(This is edited from what I had originally written)
I am interested in and concerned that there is opposing architectural review boards on opposite side of High Street in the Short North District of Columbus, Ohio. The Victorian Village commission has jurisdiction over the west side of the street and there is a 35’ height limit over most of that jurisdiction. The east side of the street is governed by the guidelines of the Italian Village Commission, and there is a 60’ height limit. The area is in transition and a considerable amount of residential mixed use development is taking place.
High Street in Columbus is a major urban corridor that bisects the city north south. It connects some of the northern suburbs, with the central business district, and continues south to the southern suburbs. Along its path are many major institutional, commercial, and cultural locations, which include; The Ohio State University Campus, The Columbus Convention Center, The State of Ohio Capitol building, and several other urban art and business districts. In addition to the two architectural review commissions that I had previously mentioned there are several other governing bodies that effect the development of High Street along its length. The Clintonville Area Commission (CAC), The Brewery District Commission, The Downtown Development, German Village Commission, and The University District all have a stake in what development can take place along High Street in their respective neighborhoods. High Street is more important to the entire City of Columbus and arguably the entire State of Ohio, than each of these development districts. My concern is that over the next few years, with an extraordinary amount of property being developed along High Street that this very important urban corridor will be relegated to an incoherent conglomeration of sizes, shapes, densities, and architectural styles.
There is no more perfect example of this problem than a pair of projects that my firm is involved with in the Short North. On the west side of High Street in Victorian Village our client is developing a 5 story, 44 unit condominium project (The Dakota). On the east side of the street in Italian Village almost directly across from The Dakota the same client is developing a 10 Story - 180 unit condominium complex which has been informally named Ibiza/Urban Oasis. The Victorian Village commission barely passed a variance to build The Dakota, and the prevailing reason for passing it was that there is a historic 4 ½ story building adjacent to it on the south. It seems as though their efforts not to adversely effect their neighborhood with a tall massive building was in vain, because right across the street the “other” commission has approved a 10 story building. I will refrain from submitting my judgment on either project in order not to dilute my argument that some effort must be made to rectify this situation. I believe it is important for each of these districts to arrive at a set of standards that are symbiotic and represent the importance of High Street as a contiguous urban corridor for the entire city.
(Peer Comments)
Anne wrote:
You have hit on something I am interested in too. High street to me is one of the most lively and urban parts of our city. One thing we should both look into is what role the association of high street communities could play in the implementation of new guidelines.
Choose whether you will develop a separate commission or invite all communities to sign on the set of guidelines for this portion of their communities.
Which items would be most important to encouraging a healthy and growing environment on High Street that could spread to other areas?
How could these be presented to the communities as positives? How could you educate these communities?
Ken wrote:
Being an outsider looking in, my first thought is ‘political struggle’. A difference of opinion within the haves and have nots, both have an interest, all may have an agenda, all may have a solution. You mentioned it already, to have a good solution ‘do they need to work together’?
I cannot recall a perfect example of issue/resolve regarding this issue.
My guess is find the resolve of each group and where/how give and take can be reached.
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2 comments:
So what are the "deep principles" behind your concerns over High Street? Is HS a place of its own that should be designed by many constituents? (The idea that the street is a place has received lip service for decades, but rarely attended to in a serious way.) Is your interest in HS primarily visual or social? Why should we care that the buildings on one side are 50' and on the other side 120'? Or is HS for you just an interesting case study in the ways that balkanized communities could do a better job of coming together in common interest?
In any event, the view of the architect as fulfilling the specific needs of one client doesn't leave you any room to address the street issues, anyway. So what IS your role?
I'm still looking for that website about High Street Communities. I haven't had much luck. I did read that Campus Partners published "A Plan for High Street: Creating a 21st Century Main Street" in October 2000. Columbus City Council subsequently adopted the plan as an official city document in May 2002. I don't know if it is really a plan for all of High Street, or whether it would be worth trying to get a look at, but it does exist.
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