Explanation
Background: The City owns real property located at 345 Graceland Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43214 {Franklin County Tax Parcel 010-110681} (“Property”). The property is managed by the Recreation and Parks Department (“CRPD”) and it commonly known as Olentangy Park and is part of the Kenny Park Nature Preserve park area. The Property is further described and recorded in D.B. 3346, Pg. 655, Recorder’s Office, Franklin County, Ohio. As part of their NCHP Phase 6 Pipeline Project, Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc. (“Columbia Gas”) is requesting a perpetual 0.344 acre Subsurface Easement for the installation of a natural gas line and a five-foot wide Surface Access Easement to allow Columbia Gas walkable access to inspect the gas line. The line will run under the nature preserve and the Olentangy River. CRPD, the Department of Development (“Development”) and Columbia Gas have done extensive reviews of the plans in an effort to preserve the natural state of the nature preserve, limit the environmental impact of the construction, and limit any potential impacts to the water quality while also contemplating alternative routing of the pipeline. With safeguards in place such as horizontal directional drilling under the river and through the Property and no surface impacts to City property, Development and CRPD support granting Columbia Gas the Easement provided that (i) Columbia pays the City a fair market value of $17,200.00, (ii) Columbia complies with all terms and conditions of the easements and Inadvertent Release Plan, and (iii) the Easement is non-exclusive.
The Director of the Recreation and Parks Department has reviewed the easement request and determined that, while constructing infrastructure that does not directly improve the nature preserve, which is generally prohibited under City Code 919.27, in this case it should be permitted as the alternatives pose a greater risk of harm to the nature preserve and the nature preserve will not be impacted at the surfac...
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