This intersection will be the main attraction for the future of Columbus, the one corner where it all comes together and Columbus can be proud of.
For 6 months trucks will need to find an alternate route so it's not like it will be a surprise. The group want to get rid of the Art/sculpture/garden piece and have parking instead, and get rid of the bump outs. Basically - let's just keep it the same because the downtown is working so well, why change.
The art/sculpture/garden piece will have electricity so when the blvd is closed off we will not have to run electric lines across the street.
I find this totally and 100% absurd that this plan to beautify Columbus and make it more pedestrian friendly is getting a push back by people that want more trucks downtown. There are other routes!
Another assumed problem was that now cars will have to go into traffic if they are parked in a parking stall instead of making an illegal right turn by just making a new lane through the parking slots.
Plus even though we have told the downtown owners that ANY change could delay the James Street Reconstruction by 2+ years, it does not seem to matter to them. The CSS Taskforce looked at EVERYTHING - this is not just a group making willy nilly decisions and I'm a little insulted that our work is not being taken seriously like we are clueless. The CSS Taskforce is not just ME, it is a group of Columbus people that really care about Columbus - these are just MY views.
Our City engineer and the DOT has provided detailed information on how trucks can still round the corner IF THEY WANT TOO! Personally, I don't want them too. The goal is to make Columbus a place for people to walk without trucks.
The city owns that entire block and what if in the future there is a Library/Senior Center/Youth Center on that block. Do we really want big rigs battling with the elderly and children for the road?
I met a woman who was a city designer for Portland Oregon and I asked if she would walk around Columbus and give me her impression. Her first impression was "WHY IS THIS DOWNTOWN NOW THRIVING".
Well - for one thing it's not very friendly. Know one really knows what is down here. 75% occupancy rate but . . . . does anyone know? Real signage is not allowed on storefronts. The curse of a historic downtown. What makes the buildings look great also hurts business. It's a catch 22. But I'm not going to trudge into THAT quagmire.
Plus the fact that we have a deadbeat building owner on the corner and many stores are just hobby storage fronts and never open. I know one store front that has not had one open day for over 6 months now which I BELIEVE is against ordinance.
My friend looked at Dickason BLVD and commented "what a wasted opportunity" both ways. There is absolutely no place where people can come downtown and talk to other people. She said it's a very very unfriendly place to walk. Very hard, very linear.
So that is the plan and it's not changing UNLESS the few business owners want to stall progress for a few years and have Council borrow 10 million to do James street ourselves instead of having the DOT do it for almost free-ish.
Just my one cup of coffee view on this this morning. And may I add the the people involved have been very polite but very persistent. There is nothing wrong with questioning but they have been told that this is basically out of our hands now.
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I won't even comment on Trump anti-Muslin proposal. The media is enabling him along with his fellow Republican. Have you seen the leader of the Republican Party say anything about Trumps latest blast? No. How about Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. Nothing.
The thing is only 20% of the households in America are even paying attention to the election.
Gotta stop - I just get angry and this racist buffoon.
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The 2016 Calendars are in and at Sharrows Downtown at the moment. This is February! IF Sharrows does not have any have them give me a jingle and I'll get some down there.
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El Nino - Causing huge huge problems that we will soon feel in our pocketbooks. It is devastating sugar crops world wide. Sugar proces are up 45% since August and soon demand will out duel supply as droughts in India and Thailand and rain in Brazil ravaging the supply. Better stock up!!
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Gotta get to work.
Gee I'm sitting here in total disbelief that the powers that be in downtown Columbus want solid concrete instead of trees and planters. So shocked by this development.
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