Clintonville businesses want fair bike lane plan

A stretch of unique local businesses, including one of only two independently owned movie theaters in Columbus, are speaking out in opposition to bicycle lane plans currently under consideration by the City of Columbus. Businesses and some local residents are concerned that the current plans are being rushed, require additional public input, and are flawed based on studies assessing parking needs during the height of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

More than 16 businesses along Indianola Ave., from N. Broadway to Hudson St. have serious concerns with a revised plan for a bike lane that removes a significant number of parking spaces along this corridor. The current plan removes 190 on-street parking spots (64%) leaving only 30 parking spaces left near the businesses and no parking allowed on the east side of Indianola.

“First, I along with many of the other businesses are supportive of a dedicated bike lane,” said Eric Brembeck, owner of Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse. “Bike lanes are an emerging mode of personal transportation, but we have grave concerns about the process used by the City and believe it will hurt businesses and nearby residents. We don’t believe their plan is a fair and proportionate use of space and want to balance the concerns of the businesses that were willing to lose substantial parking for this project, but not what has emerged as the City’s plan.

“The revised plan was presented in the beginning of December without any input from the impacted businesses,” said Brembeck. “Until we saw the revised plan, local businesses had no idea even more parking was being removed.”

Since last year, the Indianola businesses, along with nearby residents, have been participating in plans to change Indianola Ave., to accommodate a bike lane would run approximately 1.2 miles.

“We supported a plan that would have eliminated nearly half of the parking. Even though this plan took away approximately 140 parking spaces, local businesses and residents stepped up to support a solution that both achieved a bike lane and still preserved adequate parking for customers who frequent the business establishments. We were blindsided by what they recently released,” said David Lewis of Elizabeth Records.

Local businesses supported a plan, “Option 4,” that proposed to eliminate 47% of parking (160 spaces down from 299). Option 4 plan preserved parking on both sides along the business section of the corridor, from Weber Rd. to Midgard Rd.

Local businesses are concerned that the revised plan is not business-friendly and is based on parking studies that were conducted during the height of Covid lockdowns, when businesses were not open, as well as during times of parking restrictions, and during Ohio State football games when typically parking spots are not fully used. Because of this approach, the studies are flawed, and the City’s conclusion that available parking is “underutilized,” is inaccurate.

In an analysis conducted by outside consultants, who were hired by the City of Columbus, they wrote, “It is understood that removing parking on both sides within the vicinity of the existing business district would create and unacceptable burden” and further advised about parking: “No removal between Weber Road and Midgard Ave.”

It appears that the City of Columbus is ignoring this unbiased analysis of the current environment from the consultant they hired and are ignoring the needs of the businesses.

“Collectively, our stretch of businesses employ over 60-80 people, and we have invested millions of dollars improving our properties and expanding our business with an already challenging parking situation,” said Val Pennington of Pennington Galleries. “To remove any parking will be a burden, but to eliminate 50% of the parking along the business district will push even more parking into the neighborhood and be catastrophic to these unique businesses which includes the movie theater and minority-owned businesses as well, including an art gallery/frame shop, barbershop, candy shop, and two resale shops.”

“As someone who lives, works, bikes and plays in the neighborhood near Indianola and Weber I have significant concerns with the City of Columbus Bike Lane proposal. These concerns go beyond the parking impact it would have likely have on streets adjacent to Indianola,” said Ben Gibbons, a nearby resident. “I am a proud long-time patron of many of the businesses in the 3000 block of Indianola. I’ve been a customer of Imperial Cleaners and Studio 35 for over 25 years and have shopped Yeah, Me Too, Fibonacci, Savor Growl and Koko since they opened. For our household, having these businesses open throughout the pandemic has been a blessing. Our neighborhood now has a community-driven business incubator at its core. However well intentioned, this proposal in its current form has the potential for devastating harm to these businesses.”

The businesses are calling on the Mayor’s office and the Department of Public Safety to hear these concerns and return to considering Option 4, which is a compromise that preserves some parking, adds the bike lane and helps ensure survival of locally-owned businesses.

A petition is open to encourage the City to reconsider bike lane plans

Among the business owners who have expressed concerns with the City of Columbus' bike lane plan for Indianola Ave include:

Eric Brembeck, Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse

Joe Kristoff, Joe Kristoff Bowlers

Valdan Pennington, Pennington Custom Art Service

Jolie Abkrom, Marigold

Michale O’Niell, CPA,EA, Accounting & Tax Services

Melanie Compton, Melanie’s Upholstery

Eron Suissa, Swiss Remodeling

April Rhodes, Little Light Collective

Pat Kearns Davis, Remax Capital Centre

Elizabeth Records, David Lewis