Columbia Gas seeks permanent easements, regulator site in Gahanna parks; council schedules first reading

Columbia Gas of Ohio is asking the city of Gahanna to grant permanent and temporary easements across multiple park parcels so the utility can replace roughly 19,000 feet of 24-inch pipeline and install a regulator station near Shepherd Church, city staff said at the March 24 Committee of the Whole meeting.

City staff opened the discussion by describing the project: “Columbia Gas of Ohio is proposing a pipeline replacement. It’s a project that traverses multiple park parcels. It’s approximately 19,000 feet of a 24 inch pipeline,” a staff member in the Department of Parks and Recreation said, noting three separate ordinance agreements tied to easement, access and temporary construction needs.

The Engineering Department flagged a related land-use step. “In order to facilitate the pipeline work, Columbia Gas will have a regulator station proposed at the Shepherd Church, just off of Cliffview,” an engineering staff member said. City staff said a 50-foot extension of Cliffview would be required so the regulator parcel can meet the city’s frontage and zoning rules and to allow a lot split to occur.

Why it matters: the pipeline route crosses public parkland and runs beside a multiuse trail and private properties. Council members pressed staff for specifics on above-ground footprint, screening and resident impacts. “Fencing, landscaping, so forth yet to be determined. That’ll have to go through a review within itself once the lot split occurs,” an engineering staff member told council.

Residents’ access, compensation and public-records handling drew follow-up questions. Council member Schnitzer warned about the long-term limits utility easements can impose on nearby property owners and asked whether the city thought the offered compensation was adequate. Staff said property/easement valuations and a tree-impact evaluation were included in supplemental packet materials provided to council.

A point of legal sensitivity arose over whether supplemental agreements would be recorded with the county auditor’s office. “There was a desire for it to be not publicly accessible through the county auditor’s website and attached to the land. So they didn’t want it recorded,” a staff member from the city attorney’s office said, adding that the agreement would remain in the city council record and would be a public record for records requests. A council member cited state law language exempting recent infrastructure records from public records disclosure in some cases.

What council will do: staff said four separate ordinances are required—three easement agreements (permanent easement, perpetual access easement, temporary construction easement) and one ordinance to extend Cliffview to create frontage for the regulator lot. Council agreed to bring the items to first reading and consideration on the dates staff proposed. Staff said Columbia Gas will conduct resident communications through its communications team coordinated with the city, and that Columbia Gas will pay for the amended path access described in the package.

Council next steps and timeline: Council confirmed the items will be presented for first reading on April 7 and for consent consideration on April 20. Staff said the construction schedule, including how many crews will work and the precise start date, is still to be determined and will be included in right-of-way permitting and follow-up communications.

Ending: Staff told council they will provide clearer siting maps and additional screening/landscaping details during permitting and lot-split review. Staff also committed to providing resident-notification timelines once Columbia Gas finalizes construction sequencing.