Published: October 20, 2009 10:47 pm      

McCartin finds a home for Wendy’s a few blocks from current location

Fairview ghost tour denied; Daisy Lane to be closed for sewer work

The move isn’t far, but developer Gary McCartin has found a spot where Wendy’s restaurant can relocate its Charlestown Road establishment.

It won’t be off Lafayette Drive, as McCartin had pushed for but was denied yet again by the New Albany City Council earlier this year. Instead, Wendy’s will be just a few blocks down the road near Sam’s Food and Spirits at 3720 Charlestown Road.

Wendy’s is now located at 2601 Charlestown Road.

McCartin received approval from the Board of Public Works and Safety Tuesday for two curb cuts that will serve the restaurant. One will provide access off Payne Koehler Road, and the other at Blackiston Boulevard.

The council will not get a vote on the building, as the site is zoned Highway-Service which permits restaurants by-right, according to Assistant Director of Zoning Scott Wood.

The Board of Zoning Appeals signed off on a development standards variance for the project. It needed the BZA’s vote because it was .02-acres short of the required size of 1-acre, Wood said.

Several Lafayette Drive residents protested a zoning change to permit Wendy’s to open near their homes when the request was presented to the council and Plan Commission on multiple occasions over the past two years.

They cited drainage and noise concerns, as well as claims the restaurant would devalue their property.



Daisy Lane to be closed for sewer work

Beginning Monday and lasting until Oct. 30, Daisy Lane will be closed from Schell Lane to Grant Line Road for sewer work.

The board of works approved the request that will allow for needed cleaning and televising of sewer lines in the area. The work is required through New Albany’s consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Officials said the newly paved road will not be damaged by the sewer work.



Drinking and Fairview don’t mix

Gregg Seidl won’t be scaring anybody at Fairview Cemetery during his haunted tour this weekend.

The board of works denied Seidl’s request to take tour-goers through the public cemetery due to concerns over the amount participants might have to drink during the event.

Seidl — an author and New Albany resident — is scheduled to speak at tonight’s Sprits and Spirits Tour that will benefit Develop New Albany. He has also organized his own haunted tour that would include stops at local restaurants where participants can have a few alcoholic drinks along the way.

He wanted to include Fairview on the tour for its historic nature and spooky effect, Seidl said.

“This is not going to be a drunken pub crawl,” he said. “I want to raise a little more awareness of Fairview Cemetery.”

Matt Denison, president of the board, opposed the plan because of the hasty nature in which it was presented. He noted the cemetery deserves respect and it might be perceived that including it on a tour where people will be drinking is distasteful.

“That’s a very special place for many families,” Denison said.

Kay Garry, city controller and board member, objected for the same reason. It would probably be necessary for a city employee to be on hand at Fairview during the tour which would mean overtime pay in a time when finances are tight, Garry added.

The tour was to go through Fairview at night, past the normal hours of operation for the cemetery.

“It’s a private ground honoring those that have passed on,” she said. “I don’t see it as a good use.”

Seidl said he would ensure no damage would be done to the cemetery, and said he would have came to the board earlier but was under the impression he only needed approval from the Friends of Fairview Association.

But the board has control over the cemetery’s use. Denison offered to table the request for a week to see if the sides could acquiesce, but Seidl said that wouldn’t work since the tour is set to start this weekend and he needs to advertise its route.

Board member Suellen Wilkinson said she was conflicted, but ended up motioning to accept the request. She was the only board member in favor, as it was defeated 2-1.



DNA ghost tour tonight

The Spirits and Spirits ghost walk starts at 7 tonight, an event sponsored by Develop New Albany.

The walk starts at Destinations Booksellers, located at 604 E. Spring St. It features ghost tales based on New Albany’s past, and there will be stops along the way at various downtown restaurants including Studio’s Grille and Pub, Bank Street Brewhouse and the River City Winery.

Tickets for the event are $10 and can still be purchased online at www.developna.org. Proceeds go to benefit Develop New Albany, which a nonprofit agency.