Thursday, December 8, 2011

Listen to the Woodland Meadows Development Proposal. On your radio. On your computer. Bexley, Ohio.

Listen to the Woodland Meadows development proposal and the public comments made at a joint meeting of Bexley Board of Education and Bexley City Council on Thursday April 10, 2008.

Listen on the radio at WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM and 98.3 FM. Portions of the recording will be broadcast Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Listen on this site by clicking the links below.

This is a recording of Thursday April 10, 2008 joint meeting of Bexley Board of Education and Bexley City Council. The meeting began at 7:00 p.m. at the cafeteria in the Cassingham Complex.

In attendance were the board of education, the city council, and Mayor John M. Brennan.

Dr. Michael L. Johnson, superintendent of schools,
 attended as the representative of the Bexley City School District.

Members of city council who attended were council president Matt Lampke and members Ben Kessler, Robyn Jones, Mark Masser, Jed Morison and Rick Weber. Councilman Jeff McClelland had previously requested that he be excused from attendance.

Members of the board of education who were present for the public meeting were Diane Peterson, Andy Sutter, Joan Fishel, Steve Grossman and Craig Halliday.

Pro bono technical support for this recording was provided to WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM by Signa Tour Sound and Recording Studio of Whitehall. The audio links below are provided by volunteer Wilson Burrows of Upper Arlington.

The joint meeting opened with the pledge of allegiance.

Paul Kolada was the first speaker. He is a resident of Bexley and member of Bexley Athletics Boosters. Kolada described the proposal to acquire the Woodland Meadows property and supplied pertinent data and graphics.

Click on these links to listen now.

Meeting Part 1
Meeting Part 2

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Bexley, Ohio. Real estate tax abatements for residential restorations and repairs using authentic materials.

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One of the charms of Bexley is the residential architecture of the community. Design, materials and construction work together with superior landscaping to present pleasant vistas in the twenty seven neighborhoods of Bexley.




Small pleasant cottages grace many Bexley streets and neighborhoods.

Other Bexley neighborhoods have houses that look large and comfortable, timeless with quiet, unobtrusive architectural fittings of bygone eras.

Then there are austere Bexley mansions that amaze our eyes with architectural elegance, craftsmanship and fine materials.

An important component of these pleasing domestic buildings is the materials used in the original construction. Slate roofs, copper gutters and down spouts, quarried stones, bronze fittings, wrought iron fittings and hinges. All of these are subtle attributes that compliment the architectural features and landscaping of the homes of Bexley.

Sometime on a walk, focus only on the materials used to construct Bexley residences. You will soon recognize the houses with authentic materials. These are not loud pronouncements. They are quiet nuanced fittings that whisper “quality, skill, excellence."

Many of the materials used in contemporary additions and restorations are not authentic. Brass-plated steel replaces solid brass hinges; asphalt shingles replace slate and so on.

In small increments, perhaps only infinitesimal increments, the charm of Bexley residential architecture is being eroded.

A brass-plated steel hinge is substituted for a solid brass hinge. It’s not a major change. But the substitute is a small erosion of excellence. One hinge this year, one next year and then a plastic mail box replaces the wrought iron mail box.

Does anyone care that authentic materials are disappearing?

Of course practical household finance determines some of this erosion. Authentic materials are expensive, and sometimes not available. Sometimes, repairs are practical problems that surprise a budget. More often repairs are not ocassions for aesthetic reflections and so we choose the practical solutions.

As a community, should we encourage decisions that favor authenticity? How can we encourage the use of original materials in new construction, restorations and repairs?

Should the municipality take some action to encourage a market in Bexley for authentic materials?

In Bexley, real estate tax abatements have been granted for commercial, mixed retail and multi-family residential structures. Some of the tax abatements have been granted to buildings that imitate period architecture.

These same buildings use modern materials that give the impression of authentic period materials. But a moment’s glance tells the sad story of deception that these fake materials express.

The public tax abatements did not purchase something authentic for this community.

There are advantages to the modern building materials. Obviously.

But the advantages, whatever they might be, have nothing to do with aesthetics.

And living in Bexley is all about the aesthetics of daily life. Beauty in all that is quotidian.

Is it time to to subsidize things that bring beauty to our community life each day?

When families improve their houses and pick up the expense of authentic materials, should the community offer those families real estate tax abatements for their choice to preserve the beauty and the authenticity of their repairs and restorations?

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

CPAC meeting January 2, 2012.

WCRX-LP Community Programming Advisory Committee meeting for Bexley Public Radio.
4:30 p.m. Monday January 2, 2012.

The location will be announced Friday December 30, 2011 to individuals who RSVP by Thursday December 29, 2011.

Community residents are welcome.

Admission is $10.00 per person.

Cash, check, money order and ID.

Please RSVP to wcrxlp@yahoo.com or voice mail to (614) 235-2929 no later than Thursday December 29, 2011.

Community Programming Advisory Committee
an executive committee of
Bexley Public Radio Foundation
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209

BCWG meeting set for January 2, 2012.

BCWG meeting set for Monday January 2, 2012.

Bexley Comedy Writers Guild meeting for Bexley Public Radio. 4:00 p.m. Monday January 2, 2012.

The location will be announced Friday December 30, 2011 to individuals who RSVP by Thursday December 29, 2011.

Community residents are welcome.

Admission is $35.00 per person.

Cash, check, money order and ID.

Please RSVP to wcrxlp@yahoo.com or voice mail to (614) 235-2929 no later than Thursday December 29, 2011.

Bexley Comedy Writers Guild
an operating division of
Bexley Public Radio Foundation
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209

Ohio Public Media Cooperative meeting January 2, 2012.

Ohio Public Media Cooperative meeting for Bexley Public Radio.
3:30 p.m. Monday January 2, 2012.

The location will be announced Friday December 30,2011 to individuals who RSVP by Thursday December 29, 2011.

Community residents are welcome.

Admission is $5.00 per person.

Cash, check, money order and ID.

Please RSVP to wcrxlp@yahoo.com or voice mail to (614) 235-2929 no later than Thursday December 29, 2011.

Ohio Public Media Cooperative
Bexley Public Radio Foundation
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209