Blueprint Columbus presents 60% design for Clintonville 3; residents press for maintenance, data and timelines

Columbus city staff and consultants presented the 60% design for the Blueprint Columbus Clintonville 3 neighborhood project at a public meeting Thursday at North Broadway United Methodist Church, outlining planned green infrastructure, sanitary lateral lining and a continued sump‑pump installation program while fielding residents’ concerns about maintenance, data and construction impacts.

The meeting, led by outreach communications specialist Cameron Kier and city project manager Jihan Al Kheri, described project changes since the 30% design: the Walhalla Ravine restoration reduced the number of required rain gardens in several subareas; roof‑water redirection was suspended for this area; bump‑outs and permeable pavers will not be used in Clintonville 3; and limited “gray” storm‑sewer upgrades were added in specific locations. City staff said sump‑pump installations began in 2022 and will continue through 2026, green‑infrastructure construction is scheduled to start in 2026, and lateral‑lining work is planned to begin in 2026 and continue through 2029.

Why it matters: Blueprint Columbus was launched after a consent order from the Ohio EPA requiring the city to reduce sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). The Clintonville 3 work aims to reduce basement backups for residents, cut pollutant loads delivered to the Olentangy River and avoid larger gray‑infrastructure tunneling by using neighborhood‑scale rain gardens, lateral lining and other measures.

Key details and timeline City staff said the Clintonville 3 project area spans parts of Clintonville and adjacent neighborhoods and covers roughly 18,000 acres of project zones across multiple subareas. The city presented a four‑pillar approach for neighborhoods: sanitary lateral lining, sump pumps, green infrastructure (rain gardens, bioretention basins and permeable pavement where used), and in some locations limited roof‑water redirection and targeted storm‑sewer upgrades.

Ji…