Send an Email to City Council. Very impactful!

Use this sample below and modify as needed.

SEND TO: zoninginfo@columbus.gov, ADSaltzman@columbus.gov, jnclinger@columbus.gov, lmcapobianco@columbus.gov, radorans@columbus.gov, abmcdonald@columbus.gov, algarrett@columbus.gov, jpdorval@columbus.gov, jbbrown@columbus.gov, jicaceres@columbus.gov, aslemus@columbus.gov, jadilley@columbus.gov, mawarsame@columbus.gov, hegerken@columbus.gov, pdmejia@columbus.gov, npsully@columbus.gov, mdwiley@columbus.gov, csadams@columbus.gov, clgolterman@columbus.gov, emmorales@columbus.gov, kbmccain@columbus.gov, jdoswalt@columbus.gov

CC: heryl.launer@gmail.com

SUBJECT: RE: Z25-068

Dear Council Member:

(Insert personal story here)

I oppose the rezoning of 1753 N. Hague Avenue to L-AR-1, high-density zoning (#Z25-068) for the following reasons.

1. The density is too high. I am opposed to high density developments on Hague Avenue. West Scioto Area Commission has already allowed denser zoning in the area, to the tune of 7500 new units in the past five years, but residents are for all of Hague Avenue to remain a step-down in density and maintain a rural nature, consistent with its historical significance of San Margherita, a culture that has been wiped clean from Trabue Avenue by “development.” If not halted, it will continue to destroy this unusually beautiful area.

2. Safety.  Have you traveled down North Hague Avenue? If so, have you been stuck in the school traffic that backs up onto North Hague Avenue every morning and every afternoon during the school year?  Have you seen the children walking from the school to the apartments on roads that have no sidewalks?  Have you seen the mothers pushing baby strollers from the already existing apartments down the road to catch a bus on Trabue Road?  Have you seen the accident of three cars at the entrance of Hague Ravines during construction because the apartment construction started before turning lanes were installed?  Have you seen the Police, Fire, School Busses, Mailman, FedEx, UPS, Waste Management and Construction Vehicles all struggling to provide existing property owners with services they were all promised? The struggle is all real and unless you can say you have witnessed or experienced this, how can you vote yes to further develop high-density apartments in an area you have never been?  It’s easy to make decisions to areas where you are not impacted. Columbus’ police and firefighters are, and have been, struggling with the poor equipment and “office” conditions under which they work (e.g., “duct tape”). Never mind the city not keeping up with appropriate personnel levels to serve the new residents the city wants to count on for income and sales taxes. Existing residents are already being poorly served and so will the new residents. Why exacerbate this situation?

3. The proposed project does not align with residents’ stated expectations. Residents have spoken in disapproval of the project at their area commission, and the West Scioto Area Commission has consistently recommended it for disapproval. In 2020, 71% of West Scioto area respondents said a two-story building height was their preference in our area.

4. Environmental Impact: This site holds a significant portion of the remaining mature forest in the area, an irreplaceable contributor to carbon sequestration, pollution control, and the goal of 40% canopy coverage by 2050 put forth by the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Current proposal is 40% open space, not 40% canopy coverage. The proposed 15-foot no dig zone would only protect trees 7 inches in diameter and smaller on the property line. Developers admitted there might be some fall out from neighboring trees due to construction. Not to mention the wildlife it will displace, necessary pollinators, deer, bats, racoons, foxes, owls, hawks, and dozens of songbird species with which we share our community.

5. Overloaded waterways. Conversion of another forested site to impervious surface will create even more runoff into the nearby sandy and eroding headwater stream. Residents share a property line with this waterway and already report that it floods into their yards multiple times per year. Once reported to be a two-foot ditch, it has eroded into a 10-foot-wide rolling river after a storm event. More development will only add to runoff and further erosion. We need to protect our waterways and mature trees for the long-term sustainability of the city. And, with the heightened frequency and quantity of storm events that are expected to remain and even become more intense, the flooding will only increase, adversely affecting residents. If it’s this bad already at the top of a headwater stream, imagine how much worse it is and will be for residents downstream.

6. Imbalance of Homeownership and Rentals in the neighborhood. As of 6/17/2026, there were over 300 rental properties available on Zillow.com. At the same time there were only 7 homes for sale under $500,000. Residents who rent should be able to move into a home-ownership option in their neighborhood, just as homeowners should be able to move into a rental option without leaving their neighborhood. Residents have fielded interest from other developers who would be interested, under the right circumstances, in developing it into for-sale homes. Competition for the existing, aging, starter homes is hideous, particularly with corporations buying up too many such properties. We need ways for families to build equity too, not just businesses.

7. Loss of diversity. With the plethora of high-density apartment complexes being shoe-horned into the West Scioto area, its unique character is being destroyed. A thriving community needs areas that exhibit unique character to attract potential residents (and keep existing residents) because that character is what is desired. Columbus cannot afford to become a cookie-cutter, homogenized, high-density apartment metropolis that throws its character aside. And, yes, that includes the diversity of the type of housing being offered: tiny homes, Habitat for Humanity homes, twin singles, townhomes, condos, affordable single-family homes, etc. The administration’s perception that high-density apartments is the only/best way to address the forecasted population expansion in the seven central Ohio counties does a grave disservice to its current and future residents.

8. Local amenities need investment first. This is a quick fix only to further facilitate other problems in the area like traffic flow, pedestrian safety, crime, and food deserts. Shoving more residents into a relatively low-income neighborhood to fill it with more cars, exhaust, dogs, trash, light pollution, noise pollution, etc. is unfair to the area residents. An area that already has no walkable access to stores, medical urgent cares, or schools should not acquire more residents before it acquires more amenities; it’s unsafe.

9. Lak of honesty and transparency in this company’s presentations to Development Commission. Development needs to occur in a thoughtful and respectful way. Local residents are united for proper planning, but our resources of time and money are dwarfed by highly paid attorneys working on behalf of developers, our 3-minute arguments sandwiched between presentation and unlimited developer rebuttal. Residents are at a huge disadvantage when only the homes within 125 feet of the property line get notifications that rezoning is requested, and only 10 days before the date to speak. That guideline doesn’t work for our neighborhood, and I doubt it works for any other neighborhood in Columbus. Residents who attended the WSAC Zoning and full Commission meetings regarding this application were aghast at seeing an AI-generated site graphic shown at the Development Commission meeting that they do not recall ever seeing at the WSAC meetings. How is this allowable? Plus, the “official record” of the Development Commission meeting does not include Metropolitan Holdings’ slide presentation (on the City’s YouTube channel). This is what many Columbus residents rely on for information about what is happening in their city. Their entire presentation is “stuck” on the slide previous to their presentation. Afterwards, when the planner was asked via email how this could happen and what would be done to ensure it NEVER happens again, there was no response. The lack of transparency is appalling.

10. Residents are disillusioned by the tax abatement process. There are no two ways about it; tax abatements benefit companies over tax-paying residents. For the people, by the people.

Please do what is right and vote NO to protect the wellbeing of the current and future residents of this community.

As a constituent, I am kindly expecting a response by close of business Friday, June 26, 2026.

Sincerely,