Explanation
The City of Columbus, Public Service Department, Transportation Division, received a request from Nationwide Children's Hospital ("Children's") asking that the City transfer to them those rights-of-way identified as portions of Kennedy Drive, Children's Drive West, Children's Drive and Ann Street and that the City also release the sidewalk easement along Children's Drive West that was granted in an instrument recorded as instrument number 200701120007449. Sale of these rights-of-way will accommodate continued development of the Children's campus in accordance with their Master Plan. Per current Transportation Division practice, comments were solicited from interested parties, including City departments, private utilities and applicable area commissions, before it was determined that there would be no adverse impact to the City upon transfer of these rights-of-way, subject to the retention of a general utility easement for those utilities currently located therein. The Department of Law, Real Estate Division, established a value of $473,340.00 for these rights-of-way. Children's has requested mitigation of this amount for the following reasons:
1) The identification of improvements that further the general welfare of the City through significant improvements to the physical environment: As a part of the continued development of the Children's campus in accordance with their Master Plan Children's will spend at least $2,000,000 for landscaping, lighting, sidewalks, and other amenities to develop approximately six acres on the north side of Livingston Avenue between Ann Street and Parsons Avenue and extending up the east side of Parsons Avenue to Mooberry Street into a park. It is the intention of both Children's and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department that the existing Livingston Avenue Park and this proposed Children's park area function as and have the appearance of one continuous park. Children's has committed to keep Ann Street a...
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