Published: May 13, 2008 11:29 am            

McCartin says New Albany development good for tax base, residents raise traffic concerns

To build or not to build, for developer Gary McCartin, it’s not even a question.

He feels New Albany has many areas that can handle retail and commercial growth, if residents are willing to allow it.

The New Albany City Council is scheduled to vote on a second and third reading of an ordinance Thursday that, if approved, would allow McCartin to generate a planned-unit development district along Charlestown Road, near Lexington and Lafayette drives.

The zoning change was originally turned down by the council last year, but has since been retooled, only to once again be rejected by the Plan Commission, which gave the new design an unfavorable ruling in April.

Several residents of the surrounding neighborhood have voiced their objections to the proposed development — which would include offices, a restaurant and a coffee shop.

McCartin said the same objections were presented when he developed the property across the street where Kroger is located.

“Sooner or later, people in New Albany have to wake up and realize, do they just want to have businesses close up and move out of town?” he asked.

Bob Dusch lives in the surrounding neighborhood and has spoken at nearly every meeting where the development was on the docket. He addressed the council earlier this month before Councilman Steve Price decided to table the ordinance.

He said traffic issues are one of his main concerns, stating a traffic study had not been done for the area since 1999.

Dusch said several establishments on Charlestown Road have closed in recent years, and that new ones are not needed. McCartin responded by saying the future of businesses in the specified area will be to the north on Charlestown Road.

Other residents in the neighborhood have pointed to drainage problems and curb cuts as areas of hesitancy in accepting the development.

McCartin said those issues have been addressed in updated proposals, including a drainage plan that would filter stormwater and runoff down the hill to Charlestown Road, where he said infrastructure is in place to handle the additional use.

“The reason why I think it should be approved is that I have addressed all the issues that have ever been raised in terms of what the neighborhood and planning staff have suggested,” McCartin said. “I have adjusted the drawings on numerous occasions.”

But an attorney speaking on behalf of residents told the plan commission recently, he thought the new drawings were basically the same as the old ones.

One area of contention has been a entrance and exit to the proposed development along Lafayette Drive. Several residents have said it would increase cut-through traffic in their subdivision. McCartin said it will allow the same residents access to the development without having to get onto Charlestown Road.

There would also be other entrances to the property along Charlestown Road.

“There would be minimum traffic in and minimum traffic out,” McCartin said of the Lafayette Drive entrance. “Subsequently, it was determined after the Kroger opened that their concerns for additional traffic never came to fruition.”

Another planned-unit development request that has drawn repugnance from residents surrounding the property will get a final vote on Thursday.

Residents such as Gary Whacker say that if a building located along Mount Tabor Road is permitted to house a pawn shop, it will take away from precious industrial space in the area.

The measure was tabled last meeting by Price, after being turned down by a 5-4 vote on the first two readings. The councilman said he wanted to give an attorney representing the pawn shop one more chance to plead his case before the body.

Resident Jeff Roudenbush addressed the council during the last meeting after taking issue with comments he said came from one of the council members.

According to Roudenbush, “someone” at the previous meeting had stated they did not like to vote against the recommendations of the plan commission, which gave the Mount Tabor development proposal an unfavorable ruling.

Members of the commission might have deferred to the council’s authority, since they are the governing body of zoning changes, he said, adding officials should have respect for entrepreneurs when looking at such measures.

Roudenbush said officials should want to see business growth.

“You are the final word,” Roudenbush said. “You have to ask yourself, do you feel like we’ve (New Albany has) been a success?”

        

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