Columbia Gas to replace key pipeline in Clintonville, Linden - The Columbus Dispatch
Columbia Gas to replace key pipeline in Clintonville, Linden
Major natural gas pipeline replacement project planned for Clintonville, Linden
Mark Williams
Columbia Gas of Ohio will start work this spring replacing a decades-old, major natural gas line that runs from Clintonville to North Linden, a key piece of infrastructure that brings gas to thousands of homes throughout central Ohio.
As part of the project, the natural gas distribution company is buying three parcels on West and East Weber Road in Clintonville.
The company will demolish the buildings − a four-unit apartment building at 204-210 W. Weber Rd., a vacant house at 476 E. Weber Rd., and a duplex at 480-482 E. Weber Rd. − on those parcels, worrying Clintonville residents who fear the work will take away from the neighborhood's appearance, eliminate affordable housing and drag down property values.
Columbia Gas executives say the project is needed for safety reasons and to comply with federal law. They have repeatedly promised to work with residents to make sure the lots they are using for what are called regulator stations will blend in with the neighborhood when finished.
"We want them to understand what the project is, where it's going to be, when it's going to be there, and hopefully have some patience with us while we do it because they are going to be inconvenienced for a while," said Vince Parisi, Columbia's president and chief operating officer. "We know that."
What is Columbia Gas doing?
Columbia Gas is replacing a 4.2-mile-chunk of 20-inch-diameter pipe that is under the street. It is part of a bigger line that extends from Upper Arlington to Gahanna.
The work is scheduled to begin in April and finish by the end of the year.
"It's our backbone of Columbus," Parisi said of the line, which serves more than a half-million homes in Columbus. "It's pretty critical."
The existing line that runs primarily along Weber Road from Clintonville to North Linden will be abandoned, according to the company. That line extends mostly from High Street to east of Cleveland Avenue.
In its place will be a new line that runs mostly south of the existing pipe, starting on Tulane Avenue west of High Street. The line moves east along several roads, crossing Cleveland Avenue and Joyce Avenue into Linden and finishes on Parkwood Avenue.
Columbia said it is not always possible to put a new line in the location of the old one. In some instances there isn't enough space in the area for workers and equipment.
Columbia has not said how much the project will cost.
There are 7,181 structures within 1,000 feet of the pipeline corridor route, according to the company.
David Vottero, outgoing chair of the Clintonville Area Commission, says he's been trying to alert residents in the neighborhood about the project and the potential for restrictions on traffic and parking during construction.
"It's going to be difficult living through it," he said.
In addition to the three parcels on Weber Road, Columbia is buying a vacant lot at 2552 Cleveland Ave. in Linden.
The parcels, along with one that Columbia already has at 466 E. Weber Rd., will be used for regulator stations, which are a series of pipes and valves used to control the pressure of the gas as it moves through the Columbia system and into homes and businesses.
Columbia has indicated that the Clintonville buildings will be demolished this spring as the project gets underway.
Why are Clintonville residents concerned?
Residents have a variety of concerns about the project, ranging from the appearance of the regulator stations to the project's impact on property values to environmental issues, Vottero said.
The route for the pipeline is filled with mature trees that have been part of the neighborhood since it was first platted, Vottero said.
A major concern is how the lots will look once the regulator stations are in place and their utilitarian structure, he said.
"We're hoping that they can do some things to fit better into the neighborhood," he said.
The lots should have fences, trees and pollinating flowers, he said. The fences should look like other fences in the neighborhood, he said.
"The gas company will have to be flexible as they can to make (the parcels) as park-like as possible," he said. "It might require them to do things they might not want to do."
Columbia officials say they are committed to working with residents as they have in other neighborhoods of the city where the company has had projects. The company has held several meetings with Clintonville residents on the project.
"We try to work with the community on what's important to them, and try to blend in as best we can the features they have in the community," said Luka Papalko, Columbia's public affairs manager.
The company has worked with affected residents to help them relocate, he said.
Clintonville resident Mitch Lindsay is concerned about the loss of affordable housing in a city where that is in short supply.
"Demolishing housing in the area is going to be affect people's ability to afford housing," he said. "It's going to be change the neighborhood in a bad way."
Lindsay said he doesn't believe the project can be stopped so the goal is to "mitigate the effect it will have on the neighborhood."
For now Columbia Gas is saying the right things and has promised to do the right thing and make the sites as attractive as possible, but he said he wonders who will hold Columbia accountable.
Why is the work being done?
Safety is a main reason for the project, in addition to compliance with federal law, according to Columbia Gas.
While functioning well, parts of the pipe are decades old.
"The reality is the pipe has to be replaced. It's time," Parisi said.
Also, new federal rules require companies such as Columbia to document the history of each part of the pipeline, he said.
Columbia Gas has some documentation, but not all of what's necessary, he said.
"Where we don't have it, we look at different ways of ultimately meeting this requirement," Parisi said. "For this vintage pipe, really the best way to meet it is to replace it."
@BizMarkWilliams