President Brian Hayes welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and shared a prayer.
Today’s thought for the moment – Jimmy Buffet remarked – When reality looks too ugly, fantasize.
Brian made these announcements:
- Reminded Members that the Pledge Cards are available for the three big fund raisers of the year and provide a place for you to indicate what amount you will sponsor for each. Completed forms should be returned to the President. By the way, when you pay your pledge be sure to indicate which project it is for so that we can allocate the proceeds to the proper Pledge.
- Our next Board Meeting is Monday, the 16th at 5:30 pm – look for a Zoom invite in your e-mail tomorrow.
Ginger Clark announced so far we have raised $5,707 for Operation Warm so we have met our weekly goal. We have enough to purchase 285 coats right now. 530 is our goal.
Adam Manning announced the first pancake meeting of the year took place last week and we need a couple more people on committee.
Boyd Preston announced we will have signups soon for a work day on September 9 to collect pollinator seed at Bill Yeck Park from 4:30-6 pm. The seed will later be planted in the new pollinator garden at Grant Park, part of our 50th anniversary project.
Happy Bucks recipient for this quarter is Operation Warm, to provide winter coats for needy children.
Patrick Beckel was our Sergeant at Arms this week and introduced our guests. Nick is a member of Beckel’s Humidor and builds ADA compliant custom homes. Brad Huffman introduced his guest - his son, Braden who is enjoying his last week of summer before starting 7th grade.
Patrick then collected Happy Bucks:
- Carol Kennard was happy for a great family reunion where she actually got a photo with all 5 grandkids at once!
- Brad Huffman was happy to be back after busy summer and to have his son at Rotary today (future Rotarian?)
- Ray Merz missed a couple of weeks while visiting his son and daughter-in-law in Perrysburg
- Sofie Ameloot fined herself as last week she was supposed to take notes during the meeting but forgot! She went home and wrote down all she remembered!
- Mike Wier was happy to see more than 50% of club in attendance today
- Wayne Davis celebrated his 40th high school reunion and reminded everyone about Party in the Park this Friday at 5:30 pm. The Air Force Band of Flight will perform followed by showing of the movie Frozen
- Brian Hayes gave a dollar for Wayne
- Boyd Preston was happy his friend Larry has joined us as a member and he wants to buy a new joke book for Pat
- Erich Eggers brought a check for his pledge from last week
- Don Stewart had a great vacation at Oglebay WV and gave a check for his pledge a couple of weeks ago
- Susan Schnell was just happy to donate a coat
- Brad Thorp was happy to celebrate his 45th wedding anniversary
- Elda Gotos-Gay announced the Boomerfest is at St Leonard’s this Saturday with good food and music. Elda will be serving beer!
- Crissy Allums was happy to be here
- Ger Eastabrooks said she likes Pat’s jokes
- Lee Hieronymus gave a thought for the day: “Cows may come and cows may go but the bull in this place goes on forever!”
- Ron Hollenbeck asked if Pat was wearing a kilt (as he has in the past…)
- Jim Harris was happy for our guests today
- Don Overly had a great time playing in a golf outing with retired administrators and teachers
- Bill Menker noted he will be at Party in Park too, so stop by the library’s booth
- Adam Manning was happy to be here and noted he will be running the grill at Miamisburg’s football game this weekend so if want a sub-par meal, come on out!
- Carol Sue Galloway announced her granddaughter has joined the football team
- Pat Beckel was happy for his kids going back to school as a freshman and sophomore this year and his friend who was ranked #1 in the USTA has turned pro and will be playing her first pro match Saturday in Cincinnati
- Brian Hayes was happy today as it is his wife’s 50th birthday
Our speaker was a no show on Zoom, so Pat Beckel filled in with updates on Uptown Centerville.
Pat started with the disclaimer that nothing will be finalized until after the public input meetings. Centerville had fallen behind in outdoor walkability, so these new plans address that. Uptown is the area around Franklin and St Rte 48, which happens to be the highest point in Montgomery County
Considerations included:
- Make sure historic buildings are thriving; not getting rid of the character
- Hard to keep business in those buildings since not ADA compliant due to historic nature and parking was an issue - hard to access, hard to see where to park
- Idea to connect all lots and make bigger with main access point instead of all of the ins and outs
- Phase 1 NW quadrant take parking all the way past Las Piramides
- Phase 2 SW quadrant on south side of Franklin connect parking lots all the way to Brad Thorp’s with the entrance at Westerfield (by Brad’s office)
- Phase 3 behind City BBQ/Graeters
- Opens up for walkability, new business entrances will be located on parking lot side, away from traffic
- Events need space to operate and larger parking areas allow them to close off parking lot areas for events.
- Talking about putting in a boulevard with trees along Franklin Street with trees which slows cars down for safer pedestrian walkability.
- Making sidewalks wider on 48 and Franklin and plant trees; another traffic calming effort.
All of these changes are designed to make it more walkable, and then focus on providing fun things to do. Surveys said nice restaurants with liquor license is what people want. Centerville was limited on the number of liquor licenses allowed in that area. The City approved an entertainment district designation, which allows for 15 more liquor licenses.
The average age in Centerville is mid-50’s, who like fine dining and good shops. Salar bought 2 buildings to put in restaurants. Las Piramides closed, but a new restaurant is already coming in. They were afraid Panera would sit empty - they left because they were paying $38,000/month in rent to the local investors, and access was an issue. Another restaurant is already interested in the Panera location.
The Entertainment District is not for bars, but for quality restaurants.
Next in the plans are to establish a DORA - designated outdoor recreation area, which allow you to have open containers. Try different drinks as you visit various boutiques. Events can provide alcohol.
Bring the best of Ohio to Uptown. Right here in our hometown.
Wayne Davis then said this type of presentation is usually done by government, but they’ve changed the model by getting citizens involved (who is also a local business owner), The plan is well thought out, well laid out, and guided by feedback from public in visioning, traffic, parking, and green space,
An Open House will be held on August 23 at the Police building with info on the plan for the public to view and provide feedback.
The City owns property just north of Town Hall and they are looking for a private business to locate there. Pat said as you talk to people in the community who have a business that would fit, have them contact the City
The timeline depends on when businesses in that quadrant are ready to move forward. Wayne feels that sometime in early 2022 the NE quadrant will get started, but they need to plan so that businesses are not closed down and events are not impacted.
Next week our speaker will be Justice Pat DeWine talking about the Ohio Supreme Court.