Community improvement was a theme as Bowling Green Council heard about residents working to help beautify the landscaping at the post office, as well as the launch of the Downtown Forward program.
At last week’s meeting, Councilman Jeff Dennis said there is landscaping work being done at the U.S. Post Office building at the southern end of downtown and asked who was doing that work.
Mayor Mike Aspacher said there had been complaints about the landscaping at the post office for some time. He said that the property, which is not city-owned, has not been provided sufficient resources from the federal government to keep up their landscaping.
Aspacher said that Jeff Rettig, a local builder, had had a number of conversations with Aspacher on the issue, and he asked if Rettig would like to be a part of solving the matter. He said that Rettig and his employees worked to clean out the weeds in the landscaping and get them ready for additional improvements.
“I’m grateful for Jeff’s willingness to make the contribution,” Aspacher said.
He said that after that step, it was determined that a temporary solution would be to get mulch in the landscaping. He said that the mulching to be performed by local contractors was provided by two anonymous donors.
“Locally, they rolled up their sleeves and facilitated an improvement,” Aspacher said, adding that he is working with local congressional representatives to make them aware of the problem.
“If we don’t do this, it will just present itself again,” he said. “It’s going to be greatly improved through the effort and generosity of local residents.
“It’s been an uphill battle, but it speaks to Bowling Green,” Aspacher said later. “People are willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, too.”
Also at last week’s meeting, council passed an ordinance amending the zoning district map for the property known as 220 Manville Ave. from M-1 light industrial to R-2 single family residential zoning. During a public hearing held earlier in the evening by the planning, zoning and economic development committee, Planning Director Heather Sayler noted that there already is a single-family residence located on the property, which had a fire. The applicant, David Maurer on behalf of Action Rentals LLC, wishes to rebuild the home, Sayler said.
She also noted that the proposed new zoning map currently being discussed by the city calls for that area to be “University Residential” zoning, which would still allow a single-family residence there.
“There’s already a single family house on the property,” said committee member Nick Rubando. “It seems to me we should go with what the recommendation already was and change this zoning.”
“I agree,” said Councilwoman Rachel Phipps, who is the committe chair. “Knowing this is going to be University Residential in the future makes sense.”
