‘Clean zones’ approved for Women’s Final Four

Columbus City Council approved “clean zones” for the area around Nationwide Arena during the NCAA Women’s Final Four, which begins next month.

The 4.5-square-mile area will be in place during the culmination of the women’s basketball tournament from March 27 to April 1. The NCAA requires Final Four host cities to establish these zones to protect NCAA trademarks and stop competitors of the Final Four’s sponsors from marketing nearby.

Councilwoman Jaiza Page, who co-sponsored the legislation, said this gives the NCAA the ability to protect its brands from those selling counterfeit goods. “You can’t market someone else’s items,” Page said.

The boundaries will generally be Goodale Park to the north, Huntington Park and Bicentennial Park to the west, the Southern Theatre to the south and Columbus Commons to the east.

Anyone that wants to open up a stand selling concessions, T-shirts or other paraphernalia within that area must first obtain a city permit. Also, existing businesses will be required to get a permit if they are marketing their business or special items as part of the event. The application fee is $10. Violating the new rules will be a third-degree misdemeanor.

Council members also received an earful from a resident still upset about the city’s snow-removal efforts last week, when morning rush-hour snow on Wednesday — up to nearly 5 inches depending on where you were — made for a long slog for commuters.

Bruce Hoefler of the Hilltop was upset that Mayor Andrew J. Ginther gave his crews good marks for their efforts.

“There is no reason why we should have (Route) 315 one lane,” Hoefler said; the city takes care of Route 315, plus other major roads such as Routes 33 and 104. He also said it appeared West Broad Street had not been touched.

“We need to have some oversight,” he said.

Jennifer Gallagher, the city’s public service director, said all the priority one and two streets and roads were hit within 24 hours of the storm. She said a broken-down truck on 315 not only blocked traffic but kept plows from getting there.

She asked people to contact the city’s 311 system if they see problems.

Council also approved $75,000 for the Community Shelter Board to support the Moms2Be program, which works to reduce infant mortality in Columbus by trying to keep mothers and their children in safe housing, among other measures. Pregnant women who are homeless are more likely to have inadequate prenatal care, experts say.