Blog 3: City DNA

SLOTH SQUAD

 

  • 2207-209 Neil Avenue

 

2207-209 Neil Avenue is a building which is clearly the ghost of its former glory. It has a lot width of 300 feet, with a side setback of 3 feet, and a front setbacIMG_3593k of 27 feet, a relatively large front yard for the area, which would be nice for entertainment purposes except that it is massively sloped. The house covers about 75% of the lot, which is a decent ratio for college housing. There was about 50 feet of parking space, which is enough space for about 6 or 7 cars to fit comfortably, which is a huge parking space for a college house. This is located at the back of the house, along with driveways connected to additional parking for the apartments and businesses nearby. These can all be accessed via the alley to the south of the house, which is probably a relatively busy alley, seeing as it connects Neil Avenue to the aforementioned parking areas, and to Norwich Avenue. This presumably adds a lot of noise to the area, and adds substantial traffic congestion.

When facing the property, the lot immediately to the right is another residential one, as are the rest along the length of the street. To the left (south of the alleyway) is a bar, and then a gas station. To the west of the lot is the previously mentioned apartment building. This might seem strange and disjointed, but those properties (with the exception of the bar) have addresses on Lane Avenue, which is a predominantly commercial district, especially in that stretch. Hence, though they might seem to be an annoyance, those buildings fit within the region very well.

All in all, this house is in a good location in that it is close to both campus and different restaurants. That being said, it is essentially on the corner of two of the busiest streets on campus, and its proximity to the commercial hub of Lane Avenue makes it a relatively loud area. It is all a matter of weighing the pros and cons of the off campus housing.

 

  • Norwich Avenue

 

The street would be pretty dark at night because of the street light placement. The street lights are about 160 feet apart from each other, which is farther apart than most streets in the United States. The street width is 30 feet and sidewalks were 4 feet wide. This is a relatively narrow street considering that it is one way with parking on both sides (most two way streets with two driving lanes and two parking lanes are 60 feet – http://www.pps.org/reference/streetlights/). Because the street is one way, the traffic flow is smoother, even with the narrow, and parking-laden roadway. The narrowness of the roadway is a speed control of sorts. As one way roads are usually much less congested, they tend to cause drivers to drive faster, and the parking on both sides forces drivers to slow down. The sidewalks are a little skinny for the area, though it is an older district, so that is to be expected. There are overhead utility lines on the north side of the street. They are only on one side of the street due to the fact that it is a one way street, and the lines coincide with the street lights. As one travels eastward on Norwich, there is increasing green space, and the houses are further apart. The houses along all of Norwich are about 25-30 feet from the street. These aspects, along with the fact that that the houses are in much better cosmetic shape, make the area much more appealing. Additionally, there is substantially more landscaping, and apparently larger yards.

 

  • Williams Street and Unnamed Alley

 

The unnamed alley off of William1170x2080.png.04bca02a015c4fdaa8ba359c70dc7a46s street isn’t the most ideal area for parking but doesn’t interfere that much with the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The alley is wide enough to drive through if there are cars parked on only one side of it, as there was when we were on the property, and plenty of room for pedestrians to move through the alley even if there were two different lanes of car parking. As in everything, there is a lot of room for improvement with the alley and parking situation. While not being ideal because of its location betwe1170x2080.png.dada0f331ece4749bfd2fbbdb33d3365en the two housing buildings, if the alley were somehow able to increase in size it would be easier for a car to travel through even when there are some parked in the alley. A practical solution to this would be getting rid of the grassy area in front of the east building and putting in more parking spaces, although this would require giving up grass and a tree which everyone would not agree with. How the alley is right now is functional and doesn’t require improvement, although it could be improved upon to make it more flawlessly function, or to increase the parking capacity.

 

  • Northwood Avenue

 

On the southwest corner of Northwood IMG_3610and Williams there is a parking area and on the north side of Northwood there isn’t a parking area. The decorative red brick wall is useful to the parking lot and that is why we see the wall on only one side of the street. The brick wall’s purpose is to show the boundary between the sidewalk and the parking lot. The wall helps as a guiding point for people who are parking and prevents the cars from being able to block the sidewalk. The wall also reduces the chances of pedestrians from walking through the parking lot and possibly damaging a car/house, or simply cutting through private property. The old red brick wall goes well with the old neighborhood and gives it some character. The width of Northwood Avenue is about 30 feet, which is roughly the same as Norwich, though it is one way in the opposite direction. The north/south sidewalks on Northwood are both around four feet and in the same quality. One-way streets in that neighborhood is a good idea because the streets can be narrower, but still have a lot of parking. There will also be fewer crashes and will be more safe for pedestrians crossing the streets. That being said, with one-way streets comes more people speeding, anybody who is new to the area can get lost easier, and in case of an emergency a cop car/ambulance won’t be able to pass someone on the street. The length of the front setback is about 70 feet and the side setback is approximately 15 feet. The front setback on Northwood is definitely a lot longer than that of the front setback on Norwich. Compared to Norwich, Northwood is a nice street to live on. The yards are bigger, it is a one-way street, more private, and on part of the street there is a brick wall, and a parking lot. It is a bit more secluded from campus as well, which is a definite benefit if someone wants to experience campus life without as much noise and commercialization.

 

  • 2244 Neil Avenue

 

It would make sense in the early 1900s for commercial structures in residential areas to be convenience stores. Seeing as cars at this point in history were few and far between (due to their being hugely expensive), convenience stores and other shops were frequently located within residential districts so that people could get basic goods without having to travel far. Despite its being a historic structure, it does not make a lot of sense for a commercial building to be in the current surroundings of an off-campus living district. That being said, the current inhabitant is Kohr Royer Griffith Property Management firm, which handles real estate within the off-campus area of Ohio State (along with other regions). Hence, their current location is hugely beneficial for business, as it is within walking distance of their properties, and is located close enough to campus that students are likely to rent through their company.

 

  • 174 W. Lane Avenue (Tommy’s Pizza)

 

In paving the parking lot to the sidewalk, Tommy’s Pizza is much moreIMG_3612 dangerous for pedestrians and passersby. That being said, it makes the parking lot much bigger, and seeing as this is a largely residential area with little parking, that is a good move from a business standpoint.

  •    The Northwood avenue streets were 30 feet wide and the sidewalks were 4 feet in width. One way streets are a good idea because there is less congestion. One disadvantage with one way streets is that it may be hard for commuters to navigate through an unfamiliar city.   

 

PETRICORP

  1. These residential houses are located on small lots, approximately 1/20th of an acre, right off Lane Avenue on Neil Avenue, with very narrow setbacks, approximately 10 feet. On the south side of the property is an alley, dividing the residential property from a bar. Behind the property is space for residential parking, that is also adjacent to restaurants and Ohio State dorms. This property definitely appears to be student housing, considering its close proximity to campus and its surroundings of dorms, bars, and restaurants, acting as a divider of Ohio State and local businesses from the residential area. I would not want to live here because of the noise pollution from the local businesses and high volume of traffic.
  2. Norwich Avenue is a fairly dim lit street with street lights occurring every few houses. There are telephone polls lining the street and scattered electrical boxes, giving the street an industrial look. The houses are all very similar, lacking character, but as you continue to walk further down the street a neighborhood impression begins to arise. The main path, street, moves in one direction, preventing high traffic volume and preserving a neighborhood vibe.  IMG_2632 IMG_2628
  3. Norwich is a fairly narrow street, approximately 34 feet wide. The narrow street seemed to be fine with the low amount of traffic due to it being a one way street. Parking is definitely hard to find, with us observing no on-street parking spaces available. The sidewalks were about 4 feet wide, where two people could pass each other closely, which seemed fairly standard for a residential neighborhood.
  4. The houses on Norwich Avenue seemed to have relatively the same size lots as the houses on Neil Avenue, with approximately 15 to 20 feet front setbacks and 10 feet side setbacks. ‘
  5. 128 Norwich also had a very small setback, showing that this is an urban area. The north end of the street has a very dull footprint, but the other side of the street has a more vibrant footprint, with larger setbacks, front porches, and landscape.
  6. The parking situation in the (unnamed) alley is untamed. There are car scattered throughout the alley, as well as some apartment building’s delegated parking spaces. I think the residents in this area could definitely benefit from a better constructed parking area and alley.                                                            IMG_2629
  7. These walls on located on the front setback of an apartment complex on Northwood Avenue. The walls are constructed of the same color and material of the exterior of the apartment complex, distinguishing this property from the rest of the street. These walls also act as a partition for the parking lot for this complex.  IMG_2630
  8. Northwood Avenue is approximately 27 feet wide, making it slightly more narrow than Norwich. The sidewalk is 5 feet wide on the south side and includes a grass partition from the main road. The sidewalk is 6 feet wide on the north side with no grass partition. One way streets are beneficial in residential neighborhoods, cutting down on traffic flow, but they can also be hazardous with wrong way traffic for people who are unfamiliar with the neighborhood.
  9. The setbacks are wider on Northwood, with front set backs being roughly 30 feet and 25 feet on the side. This provides space for more porches, landscape, and even greenspace for children to play in.  IMG_2631
  10. 2244 Neil Avenue was originally a grocery store with an apartment above for the owners. It is now used as a real estate office. I think the residential neighborhood could benefit from this space being converted back into some sort of bodega.
  11. The parking lot of Tommy’s Pizza is adjacent to Lane Avenue, with distinct sidewalk separation or designated parking spots. There is a large section of the lot that is paved, but with no real purpose for the use of land.

 

 

Comb Over Inc.

Screen Shot 2016-02-08 at 4.05.41 PM

  1. 2207-2209 Neil Avenue: This is a narrow lot, much like its neighbors to the north. There is a front yard area to the front that gives about 25′ of setback from the road, however the side setback to the south is less than 4′ and borders an alley that leads to a large parking lot. The north side setback is barely enough for two people to walk next to each other before you are on another lot. I would guess that this land is zoned for residential use. The residents seem to park their cars behind the house in the rear setback or in front on the street. The alley on the south side of the house would likely irritate the residents due to its proximity to the house. The number of cars that use this alley could cause traffic when many are trying to get in or out at the same time. From the parking lot behind the house you can see the Harrison Apartment building, which is the only tall building nearby. But the residents of those apartments also park their cars using the alley on the south side of the house. North of this house are more residential structures however to the south is the edge of the residential zoning border. The land use to the south is mainly commercial.  Its immediate neighbor, The Thirsty Scholar, is a bar. I imagine that the bar presence can cause some noise pollution on weekends, along with a pizza restaurant across the street. The whole block should be zoned for residential for the improvement of the residents lives. There are some benefits of living in this house. You are very close to campus and a gas station is close by. However with the congested alley, the noise polluting bar and virtually no yard space it seems that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Personally I would like to walk through the house before deciding whether or not I would live there.

 

IMG_7638

Flat building faces create an edge.

2.  Norwich Avenue is very dimly lit, suggesting public safety concerns.  The street lights are only on one side of the street and they are spaced about 20-30 feet apart, providing little light.  There are some utilities above ground on this street.  There are drain pipes from most of the yard on the north side of the street.  This is because these houses are situated on a bank.  The street is also sloped downward so the water from these

IMG_7631

Norwich Ave

drain pipes will run together down the road.  The south side of the road is more appealing because the yard setback is larger and there are not as many steep banks.  The houses on the south side of the street are all unique and add character to the street.  The north side of the street, on the other hand, could use some improvements.  The setback is smaller and the lots consist mostly

IMG_7639

Townhouses are identical.

of apartment buildings and townhouses with very flat faces, creating an edge along the street.  The west part of Norwich is a residential street.  As you travel east on Norwich the street becomes more commercialized.  The road travels through these different districts within the area.  All of these different aspects, the houses, townhouses, apartments, and commercial buildings, add character to the street.  The street could use more character, though, to make it more charming and appealing.  There is not much curb appeal, especially on the north side of the street and east on the street.  The lack of nodes and landmarks do not make the neighborhood a desirable place to live or walk through leisurely.  The paths could also be repaired to fix uneven parts and crumbling areas of the sidewalks.

IMG_7634

Sidewalk on Norwich

3. The street width is 30′ 4″.  The width of the street allows it to only be a one-way street.  If the street was wider it would allow traffic to travel in both directions.  This would be beneficial because it would provide easier access to the buildings on the road and would help people get to where they are going fast.  The down side to a two-way street would be the increase in traffic and noise, which would have a bad effect on the character of the street.  The on-street parking on Norwich is effective in providing additional parking to the residents’ own parking on their lot.  There were not many cars parked on the street.  On street parking is good at providing easy additional parking, but the negative to parking on the street is that it takes away from the character of the street and breaks it up.  The sidewalks were 4′ wide, which is effective, but could be improved.  They are a bit thinner than a standard sidewalk.  There is enough room for two people to pass each other, but it is a little tight.  A wider sidewalk would allow pedestrians to travel more comfortably.

 

IMG_7622

4. The structures on Norwich have similar set backs as the ones on Northwood. They maintain a  however, the 15-20 foot setback and a 10 foot side setback. The structures on Norwood have a more front yard feel to them than those on the north side of Norwich but the structures on the south side look very similar to the house like apartments on Northwood. As you can see in the second image, the side walks are plenty wide for students to pass each other comfortably.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_7622

5. The parking arrangement is strange for the neighborhood in general. I feel that, even though the double parking is strange, it allows for enough parking for all the residents while maintaining the alleyway. Specifically, the parking in front of the structure on the corner of Norwich and Williams does not fit in with the neighborhood. Maybe if the other apartments along the rest of the street were the same then it would be normal. However, while other structures along the street have the double parking in the back, this particular structure has single parking on the front and single parking in the front. While this does allow for an easier access for each resident to come and go as they please, it is an eyesore on the street.

 

 

 

 

 

njjj

This alley serves as a parking lot.

6. This alley provides parking for both Norwich Street and Northridge Street. Although it allows the streets in front of the houses to be more open, due to a lack of need for street parking, this parking lot it not very functional. Each lot consists of multiple cars, so they are stacked behind one another. This can be inconvenient for the residents. However, this method does utilize the entire space given, without wasting any. The alley is a narrow one way street, which can also cause inconveniences for residents. It would be ideal to avoid this, but there is very little room for improvement due to the limited space, and defined boundaries.

 

IMG_7652

 

g

Northwood Avenue

7. The wall provides an edge along the south side of the street. The residencies along the south side have large setbacks with no definite walkways to the entrances as the residencies to the north do. Therefore the brick wall separates the properties from the public sidewalk area, in a way that would not otherwise be defined. It also serves as a consistency in the design from house to house. This is an appropriate design feature, as it succeeds in providing a distinct separation between the yard and street.

IMG_7628

This brick wall acts as an edge.

8.

Northwood Avenue is measured to be 28 feet whereas Norwich Avenue is measured to be a few inches over 30 feet. This two foot difference in width can make a huge difference on car driving on the road especially with the parking

Northwood Avenue

Northwood Avenue

on either side of the road. By having the extra two feet, cars driving through have a wider buffer between the cars making the chances of hitting a side view mirror much less.

The southern sidewalk is measured to be 5 feet where the northern sidewalk is 5 feet 11 inches. When comparing the two sides, the southern side was noted as being patchier and more uneven. On the opposite side of the street, the sidewalk is more even and new although some cracks are present throughout. These differences could be because of the type of residency on either side. The northern side is more individual homes whereas the southern is apartment buildings with less curb appeal overall.

Having Northwood as a one-way street is a good idea. The width of the road in itself is just the right width to be only one way. If the street was to change to a two-way street, half of the present parking would be eliminated. All the parking now is currently being used, so if half of it was just simply gone, residents would have nowhere to park. Another reason one-way is a good idea, would be because this road is completely residential. By introducing a two-way street, one is also introducing more traffic to a quiet area. More traffic means a less safe area for residents. One

IMG_7629

Northwood Avenue setbacks

pro of a two-way however, would be just making the streets easier to maneuver. If someone is unfamiliar with an area, one-way streets make the area much more difficult to find a place.

9.

We estimated the average setback of structures on Northwood Avenue to be about 25 feet on the northern side. In comparison to those on Norwich, the setback is slightly farther back, providing a larger buffer space from the sidewalk and road to the residence. Northwood Avenue would be considered a nice street because of the large setbacks as well as the good amount of spacing between each structure.IMG_7650

10. This commercial structure was built in 1919 with a residential area surrounding. We were able to converse with the current realtor that operates her business out of this building, who described the original use for the structure. It was once a grocery store with a side designated for bringing in ice. She said that the structure is strong–with walls 14″ thick. The upstairs was/is an apartment area. The lot is zoned for commercial use.

11.  The parking lot paved to the sidewalk at Tommy’s should have barriers between the sidewalk and parking. The reason for this is because there is an increased chance of pedestrians being hit and cars damaged from the sidewalk drop. The practice that this lot uses needs improvement.

IMG_7647

 


 

 

 

 

 


THE USHERS

(#1) 2207-209 Neil Avenue:

Lot length: 60ft. (without parking lot), 48ft. Parking lot

Lot width: 26 ft

Front setback: 24ft.

Side setback: 55 inches

Parking is behind, gas lines under sidewalk probable. Alley borders one side of house containing dumpsters. Behind the lot is a large parking lot for the apartment complex meaning more traffic and noise for the residents.

Land use is residential but with the bar and gas station being close neighbors, this creates high density next to low density. High-rise apartments in rear blocks sunlight and view. New apartments coming soon on the front side of the property.

 

(#2) Norwich Ave

The street lights are spread out, and seem to be outdated. The street probably gets fairly dark at night.

The distance between two street lights were 96 steps (about 100ft)

The above ground utilities visible were power lines only for the street lights, and some personal trash cans.

As you move east on Norwich, more houses are incorporated rather than mainly apartment complexes. The apartments farther west are built more like houses. There are also more apartments west of Neil that contain big parking lots. Quieter on east side of Neil.

 

(#3) Norwich Ave.

Side walk 4ft

Street 24 ft.

Width is perfect for parking on both sides. Doesn’t need to change road because it’s a one way. Sidewalks are good and standard. People can pass each other.

 

(#4) Estimated average of Front and Side Setbacks

21 ft. Front setback

8ft. Side setback

 

(#5) 128-134 Norwich

IMG_0462Disrupts flow because are houses all around and this apartment is the first set of apartments. Lots of houses disrupted by apartments building.

Setback more for more space for parking for apartment residence

 

 

 

 

IMG_0464

(#6) Alleyway

The main issue we noticed here was the double parking, which led to cars being parked in and unable to leave. The area could use more efficient parking. Also, the trees around the parking could cause issues in the future (we noticed they had recently been repaved over because the roots had started to crack the pavement). The trees were also quite dangerously interwoven between electric lines. The area was also poorly lit, which wasn’t the best for safety.

Pros of the area was that it was in the back away from the road, and orderly because of the assigned spaces.

 

 

(#7) Northwood

IMG_0468 Brick wall is only on one side of the one way street. It breaks up the setback and right of way, giving structure. It might have fit in for original purpose but currently doesn’t fit in

Apartments are the only properties that have the wall in the front, maybe to keep it a bit more closed off and private, however the walls do not currently seem to serve a particular purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

(#8) Northwood street measurement: 30ft.

North sidewalk: 55-60 inches

South Sidewalk: 60 inches

Northside is more level, south is different stone patterns/ concrete colors and textures

One way pro: more parking, safer, slower traffic

Con: takes a while to find parking, confusing for people who are new to the area

 

(#9) Seems to be the exact same as Number 4

 

(#10) 2244 Neil avenue

IMG_5415We guessed this could have been an auto repair garage because of the layout. Now it’s a real estate office.

It would make a nice coffee shop, or a small convenience store because of its central location among college residential areas. There were a lot of bricked up window spaces, indicating that the usage for the building has changed since its initial creation. There was also a fire escape with steps leading to a door on the top floor (possibly apartment living area above).

 

 

(#11) 174 W.Lane Ave

The parking lot paved up to the sidewalk is a bad idea and poor planning. It is dangerous for pedestrians and diners. Not many pavement lines gives off a misperception of where cars should be driving. It borders three of the sides of the building creating blind spots, which is dangerous for pedestrians.


The City Seekers

  1. The address 2207-209 Neil Avenue has the following dimensions:
    • Lot width:  120 feet
    • Lot length:  127 feet
    • Front setback: 12 feet
    • Side setback: 3 feet
    • Estimated lot coverage: 66%
    • Sidewalk width: 6 feet
    • Right of way width: 11’-8”

There is a parking lot in the back of the property, as well as street parking, where residents of the address can park their cars. There is also an abutting alley on the south side of the property. This alley may have a negative affect on the residents quality of life because there could be loud people or cars that utilize it, as well as potentially bright flashes from headlights of cars at night. However, the alley could also have a positive affect on the residents quality of life because  it could provide easier access to the house from a vehicle, and reduces traffic.

The property’s land use is residential. The surrounding land uses, however, are both residential and commercial. In addition to houses surrounding the 2207-209 Neil Avenue residence, there are also restaurants and bars, as well as a convenience store.

Tall structures can be viewed from the rear of the property. There are large OSU buildings, such as new dorms and a stadium, and an apartment complex. This might impact the quality life for the Neil Avenue residents in a negative way because the stadium in particular could get very loud with the speakers and fans, in addition to the university causing both pedestrian and street traffic. However, in a positive light, there is a large community, with plenty of neighbors and things to do, since it is in a populated area of the city.

There are multiple benefits to living in this residence, such as on-site parking and being very close to campus, especially if the residents are students or employees at the university. In addition, the complex is right next to convenience store and restaurants, which is convenient. However, drawbacks are the area might be loud at night, and there is no private outside area by the complex. As a collective group we came to the conclusion that we may consider living in the complex or area, due to the great location and proximity to necessities.

 

  1. On Norwich Avenue the street would be very dimly lit at night. The lights only occupy only one side of the street, being the north side, and they are approximately 45 feet apart. In addition to the street lights, there are telephone/cable wires overhead on the same side of the street. The poles are placed as close to the street as possible, which is probably to maximize the lawn areas available to the lots. They may have been placed on the north side because apartment buildings are on the north side, and the landowners may have been more willing to allow the poles on the lots than the owners of houses on the south side. Also, the south side’s power may be provided by poles in the alley behind those lots.

As we walk east on Norwich Ave, we’d say the side near Neil seems more renovated, dense, and urban. Although there are houses the entire length of the south side of the street, the side closer to Neil contains apartment buildings. However, as you continue down the street, the apartments disappear, and are replaced by houses. Therefore, there are houses occupying both sides of the street, which creates a more neighborhood, and home-y vibe. This might be better suited for larger communities of people living together, since they have more space, as well as families. The larger setbacks of the homes, lending more yard space, also aids to the change in atmosphere along the street.

norwichhouses

  1. Estimated dimensions on Norwich:
  • Street width: 30 feet
  • Sidewalk width: 4 feet

Norwich avenue is a one way street, with street parking along both sides. Since there are parked cars occupying both street sides, the actual driving space is only wide enough for one car to drive through at a time. Since cars can only travel one way, this does not immediately affect traffic. However, a car parallel-parking would temporarily cause congestion. A wider street would make parking and maneuvering easier. This would not take away greatly from the existing character of the street.

We feel that since the street is a one-way, on-street parking is effective. On-street parking may put the vehicles at risk for side-swipes and occasionally slow traffic, but these instances are most likely rare, and hardly any of these lots are big enough for a garage. Some have rear-parking, but on-street is appears necessary. If a street is narrow however, on-street parking can be hazardous. We specifically thought of Lane Ave between High Street and Indianola Avenue as an example.

We would not consider the sidewalks on Norwich to be standard. Comparing the sidewalks to a street such as Lane, the Norwich sidewalks are noticeably less wide. Two people would have no problem passing, but it would be a narrow passage for sure.

norwichapartments

  1. Estimated values of structures on Norwich:
  • Front setback – 20ft
  • Side setback – 4ft

The front setback of this properties on Norwich is very similar to the front setback of the properties on Northwood, but the side setbacks seem to be much narrower to the neighboring properties, creating far tighter alleyways in between the properties.

 

  1. The footprint and setback of the building at 128-134W Norwich Avenue affects the character and flow of the neighborhood by making the property read quite apparently as out of place. When taken in context and when compared to the many apartments surrounding this home, the flow of the neighborhood seems to be disrupted by this specific building. The absence of a porch adds to the setback distance of the house, providing further evidence for why this property seems to be out of touch with the surrounding neighborhood.

 

  1. On Williams Street, and an unnamed alley, there is land that provides parking for residences on Norwich to the south and Northridge to the north. This parking configuration is not as appropriate and functional as it could be. Many of the spots are two-car lengths long, which is worse than fitting only one car, since people in the front will end up being blocked in by cars behind them. I think it is appropriate for those in duplexes, but those with cars who live in the apartment complexes on Norwich are probably going to be left out. Street parking might be the only option for them. A better, wider Williams street that allowed street parking could be a possible solution.

 

  1. At the southwest corner of Northwood Avenue and Williams Street there is a decorative red brick wall. Across the street on the north side of Northwood, there are no walls. This is probably a ‘motif’ by the apartment complex builders to visually block off their properties from surrounding lots that look a bit worn down. It probably helps a bit with keeping trash out of the yards as well. Dirt erosion of the surrounding setbacks onto the sidewalk could also be a reason for putting the wall up. We feel it’s fairly appropriate, although it does limit the width of the sidewalk; two people cannot pass as easily.

brickwall

  1. Northwood Avenue Measurements:
  • Street width: 30 feet
  • Sidewalk width
    • South side: 5 feet
    • North side: 6 feet

The street width of Northwood does not differ from that or Norwich Avenue.

The north side sidewalk seems to be newer and of a higher quality than the south side sidewalk since it is wider and has less cracks.

For similar reasons that we stated for Norwich, a one-way street is beneficial to the neighborhood. Not only does it help with on-street parking, but another advantage is traffic flow. The one-ways lead to less congestion on the major streets and intersections, such as High Street. A disadvantage is added confusion. For one, visitors trying to find a house may have some trouble finding the correct street and direction. If somebody isn’t familiar with the area, there’s a much higher chance they could make a turn going the wrong way. Also, since cars don’t have to worry about cars coming from the other direction, they may be tempted to drive faster, which would be dangerous for children living in the neighborhood.

 

  1. Estimated setbacks of properties on Northwood:
  • Front setback – 40 feet
  • Side setback – 15 feet

Northwood is a nice street. The street is wide enough that cars can comfortably drive through even with cars parked on both sides of the street. There is plenty of green space and the sidewalks are still nice. The houses are a little cramped, with not much room between them. When thinking about this from a perspective that most of the residents would be college students or faculty this lack of space between houses would likely be a good thing. It means that they have less yard to mow which would save them time. Lots of yard space is better for a family with young children so a college student wouldn’t be as affected by the close spacing of the houses. There are plenty of streetlights that are well spaced, so lighting at night wouldn’t be a problem on this street.

 

  1. The structure of 2244 Neil Avenue is a dual complex building with Kohr Royer Griffith Real Estate below and apartment housing above. Although it is a commercial structure, the building fits well into the neighborhood. The historical nature of the building adds to the character of the neighborhood. It also makes sense to have a realtors office in a residential community; it offers housing opportunities and advice, as well as providing jobs within the neighborhood. If it wasn’t a real estate office the building is well placed to be a corner store, barbershop or even a laundry mat. The brick wall look like they are thick enough to dampen the noise and since it’s in a college neighborhood many other the surrounding house may not have /laundry machines and dryers. Initially this structure looks like it was built as a convenience store or barber shop with housing above. The official zoning designation is likely “C1, commercial – neighborhood uses, limited” or maybe “NE, Neighborhood Edge”.

kohrrealty

  1. Tommy’s Pizza, located at 174 W. Lane Avenue, paved their parking lot out to the sidewalk. This is a bad practice, one reason being because there is no border between the parking lot and the sidewalk. This creates a potential safety hazard for the pedestrians walking at night when the border to the sidewalk is hidden. At night cars could drive over the sidewalk to the road or vise-versa into the parking lot. This endangers the pedestrians walking there at night which is why it is a bad practice.

tommyspizzaparking


Plan B Solutions

Neil Avenue, question 1 

Neil Avenue is an average size, two lane road that is immediately adjacent to campus. The neighborhood along Neil Avenue is residential with scattered commercial buildings. The neighborhood is higher density than the surrounding areas but still seems like a fairly decent place to live. The approximate size of a lot in this neighborhood is 52 by 68 ft, forming a rectangle with a total area of 3,536 square ft. The front setback of a house on this street is about 15.3 ft, while the side setback is smaller at around 10 ft. This makes yards in the area very small and spaces the houses very close together. The sidewalks are about 9 ft 4 in in width, wider than most. This is good for pedestrians as it provides them with more space than would a typical sidewalk of about half that width. Alleys exist between the houses. It is clear that these alleys were very intentionally designed as they feature paved walkways. These alleyways provide shortcuts between streets but may attract crime in some places as they are not well lit. Behind the houses, we found a gravel parking lot. This provides parking to residents while keeping streets clear and eliminating the need for a garage. This is a good area for college students to live because it provides parking and is close to campus. In fact, one of our group members does live in this area.

IMG_0071

Norwich, questions 2 & 3 

Norwich, with its 30 ft wide street and a 4 ft wide sidewalk, is a relatively nice street that sits one block north of campus. The sidewalks are standard, with room for two people to pass but no more. The street is a one-way, which offers the benefit of decreased traffic flow, and in result a more quiet, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. On the west end of the street, there are apartment buildings and even a few commercial buildings, but as you move east it becomes purely residential. The street is lined with trees and plants, which adds aesthetic value to the area. Streetlights are 60-70 yards apart, so this street pretty dark at night. In terms of parking, there is room for about two cars per house on the street. However, many of the houses and apartments offer additional parking spaces or garages. Overall, the street feels friendly and fairly well-maintained, considering it’s mainly college students living there.

IMG_0073

Norwich and Williams, questions 4 & 5 

The structures’ setbacks on Norwich have a considerable variation. The front ones varies from 10 to 20 feet, depending on the house, and the side ones are usually 5 feet. As a result, the houses have breathing room at the front space, which allows users come to the house and have space to see it; they have space to leave the sidewalk and get into the house. On the other hand, the side setbacks are too thin, which doesn’t allow too much space for users to cross these areas; it is almost a useless space. The Norwich neighborhood has a continuous flow, due to its organization. However, the building located at 128-134 W Norwich Ave breaks this flow a little bit. Nevertheless, this break is a positive point, because makes the area seems denser than it is. As a result, this building fits nicely with the other buildings and it is standing out from them.

Williams Street/Alley, question 6 

The Williams St. Alley we felt was not using its parking space in a functional manner.  The double parking we felt was a major design flaw. We felt as though better design would be a more traditional parking lot would be more favorable.

IMG_0085

Northwood Avenue, questions 7, 8 & 9 

The red brick wall on the south side of Northwood Avenue serves as a buffer between the apartment’s parking lot and the sidewalk. Outside of this, there is not much that the walls provide to their surroundings. The walls are not large enough to provide any sort of privacy, and don’t add too much to the overall aesthetic of the street. However, they do help Northwood to stand out from the other streets that are in the area. The measurements of the street and the sidewalk are very similar to that of Norwich, with the street being 30 feet wide and the sidewalks being 4.5 feet wide. One of the defining features of the street is the large size of most of the setbacks. The front setbacks measured about 30 feet and the side setbacks measured between 8-10 feet. It is quite noticeable moving from one street to the this one and gives the street a very open feeling. The street being a one-way has the same pros and cons that were already discussed during the section on Norwich Avenue.

 

2244 Neil Avenue,questions 10 

The building present is currently a real estate office. It is a bit out of place in such a residential neighborhood for students, but not distracting. It could have originally been a house, small business, or apartment complex. If it was a house or apartment complex, then the zoning would have changed from residential to commercial.

IMG_0080

Tommy’s Pizza, question 11

We agreed that the parking situation at Tommy’s Pizza is generally a bad idea. This is dangerous if people are crossing the street or the parking lot in general. There is not a large enough barrier between the busy traffic of Lane Avenue and those walking in the parking lot. It puts pedestrians and cars closer together and isn’t very aesthetic. Making the parking lot smaller or with more landscape barriers would be beneficial.

The Lucky 7

 

  1. 2201-209 Neil Ave
  • Lot Width→ 30 ft 6 inches
  • Lot Length→ 130 ft
  • Front Setback → 30 ft
  • Side Setback → 3 ft
  • Lot coverage estimate→ 35%
  • Sidewalk width→ 5 ft
  • Right of way width → 11 ft

 

The property sits on a relatively small plot of land on Neil Ave., close to campus, but surrounded by busy elements of the neighborhood. The property consists of the house occupying most of the lot size, a small yard in the front of the home, and parking in the rear of the house. To the south of the property is alley way that allows for access to the parking spaces at the back of the house, but also to the large apartment building the is directly behind the house. The apartment building houses many residents and covers the smaller lot in shade for a large part of the day. Also immediately to the south is a bar, gas station, and  convenience store that all handle business late into the night. Across the the street is a small restaurant and currently a large construction zone, while to the north of the property is more residential lots.

 

The busyness of the area must greatly affect the quality of living on the property. With constant movement and action happening outside, it must be rare to have a moment of silence within the residence. The lot is in a unique position where it the buffer between the commercial buildings that line Lane Ave. and the hundreds of residences that continue up Neil Ave. There are still pros to living in this property. One being that you are less than a block away from campus and the other being that you are close to some quick food. However, though location might nice for somethings, little privacy and constant noise pollution might keep us from living on this property.

2.Norwich Ave

 

Moving east on Norwich the lots are much smaller and are comprised mostly of residential buildings. Street lights and above ground utilities are positioned every several houses and create a gritty-urban setting. However, the street is much quieter than the larger streets of Neil, Lane, and High that surround it. This is due in part because the street is one way and can accommodate less traffic and therefore less appealing to commercial businesses.

 

3.Measure Norwich

  • Street width→ 31 ft
  • South sidewalk→ 3.5 ft
  • North sidewalk→ 3.5 ft

Because of the width of the street and the majority of the properties along W. Norwich not accommodating off street parking, the street is limited to being a one way street. However, expanding the width of the street to allow for two way traffic would take away from the quiet, residential nature of the street pollute the area with more traffic. The current parking situation also allows for an additional buffer between the lots/sidewalks and street. Though the parking situation is handled as best as it can be given current situations, I don’t believe that on street parking is the best solution for urban residential living. On street parking comes with limited space for parking, having no guaranteed spot, as well as increased accidents and crime. The sidewalks seem to be of some standard size, and can easily allow two people to pass one another along them.

4. Estimate Norwich

Without tromping about this property and getting exact measurements, the setback appears to be 25 feet, with side setbacks at ten feet

.Screen Shot 2016-02-09 at 12.13.45 PM

5. 128-134W Norwich

The footprint and setback of this building is much larger than those of the surrounding buildings due to the fact that it is a town home surrounded by smaller homes. To allow for more driving residents, in addition to the parking spots behind the house in the alleyway, parking in front of the building has been put in place. This causes the building to be pushed back on the lot and break the edge that is created by the other buildings along W. Norwich.

Screen Shot 2016-02-09 at 12.14.56 PM

6.Williams Street

The parking in this area is definitely arranged on a case-by-case basis, which almost every building having its own distinct area and pattern. Some areas seem to continue their arrangement across small stretches, but that’s likely due to the same property manager owning multiple adjacent houses.

The biggest problem, as far as practicality, are the perpendicular design of the bulk of the spaces. This makes it much more difficult to get in and out of spaces, requires a lot more maneuvering to get lined up with your space or the road, and generally leaves you blind to other traffic coming through the alley as you come out. Some coordination between the property managers along the alleyway could result in a much more efficient and safer arrangement.

 

 

 

7.Northwood Ave and Williams St

  • The purpose of the red brick wall is to create a visual boundary for automobiles. The red brick is to deter automobiles that are not suppose to be taking those smaller side roads. The smaller sides roads which you see after passing between the red brick walls is meant for residents of those homes and emergency personnel. We believe that this design element is appropriate given the surrounding area. Very narrow streets in dense urban settings are often where most parking violations occur. For the residents this provides a visual safety net between them and the street, but also provides easier access for emergency vehicles, due to the fact that there is not any parking allowed in front of the brick walls.  

 

 8. Northwood Ave measurements

  • Width of Norwood ave→ 28 ft
  • Norwich→ 31 ft
  • Norwood is not as wide as Norwich
  • North sidewalk of Northwood is 6 ft and the south side is 5, the north side is wider

9. Setbacks

  • The setbacks of the structures on Northwood Avenue are roughly 25 feet which provides a bigger buffer space from the sidewalk, road, and the residence.

10. 2244 Neil Ave

The structure seems out of place on this site in this neighbourhood. While it certainly predates most of what’s around it, it sticks out as not fitting in anymore, and much of the historic value of having it around is diminished with relatively little upkeep, let alone any restorative efforts. The original use for this place was a small grocery store, but is now used today as a property management office; many management companies in the campus area have their offices right in the neighborhood, many of which built into some of their residential properties. Indeed, the upstairs of this building is currently rental housing.

 

As a result, while it could be used for something else–perhaps a convenience store or a small restaurant–the current use is quite appropriate. Due to the upstairs being housing and the downstairs being property management offices, this place is likely zoned as residential.

11. Tommy’s

The lot that is owned by Tommy’s Pizza is completely covered by pavement up to the sidewalk. This causes a very harsh and uninviting atmosphere about the property. However, softening the lot with a grassy right-away or a line of trees is relatively impossible given the amount of pedestrian traffic the lot sees every day, not to mention the tailgating that happens during football season.  The lot would become quickly worn to just dirt in a matter of weeks. Tommy’s has saved themselves the trouble of attempting to keep up with landscaping and instead maximized there parking on the lot.

Screen Shot 2016-02-09 at 12.16.07 PM

 

 

 

Collegiate Rebel Penguins

2207-2209 Neil Avenue

Residents of this property park their vehicles behind their building, in a small private parking lot. On the side of the property, there is an alleyway that leads behind the GoCo building, and the tower adjacent to the house. This alley is possibly used for service and deliveries to the gas station, as well as to the tower behind the property. It seems that the alley could be rather busy, which is definitely not something that would better the quality of life for these residents. Behind the property is the service entrances to the gas station and the GoCo, as well as the service entrances to the tower behind the lot. The majority of the space behind the lot is occupied by a large private parking lot for the tower. The land use of this address is residential. The surrounding area of this property is split between high density residential and commercial. There is an apartment tower behind the lot for the high density commercial, and there is a gas station with a convenience store and a Subway restaurant. The surrounding area is planned somewhat properly. The only apparent drawback is the fact that the property at the address has its parking behind the property, and the only way to get there is to use the alleyway that also serves as the service road for the apartment tower and the gas station. This road could potentially be blocked for long periods of time as the store gets deliveries or there is work being done behind the apartment tower. From Behind the property, it is impossible to miss the large white concrete apartment building that is in close proximity to the home. It is possible that there is heavy traffic at times coming through the alley next to the house as that alley leads to the parking lot for the tower. This is a This negative impact on the quality of life for the residents at 2207 Neil Ave. Some of the benefits of living at this property include its proximity to campus, as well as the proximity to the Subway restaurant and gas station. There are a few obvious One drawback to the location as well. First of all, it is located near a busy intersection of Neil Ave. and Lane Ave. Second of all it is located behind a busy gas station, and lastly it is in extremely close proximity to a densely populated residential tower.

2016-01-28 15.22.54 2016-01-28 15.22.57

 

Norwich Avenue

Since the streetlights are only on one side of the street and are sparsely spaced, the street will be lit at night, but by no means will it be bright. As for the utilities, the electric lines are located above ground, along with the telephone wires. Both of these services connect into the back of the house, the side not facing the street. As for what determines the placement of these utilities, it could be the fact that the electric is easier to service if it is located off of the street, in an alleyway that is easily accessible by service vehicles. Walking East on Norwich Ave, the area is clearly intended to be more residential than anything else. At the end of Norwich Ave, it does intersect with High Street, but this section of High street is not nearly as busy and populated as the part of the street that parallels the academic campus and the south campus dorm area. The character of the neighborhood definitely changes as you progress toward High street. It gets away from the hectic campus atmosphere and it becomes more of an old time urban neighborhood, which is what this area is intended to be. This area was possibly intended for people to live who either worked in downtown Columbus or the surrounding industrial areas.

2016-01-28 14.55.19 2016-01-28 14.55.32

 

Norwich Avenue Street and Sidewalks

The width of the street will alleviate the flow of traffic. In terms of traffic, it would be better if the street were wider, but would detract from the smaller neighborhood feel of this area. The on street parking in this area works, because it is permit parking, which means that a pass is required to utilize the street parking. Also, the parking is on both sides of the street. On street parking is necessary for an area such as this, as there is simply no other place to put all of the vehicles. The sidewalks in this neighborhood were a standard size, which would allow for two people to pass by each other if they move in such a way that they will not collide.

2016-01-28 14.57.41

 

128- 134 W Norwich Ave

Since this location is an apartment complex, the building is set back a bit farther off of the street than the other homes. As for the feel of the neighborhood, it does not really impact it in a negative way, it is simply a different style of living available.

2016-01-28 15.02.36

 

Williams Street

This street is a functional part of the neighborhood. Since most of the streets in this area are one- way streets, it is necessary to have a smaller street perpendicular to the one way roads in order for traffic to flow more smoothly. Also, this street allows emergency vehicles to traverse the neighborhood much faster. As for the parking on the street, it would be a bit better if there was no parking allowed on this street, but parking is sparse around the city, and more parking is always needed.

 

Northwood Ave and Williams Street

This property is another apartment complex, with a red brick wall blocking off its parking lot. The red brick wall can signify exclusivity for the area, and make it known that the parking in that area is not open to the public. The wall is also a signal to drivers as to where to turn into their lot, but this wall is very close to the sidewalk which could affect pedestrian safety.

2016-01-28 15.08.55

 

Northwood Ave.

Northwood Ave. is a bit wider than Norwich Ave, by about 4 feet. As for the sidewalks, the north sidewalk is 7 feet wide, and there is no grass separation between the sidewalk and the street. On the other side of the street, the sidewalk is 5 feet wide, with a 3 foot wide grass separation before the road begins. As another one way street in a one way street system, Northwood Ave. becomes part of a much larger planning area in the Columbus area. For a city like Columbus, having one way streets will help direct the flow of traffic. There are only so many ways to get to one location with one way streets, which can help the alleviate the traffic. It can also help with the safety of bikers and pedestrians, since it is easy for them to follow the flow of traffic when it is clear which way traffic is flowing on the road. One major con to one way street systems is gridlock, but in a city like Columbus, gridlock is not much of an issue as there is not a very large population. Another issue with a one way street system is emergency services. It can be difficult for an emergency vehicle to navigate in this type of road system, especially with a large vehicle in areas like the campus area of Columbus.

2016-01-28 15.10.41

 

Structures on Northwood

The houses on Northwood Ave are about 36 feet off of the street, compared to 23 feet on Norwich. This is a nice street because the homes are a bit farther off of the street which makes it more difficult for the sound of traffic to reach the house.

2016-01-28 15.12.38

 

2244 Neil Avenue

This structure is unlike the other buildings in the area. It does look like it was a residential building to begin with. The original use for this structure seems to be some kind of service, such as a pharmacy or small store, with a living space above the commercial space. It could have been a family owned business in which the family lived above their store. Today, the building holds a real estate company on the first floor and living space on the second floor. It seems that the zoning designation of this building is residential, since it is in an entirely residential area.

2016-01-28 15.16.25

 

174 W. Lane Ave (Tommy’s Pizza)

The parking lot of Tommy’s Pizza is not separated from the road by a sidewalk or other type of barrier as most parking lots are. While this is beneficial to drivers as they can enter the lot from just about anywhere, it does pose quite the hazard to pedestrians as there is no space dedicated to their travel, and they are left vulnerable to traffic from just about all angles.