since variety is ;.1 derira1Jle aspect o.:: ar ,:; nP.i,;hborJ-1ood; hcwever, it is inten,Jed
to r.iean that r.1any color~ are o~fenr,ivf. to t ,.e uniformity of a street. The
b~sic rules of color choice are 2s follm~s:
1. Do not hove too m8ny colors:
In architecture, large ciri::af r:..: r.ol0r are r.10Et effE:ct:i.ve when ~eP.n
alone or agcinst a backbrc:.rnd o.f "'~iitr,,, bl.:ick, bray, or a muted color.
Tn ict the m.=1xim111r. ef ::-
s:r.all r.nd ?rob~hly wo11ld be ,,ff~ct ':1y lowPr heating bills in tl1e winter.
2. Take Care in Selecting Colors:
A f P.w pointers have been incLH~Ed to aid in t~1e choice of colors:
a. W'nite and off-white gene::rr,lly loo~c good in most situ~tions;
however, since it does shc1p cirt, it will require more maintenance
to keep clern (espec5 .Ally .:1:on p; t~1E: 'i:>usier st:reets of the Vil1c1re
ancJ c1irP.ctly adjacert to t 11e industrial frinie. b. Natural minted colors such as war ri1 grey, blue-grey, beige, terr.a-
cotta, brick red, etc., go well witr . white or off-white trim and
al~o relc:te \.iell tc other colors in ::he environment.
c. Creer ,1 is no'.: a reco .:1:nendec c0lor for t:::-irr: use since it tP.nds to
naro:i.n t~-;e life'' fro:n the dominant 1: uildin[ color. Insteac., white,
of f-w ~ii tr, 0 . ... ,, . ,. '"'r1"c'-t .L " .. .. . .,/ ~- ..,;.,.1.L
cc:n loo!c ,ery effective wit:1 wli:ite: or. of:-white ttim, but their
ef::?ee:+. o:". bot l: the f.C'l8ES c1nd f::trcets deserve st L~fy.
c. ~,is-'..:cl colors ::ire recorr.;i1end2:1 p1ir 1,cTily f'o:r s:ir.r :y wr,r 1r1 c:lir::ates
f. ~,:1en i~ clo1.1bt, paint the ,r,oving perts of a window 1.n eccordsnc~
with Con1rdssion apprnvP.l.
& Whe;n a bri;;ht or strong r.olc:i' ::.s drsirP(, ,1SP it et for.al poi .nts such as the front door.
Ill. Methods of Rl:-habilitc::tion:
we will start thi'.s discussion with consi('ering the treatr tent of the major elements of a bnilein~, then work o~;r WD~' toHard cor .~i~eri:\:: :i nclivi~uel
details.
A. Exterior Finishes:
1. Brick:
Good br5.ck walls are considered a major c1sset to a house., c1nd any usage to replace them or cover them up should be diflcnrded. Brick
provides a lcw 111.:dntl!r~ncP., hi!;h pert'ormance building material
which gains charar.ter with at'.:e.
The most corrunon maintemmce asRociatecl with brick is re pointing
and cleaning. The for mer consists of raking out the old mortar
to a depth of cipproximately one to one and one-half inches and
replacin~ it with new, a tine consuming, expensive task not
recomn :ended for the af'.'lateur. Pointing is only c1dvisablP. when mortar
deterioration is evident. Core should he taken to insure thFit the
new mortnr joints are replicas, in color, texture (i.e. degree of roughness of smoothness of a material) and profile, of the replaced joints, since incorrect joint treatment can ha,~ an unexpected, disastrous effect.
Clcanin3 bricl,work cc::n ue c1cco n1plished either by sandulasting, :or
by using a chemical solutio::, such as nmrfatic acid. Sandblasting is
expensive an
be rP.1lized thAt pAinted brick must bP rPp8inted every five year&
and can only be removed by either sandblasting or a chemical wssh.
When fielding brick adr.itions, patio walls, or sny other extension
of the original brickwork, ca:::e shculcl be taker. to match tnf! color,
s:lze, texture ;rnd pattern of t}e clr! brick, cis \-ell as the color,
size and prcfile cf tlte oritinal :nortc1r joints. It should be noted to "'hoe vcr i)r-?rforrns thE wo:r:~ t'. ;;it t~1esE: elerr ,er.ts Etre of ;;,reat
importance.
2. Siding:
The other original exte1 io.r mc:tf?riaJ s fotmd in Italian Village ,,.rP
clapboE,rd and
Never continue the side trim to the top of the head trim. It should
be mentioned in passing, tht1t although vinyl sirling is more expensive
t'han aluminar.1, it has the sdvantages of being both dirt resi~tant
and immune to p~int chipping ~nd scratching. When employing the alum-
:i.num or vinyl m~terials, t~12y should be qsed ovPr the entire wall
SL1rface, wi tl. t\e exception of special conditions suer. as brick on tl:e
first floor a:id wood sidinb on the second. The ot'ler exccpti.on to the
rule is the occurrence of nu:nerous houses in t~1 Ville e which have u
varyi:-ig original wood sidin;; at difierent 1ocrt5.ons on the exterior.
ThP.se :110teriol8 usually al terna'te with the niff 2rent floors of the
structure, i.e., claphoarrl around t~e fi~st and second floors withe
strip of vertical tongue and ~roove :ietwc=-er and topped off l':ith decor-
ative wood $~-.?-\.es at the sable. If replar.er'.lent of these materials
becomes necessary, it would be worth t:ie owner' i:: time and rnn:iey to
purchase exact replicas and, th-"'reby maintc1in the integrity anrl ch11r-
8Cter 0f the st:ructirre.
z. Gther Matcrif1ls:
'I'h ~ ar~ a flock of othar sidin anc exterior materials available . er"" - ~
t '- 4 terested 1.1omeowner. Included on this list ere the immit"'tion to ,,c- ... n ..,
r. ~terials, including asbestos brick, stone ard shtngles, ~ood shinglec,
811_: st:.icco. The reasons w~y these 1~:c1teri0ls sre co:isidered unexceptable
i~ the Villar,e area are as follows: trie feke materials look exactly
that_ fake, neither asbestos nor wood shingles maintain the necessary
E:t:rong ~torizontal material linet and are excessively wide, and stucco
iE' i.ncongruous to the area. Al tho .. 1:h some residents lire under the 1~
pression that stucco, wooden porch arches and wrought iron around
second story windows are among tte final goals of Italian Village, in
truth, more ~t the features do n~t have history in the area ~nd
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should not be used. 'The architecture prevelent in Italian Village
differa little in character from some other areas in Columbus, or
many older struc~ures found in Columbus. The Village's name should
not be used to mislead the residents into believing thst the current
"Mediterranean Style" found in the suburbs is what the Village wishes
to est~blish. Instead, the goal is to return the buildings, ~s ~uch
as possible, to their original exterior conditions, This involves
recreating the prevalent fertures which made Italian Village a
"Preferred" area in the past and certainly can make it one a~ain.
-ss-
C:r,,pe1t",; ;ir.der excL1sion be sold or. request to tena:nts a:ft~r r. perivt :
of five years. Ii such conditions lire f 1):.md tc be undesirc1tle, the Society :;hc,uld reco!Tlllend ,-,a:i.vPr of the :cequb:ements in ar.;; 3f>plication for tax abetement sent
to Council.
Moreover, without adequate financing av~ilable for reetoretion and new cons-
truction, tax exclusion will occur too lRt~ in the process to be en incentive.
The Neichborhood H0:.1sing Snvices (NHS) toc,l in c-o'Tlbination with EK'f!:.
vide incenti v~ 4_-, .. own~rs nud, thereby prove, vvluable to the Villa._;e, r; res tor-
etion efforts. ~his too1, i: use~ loen r.ior,ey for ho;,et,11:,e:.s. First,
successfully, would produ-ce re:i[. .Jilitetion
a neighborhood no~profit housir. 1 "'e"' i c- ... ~ v cea
corpor~tion is now for.ica. Second, the corp~r~tion in coordinett 011 with the
Departlnent 0'4" Dcvelor,1nent wo..11
One important feature of this tool is that the Vill11ge has begun to develop this
tool without wc1itine for the City to act, where es with 1-!RTI:, the Gity must first
designate the Village 8S 8 tax abatement area.
The third tool which may prove important to the Village is that of Community
Urban Redevelopment, AlthoL1gh th~s tool coL1ld possibly be uRed in the future in
certain areas of thf' Village, it is pri 1nf1ily desi[:ned to rec eve lop existing commercial concentrations. CUR, or a fourth tool, Ur~en Renewal Debt P.etire-
nent Fund, \.Jill be usPd, if c1nJ when the s trip cormnercial on ;Ugh Street is
redeveloped beb. .... een Fifth Avenue and trie proposed site for the convention center.
Such development would directly affect th"l Village socially and economicBlly,
THE CITY'S POSITIOl~
It is our impression that the City is not ready to act irmr.edicitely on proposals
submitted for the application of HRTE and NES. He believe the Department of
Development will take a wait-and-see attitrnJe towards community use of these
tools, requiring the communities to take th~ initiative, ss done in the case of
Itc1lic1n Villc1ge. There is some indication that the City is loo!dng ahead to
wl:en it will recei1e new Federal Monies.
It is import~nt that the City have machinery established to distribute this
n!oney w:ien it E>rrives. On August 13, 1974, the U.S. Senate passed the New
Cr,i'T11"!lunities l\ct tind sent it one to t'!'ie !).)use, this bill has :,o,.., become law. There are, stipulations in the bill which would require the City to ~istribute
money to community organizations, however, it is not clear the City will take
this route in using some of the funds it receives. When this money becomes
evailable, most likely by April 1975, the City would be able to utilize the
tool discussed e~ove,
-60-
..
It is important that the Villabe closely 1nonitor developments surrounding
this bill et the FedPral and local level. Amendments to the bill relating
to the federal requirements which 1nust be met by the Cities will affFct City
requirements which must be met by the co~~unities. The City has ~lready
begun to develop a method to determine priol'.'ities a:nong communities. For
example, a criteria and rating system is outlined in a recent publicRtion
by the Dep
I I
------------------- ------
HOUSING REHABILITATION TAX EXCLUSION (Chapter 3735.65, Ohio Rev Code)
,\~ALYS IS OF CITY OBJECTIVES: METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING TAX EXCLUSION QUALIFICATION CRITERIA:
Introduction
'The purpose here is to look at the guidelines which co:-T.1uni ties in the City
of Colu~bus will have to adhere to when applying to the City for tax exclusion
designation. These guidelines are speculative in nature and are based on certain
assumptionso From these iniort: 1al gnidelints an atte iT,pt lrns been made to sketch
a method by ,1hic11 the City :11ay go about estaolishi.ng qual:.fication criteria.
It is hoped t:u :t such efforts as tr.is will help to coordin~te the efforts between
coia1:mnities and the City- :tn the area of tax exclusion
A}~LYSIS OF CITY OBJECTIVES The community must c1pply to the City for (1'=sigmition; t1:erefore, it may be assumed that the communities' representctive boeme,-rt wi-c~, t: -,e City's. Cn the other hand, they llll1Y agree on objectives, but not on means. The community may be doing such e uood job th~t it h~s fallen ~ehind other communities on the City's d
c n~e a
priority list. If this is the case, the conr.iunity conditions mc1y net t1lle>1'1 it
to qualify under criteria establishe~ Ly the City.
-62-
~ -~-(Q(tJ!t!iiil5 . ~J1-. & '- * ''"'"'~'"-""_ ............ _ ....... ,...., ........ -............ l
We must asswne that the City h8S two major objectives when considering t8X exclusion designation for a community. The rehaoilitation and/or redevelop-
;nent of deteriornting c1rean must, (1) increase the City's tax bc1se, and (2) provide a quality physical environment. A cost-benefit approach should be
employed to determine how :nuch it will forE'go in taxes on improvements that
\.-lould occur without tax incentives (cost), measureo against how rnuch it will receive in taxes from i,nprovements directly :related to abatP.ment incentives
over some future period (benefits). IdeGlly, when using cost-benefit Bnelysis, the variable should be quantit3tive, a,1d ; e~1erally, that is the case.* Ho~
ever, even if one assumed lOOJ~ owner participation and looks at the cost-bene-
fit in economic terms using dollvrs as t},e indicator, one finds that the problem lies in accountin 6 for all the variables which affect the benefit
side. If we take the simplist example, a homeowner sandblasts his det