A Plain City property owner that was hoping to create a Downtown Revitalization District withdrew his application during a public hearing on the matter.
“Pencils have erasers for a reasons,” Rayce Robinson told council during its most recent meeting.
Robinson, who owns the Clock Tower and McCune buildings among other Uptown properties, recently requested the creation of a Downtown Revitalization District (DRD), as it would allow the village to issue additional liquor licenses to interested businesses.
The village currently has a state-mandated quota of three D5 liquor licenses, which allow consumption of alcohol until 2:30 a.m. One is held by Plain City Bowling and another by Lee’s Sports and Spirits, while a permit is pending for Pioneer Pizza.
Based on the proposed size of the district, 32.4 acres in the Uptown area, up to six additional permits could be made available only within that area.
Robinson initially wrote to council to request the consideration of a DRD because it would allow additional business to acquire liquor licenses at state-regulated costs “significantly below the prevailing market rates.”
He explained at the council meeting that his request was prompted by a tenant on the third floor of the McCune Building who is seeking a liquor license for her business.
However, in speaking with other property owners in the Uptown, Robinson said he realized that there may not be as many benefits to a Downtown Revitalization District “as we thought from the get-go.”
He said he still feels that a DRD could be beneficial to the village in the future, as communities like Urbana and Bellefontaine have them in place but are “probably a little more mature than we are.”
“It’s probably not the right thing for Plain City right now and that’s fine,” Robinson said.
He said he came to that conclusion after discussions with Tim Dawson and Eric Medici, who each also own a number of Uptown properties.
Medici briefly spoke during the public hearing to say he was there in support of Robinson’s initial request to create a DRD and he feels “long-term, I think it gives the village options.”
Council member Aaron Lewis said he appreciated that Robinson met with other individuals who are investing in the village.
Mayor Jody Carney agreed.
“Bringing the three major building owners together is a win in my book,” she said.
Robinson emphasized that their priority is to “protect the locally grown aspect of Plain City,” so they feel there are routes besides the creation of a DRD that would not “invite Applebee’s to the village.”
He said he is advising his tenant to “trek a license in” as opposed to seeking a new liquor license.
Robinson also apologized to village staff for the time they spent researching his request.
Council member Jim Eudaily said he didn’t feel the time was wasted, as the request “taught us something we didn’t know about” that could be useful in the future.
In other business:
– Village Administrator Haley Lupton updated council on a number of projects happening throughout the village.
She said the internal system of the clock tower was recently removed for repairs, adding that demolition for the southeast portion of the Uptown streetscape project is beginning this week.
Lupton also noted that the Madison Meadows playground is nearly finished.
– Plain City Police Department Chief Dale McKee said interviews were held and a conditional offer was accepted by a candidate for the PCPD cadet position.
Given that the individual passes all background checks, McKee said he will likely start at the police academy on May 1.
In light of a competitive hiring market, council recently approved the creation of a cadet program through which the village will pay for a candidate’s training at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) before they are hired as an officer.