The future of Leipzig Haus has lately become a point of speculation among the residents and students of Bexley. Last month, the Chimes reported on a Sheetz convenience store proposed for Livingston Ave. The possible development would include the parcel of land on which the Leipzig Haus currently sits, but this might not be the only new development along Livingston.
SkilkenGold Development, LLC filed a rezoning application with the City of Columbus on December 2, 2020. The application forms include detailed engineering plans, which show the proposed convenience store, gas pumps, and landscaping.
In order for construction to begin, the development needs to gain the approval of Columbus City Council.
At a February 18 meeting of the Mideast Area Commission (MAC), an organization that collectively represents the local civic associations, concerned residents and Livingston Ave. travelers voiced considerable concern over potential traffic issues. Customers of Sheetz would be forced to turn left onto Livingston without a traffic signal, a situation that could be dangerous in heavy traffic.
During the Tuesday, March 16 meeting of the MAC, the Sheetz development was again on the agenda.
A representative from the Berwick Civic Association reported that its members had voted against supporting the Sheetz project 14-1.
Unfortunately, MAC chair Quay Barnes informed attendees that SkilkenGold representatives were unable to be in attendance; since the developers were not present, further discussion of Sheetz was tabled.
Another possible Livingston Ave. development was on the agenda for the March 16 MAC meeting: Starbucks.
The installment of the popular coffee chain is proposed for 2127 E Livingston Ave.—currently, that parcel of land contains the abandoned Loanmax Title Loans, in between Wendy’s and Taco Bell.
Unanimously, the commissioners voted to support the proposed Starbucks.
The Starbucks rezoning application was on the agenda to be discussed at the March 23 meeting of Columbus’s Board of Zoning Adjustment.
During the board’s preliminary business, Jack Reynolds, the attorney representing the Starbucks development, requested that the hearing be tabled as the project was having some troubles getting traffic concerns straightened out. The request to table was agreed to by the board.
With these two cancelled hearings, the Livingston Ave. Sheetz and Starbucks projects remain tangled up in bureaucratic regulations.
Featured image via Google Maps.
