Support Local Leaders With our Yard Sign Campaign
The Westerville Road Area (redevelopment) Plan was created by Blendon Township and Westerville leaders in 2015. Its aim is to transform and improve the area along Westerville Road from 270 south to Paris Court, approximately a ½-mile corridor along Westerville Road. Part of this transformation includes a redevelopment of the 270/Westerville Road industrial site contained therein.
Our local officials conducted business surveys with local residents AND business owners/managers of the businesses in the Corridor Area. These surveys showed that:
- “An issue raised by several of those interviewed is the dirt and dust coming from the mulch and cement businesses located west of Westerville Road”
- “The dirt and dust is a constant nuisance for everyone in the area”
- “Several people complained of the mulch business producing foul odors, especially after a heavy rain, with the runoff usually heavy and very dirty”
After assessing the business surveys and Corridor Area, our local officials, and the expert firm(s) they hired, concluded that:
- “Several key properties within the study area are contributing to the overall deterioration of the corridor”
- “Excessive noise, foul odors, and heavy amounts of dust are creating an atmosphere that is not conducive to operating businesses”
- “Additionally, these nuisance properties are detracting from the overall aesthetic and character of the area”
- “And the Township should be aggressive in neutralizing their effects”
By implementing the Westerville Road Area Plan our leaders aim to transform the Glengary Shopping area on the east side of Westerville Road, and the industrial site on the west side of the road which houses these “nuisance properties.” The vision is to replace these “nuisance properties” with retail stores, offices, a hotel, etc.
By eliminating the industrial dirt, dust, odors and noise, the plan’s vision is to create an atmosphere that is conducive to operating business, and that creates more stability and jobs in our community. Parts of the plan have already been implemented (the Aldis, the Tim Hortons, the new sidewalks and signs), BUT the transformation of the industrial site has, seemingly, hit some roadblocks.
The goal of the CPW yard sign campaign is to build strong and widespread community support for the Westerville Road Area Plan that will help push it past these roadblocks so the plan can be fully implemented, and the emitting facilities at the industrial site–the asphalt plant, the concrete plants and the yard waste composting facility–will, at long last, be relocated, and a beautiful, welcoming, pedestrian friendly, and useful area can finally be created here as laid out in this wonderful improvement plan.
The primary goal of the CPW yard sign campaign is, again, to garner community support for the Westerville Road Area (Redevelopment) Plan. Our aim is to send the following united message to all leaders, regulators, property owners and emitting business owners associated with the entire 109-acre industrial site operating in our community:
For the betterment of our community we want:
- The Westerville Road Area Plan to be fully implemented as soon as possible
- The many emitting facilities operating at this industrial site (the concrete/cement, yard waste composting and asphalt facilities) to be replaced with offices, hotels, retail stores and green spaces as outlined in the Westerville Road Area Plan
- An end to the industrial dirt, dust, odors, noise and constant stream of diesel trucks going to and from this site
- More jobs and less pollution
- More stability in this area
- A healthier and more prosperous community
Our CPW yard sign campaign includes the following 11 goals:
- To distribute and get all the yard signs displayed in the community
- For the yard signs to inspire at least 1000 people to visit the Citizen Pollution Watch website so they can learn how they can support the Westerville Road Area (redevelopment) Plan
- To collect 1000 signatures on the “Support the Plan-Move the Industrial Site” petition
- To grow Citizen Pollution Watch membership to 200 or more members.
- To grow the documentation of the industrial site’s impacts on residents, business owners, etc. Eighteen different citizens have utilized the CPW complaint system this 2021 season. We would like to increase this to fifty citizens next year.
- To regularly engage at least 10 citizens for our periodic CPW Saturday walks to the Westerville Road corridor outlined in the plan
- To engage citizens to participate on “Mondays Make a call/Send an Email Day,” where we reach out to leaders/regulators associated with the industrial site
- To read about this issue in social media every week or more.
- To garner at least a few stories on this issue via media coverage (print, tv, radio) within the next year).
- To inspire all visitors to the CPW website to encourage others to visit the website and to get involved, ie: To create a buzz about the campaign, the Westerville Road Area Plan and about CPW.
- To ensure that the Westerville Road Area Plan is fully implemented, including the transformation of the mid and southern sections of the industrial site that are in Blendon Township, AND the replacement of the 600,000 ton a year asphalt production plant that operates in the northern section of the site (in Columbus)
All CPW members will be contacted, and we hope they will display a yard sign. We also hope CPW members will help us get the yard signs distributed to people they know, ie: friends, family and neighbors in our community. We think sharing yard signs with those we know is the best route. With that said, if you are interested in displaying a yard sign, please contact CPW.
It is important to remember that our efforts might take several years, and that we must take good care of our yard signs (store them in the winter when the industrial site slows down). We suggest displaying your yard sign every year from April 1 through Dec 1.
An email notice will go out announcing the next walk. This email will be sent to CPW members, so, please join CPW. You can get some exercise, AND show your support for our local leaders and the Westerville Road Area Plan.
Our walks will take place periodically on Saturdays, after lunch, at 1:00 p.m. We will meet at the SE corner of Schrock and Westerville Road (Huntington Bank is on this corner). We will walk south down Westerville Road to the corridor outlined in the plan. We will spend a few minutes there with our yard signs in hand, and then we will walk back to Schrock and Westerville Road.
Again, an email notice will go out to CPW members announcing the next walk. If 10 or more people RSVP to walk, we will walk. If at least 10 people do not RSVP, we will cancel that Saturday’s walk. If you want to join a Saturday walk, BUT don’t want to walk the whole distance, RSVP and then join us along the way, or, join us at the Westerville Road corridor. Again, this is a great way to get some exercise AND show your support for our local leaders and the Westerville Road Area Plan.
On Mondays (or any day) please take a minute to email, and/or call the leaders associated with the industrial site to check in on this issue. We suggest to email/call them periodically to touch base. How?
- Scroll all the way down this page, and click on a leader’s email
- You can cut and paste the following note CPW has created for you, or, you can write your own email (or, call the leaders).
- Important: Please note that CPW will be automatically cc’d on these emails you send to leaders so we can keep track of how many times leaders have been contacted on this issue. If you do NOT want CPW cc’d, simply delete our address in the cc section of your email
CPW FORMATTED LETTER
Dear _________ (Leaders’ name)
I am writing today to let you know that I fully support my local Westerville and Blendon Township leaders in their efforts to improve our community with the implementation of the Westerville Road Area (Redevelopment) Plan.
Leaders developed this plan in 2015 in an effort to improve the corridor of Westerville Road from I-270 south to Paris Court, an area they determined is deteriorating, due, in part, to a large industrial site contained therein known as the 270/Westerville Road industrial site.
Upon conducting surveys with local residents, business owners and managers of the businesses in the Corridor Area, local leaders found that:
- “An issue raised by several of those interviewed is the dirt and dust coming from the mulch and cement businesses located west of Westerville Road” (these operate in the industrial site)
- “The dirt and dust is a constant nuisance for everyone in the area”
- “Several people complained of the mulch business producing foul odors, especially after a heavy rain, with the runoff usually heavy and very dirty”
- “Several key properties within the study area are contributing to the overall deterioration of the corridor”
- “Excessive noise, foul odors, and heavy amounts of dust are creating an atmosphere that is not conducive to operating businesses”
- (These) nuisance properties are detracting from the overall aesthetic and character of the area”
- “(T)he Township should be aggressive in neutralizing their effects”
A key component of this community improvement plan is to transform this industrial site from the dirty, dusty, loud and odorous heavy industrial area it is now, into a beautiful, pedestrian friendly space with stores, a hotel, offices, green space, etc. for our community to enjoy and utilize.
Therefore, for the betterment of my community, I am petitioning you, and all of the leaders, regulators, property and facility owners associated with the industrial site to:
- Take the necessary steps that will help our leaders succeed in their efforts to fully implement the Westerville Road Area Plan
- To keep this Westerville Road Area Plan in mind when considering present and future planning, permit renewals, zoning, leasing, etc. related to this area and the industrial site
- To work to ensure that the many emitting plants/facilities operating at the industrial site (asphalt plant and concrete plants, yard waste composting facility) are relocated, and replaced with the retail stores, offices, hotel, green spaces, etc., as outlined in the Westerville Road Area Plan.
In conclusion, I fully support, and am asking you to also support:
- Transforming this area of Westerville Road, and ridding our community of the heavy industrial dirt, dust, odors and noise that is a constant nuisance for everyone in the area
- Transforming this area into a cleaner, healthier, pedestrian friendly and useful area, and making it more conducive for businesses to operate, thus creating more jobs, stability and prosperity for my community
- Lessening the pollution in this area and the deteriorating effects it is having on my community, and the creation of a healthier, more beautiful area that has value added, and that will improve prosperity, health and the quality of life in the area
- Putting an end, at long last, to the suffering that is documented in the hundreds of citizen complaints you have received, and that has long been reported to be related to this Westerville Road corridor area, and the large industrial site contained therein
Thank you for your consideration on this very important issue,
_________ (Your name)
- See our CPW Social Media Resource page for items to share on twitter, Instagram, facebook, etc.
- Ask friends, family and neighbors to acquire and display a yard sign
- Take a pic of yourself and your sign and post regularly on your social media
- Reach out to media about this issue and ask them to cover this story
- Share news of this campaign, AND all of these action/support items with friends, family, neighbors, teachers, and anyone and everyone you know in our community
- Share the petition on your social media
- Ask friends, family and neighbors to join CPW as a free member and ask them to file their pollution complaints whenever they are bothered
- Ask friends, family and neighbors to sign up for Saturday walks to the industrial site and to take part in Monday Make Contact Day
- Ask friends, family and neighbors to help create a BUZZ about this issue and to share with their friends, family and neighbors