June 5, 2008
The Honorable Paula Brooks, Commissioner
The Honorable Marilyn Brown, Commissioner
The Honorable Mary Jo Kilroy, Commissioner
Franklin County, Ohio
373 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
RE: Real Estate Purchase Agreement for the Sale of Cooper Stadium
Resolution 400-08
Commissioners:
The Board of Trustees of the German Village Society, at its June meeting, met and discussed the proposed sale of Cooper Stadium by Franklin County to the King Holding Corporation for use as a motor vehicle raceway.
While we are pleased to see that Cooper Stadium property will be redeveloped, that the developer's new use may increase the Franklinton Area tax base, and that there is great potential to create new jobs for Central Ohio, we have very grave concerns regarding the impact from noise and a need for sound abatement for any use of the property for motor vehicle racing. Auto racing, drag racing, and crowd noise may affect quality of life in residential neighborhoods in surrounding communities as well as generate use of property issues in the German Village area as a result of the developer's proposed activities.
German Village residents are already aware of sound/noise from Cooper Stadium events as it wends its way across the Scioto River into our downtown neighborhood, especially during evening hours.
Therefore, the Board of Trustees of the German Village Society request that the Board of County Commissioners require that King Holding Company fund an independent study of the potential impact from noise to surrounding downtown and residential neighborhoods and that the Commissioners require the developer to fund effective noise abatement remedies as a condition of sale. We also encourage City of Columbus officials and agencies who will review this sale to require independent noise studies be conducted and that satisfactory noise abatement plans be a condition of their approval.
We are aware of the Franklinton Area Commission's and Midtown Area Real Estate Association's efforts to require a noise impact study and we support and join them completely in their efforts.
With great appreciate for your consideration, I am very truly yours,
Mary Cusick, President
German Village Society Board of Trustees
588 South Third Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215.5754
cc:
The Honorable Michael Coleman, Mayor, City of Columbus
The Honorable Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, Chair, Development Committee, Columbus City Council
William J. Schottenstein, King Holding Company
NEIGHBORHOOD
REACTION
MEDIA
COVERAGE
WHY WE'RE
CONCERNED
ADDITIONAL
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