Confused in Columbus. Are people in the far north part of Columbus... Crosswoods, Worthington Woods, Polaris area, those neighborhoods north of the brewery and 270 confused where they live?
The "Far North" is the area that the Columbus Planning Division describes:
"The Far North planning area is a diverse and preferred residential area of Columbus that is supported by commercial and industrial uses. The planning area is generally bounded by: Powell Road on the north, Interstate 270 on the south, Worthington Road and Interstate 71 on the east, and the Olentangy River on the west."
That would include Wynstone, Olentangy Glade and a couple of other neighborhoods along Old State Rd. just west of the J.P. Morgan Chase building too.
The 1994 Far North Plan says:
PLANNING ISSUE: IMPROVEMENT IN POSTAL SERVICE
The Far North planning area is served by several branch post office facilities and five different Zip Codes: Worthington (43085); Westerville (43081); Northwest Columbus (43234 and 43235); and Polaris (43240). Therefore, the mailing addresses for the residents of the planning area are extremely diversified. There is a perception in the community that the diversification in mailing addressess creates confusion and an identity problem for the area. It has been noted that residents of the planning area are confused concerning where they live: Columbus, Worthington, Westerville, or Polaris. Consequently, residents do not know where to phone for police and fire protection in emergency situations. There is also jurisdictional confusion regarding road maintenance, sanitation, and other similar services.
I did work with one young couple who lived in this part of Columbus who thought they lived in Westerville because their mailing address was Westerville. He also was sure they were in the Westerville School District at their apartment (it is in the Worthington School District) luckily they had no children. Yes, you have a Westerville address, you are in the Worthington City School Disctrict but YOU are a Columbus resident.
Another couple I sold a home in Worthington Highlands years ago surprised me. They thought of downtown Westerville as "their downtown" not downtown Worthington as I'd assumed they would.
Maybe it does confuse some residents of the Far North area of Columbus. There are lotsa ZIPS in that small area. Some examples:
Worthington 43085 Villages at Worthington, Worthington Trace, Worthington Park, Worthington Woods
Westerville 43081 Worthington Highlands, Cambridge Place, Oxford Place
Northwest Columbus 43234 that's a mystery!
Northwest Columbus 43235 Northwoods, The Woods at the Josephinum, Olentangy Highbluffs
Polaris 43240 Village at Polaris Park
Lewis Center 43035 Wynstone, Olentangy Glade
The 1994 recommendation for postal service has NOT come true by 2008. In fact the Lewis Center ZIP code was added into the mix since the Far North Plan was published in 1994.
RECOMMENDATION
· Consolidate the postal services for the planning area under one branch post office facility and one zip
code. The post office facility should be located within the boundaries of the planning area .
I did not know a city could decide where ZIP codes I guess I thought that was totally up to the US Postal Service.
Compliments of Maureen McCabe Real Living HER Worthington
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