Chapter 3 — Campus Context

OSU-Newark is one of five regional campuses. The Newark campus occupies approximately 140 acres of land North West of down town Newark and is approximately 36 miles from The Ohio State University Columbus campus.Newark is located in Licking County, Ohio, approximately 35 miles Northeast of Columbus. Licking County is located in the central part of the state. Interstate Highway 70, U.S. 40 (National Road), and state routes 16 and 161 cross the county east and west, and U.S. Route 62 and State Routes 13, 30, 37, 79, 586, and 661 run North and South. The two major approaches to campus are Country Club Drive and Granville Road. The area bicycle trail runs directly through the campus allowing the community, access to any area of the campus. The City of Newark has enjoyed nine consecutive years of growth. This continued growth would positively influence the Newark campus population.Public transportation serves the campus from the surrounding area but is not the predominant form of transportation. Bus stops are located in front of the student housing area.

Surrounding Land Use

Surrounding land uses play an important part in impacting the future development of the campus. Change in land use has been significant since the campus was first chartered in 1956. Adjacent land use is predominantly residential with intermittent commercial use. Country Club Drive serves as the western boundary of the campus. Directly west of the central core of campus across Country Club Drive is single family residential housing. Southwest of campus the land use is primarily multi-family housing. The north side of campus is a mix of residential housing, and commercial, with the majority of the land being occupied by athletic facilities and parkland. Granville Road defines the eastern edge of campus, with some residential property adjacent to the South Meadow. The primary intersection near campus is Granville Road and Country Club Drive. Country Club Drive allows quick access to Route 16.Campus View Village, located on the north East Side of the campus on private land, offers housing to OUS and COTC students.

Community Use of the Campus

As in many regional campuses there is a desired relationship with the surrounding community. This campus appears to be perceived positively by the community. It is used for walking, theater, meetings, continuing education and art exhibits. The faculty also offers custom-designed courses for business, industry and professional development on location as well as at the campus.

Campus Entrances

The campus can be entered at five different locations. There are concerns expressed about the condition, quality, and safety of the existing entrances. There are three entrances from Country Club Drive. The most northern entrance presents dangerous vehicular conflicts because of poor visibility of oncoming traffic. To the southeast there is a secondary entrance from Granville Road. All entrances lack sufficient definition and signage, and need to work better with the internal circulation of the campus roadways and parking areas.

Campus Drive Circulation Issues

The existing vehicular circulation on campus is confusing and inefficient. The overall layout does not allow for smooth vehicular sequences from the entrances, to roadways, and then to the parking lots. The roadway in some areas winds through the parking lots encountering several conflicts with pedestrian circulation and parking. There are also several areas where both pedestrian and service area conflicts occur. The internal loop could be maintained outside the parking lots rather than run through them. Way-finding signage and a more developed layout of the vehicular circulation will provide a safer, more pleasant experience while visiting the campus.

Parking

The existing parking configuration locates the parking areas at the most distant points, away from the campus core. This seems to be inadequate and somewhat fragmented. All the lots are paved with asphalt. There are approximately 1,438 student spaces, 157 faculty spaces and a number of spaces for visitors, the physically challenged and short-term parking. The students often park in faculty spaces, pointing to the need for additional student parking. The internal circulation of the parking areas is confusing and not as safe as it might be,partially due to the perimeter loop running directly through most of the lots.

Service Access

There are four major service areas on campus. These service areas serve Founders, Hopewell, Lefevre, and Adena Hall. Founders Hall service area is easily accessible from the north entrance on Country Club Drive, however it does have some pedestrian circulation conflicts that need to be addressed. Hopewell Hall's service area is furthest off the loop road and has several issues. There are several pedestrian circulation conflicts, the proximity of the service road to Hopewell, and visibility of the service dock from Lefevre Hall are all potential issues to address. Lefevre Hall's service area seems to be a hangout for students who smoke and serves as a main entry/exit for students going to and from the parking lot. There are some pedestrian conflicts at the Adena Hall service area. The Adena Hall service area doesn't have adequate screening from the student residences and Sharon Valley Road, and affords minimal opportunities to screen views.

Signage

While each building has a sign and there is some directional signage on campus, signage guidelines could improve the overall image of campus. It is not always clear whether a building entrance is the main or secondary entry and signage could enhance this. Circulation could also be enhanced between the parking and building entrances with wayfinding signage.

Open Space

Athletic
There are few recreational opportunities for the students on campus. There are existing tennis courts in poor condition and in a bad location. The direction of the courts is east west and should be north south.

There is sand volleyball for the students. There is also some opportunity for soccer, though there is currently no clearly defined or marked playing field. Baseball and softball opportunities are available at some of the surrounding athletic areas and parks, but not on campus property. Additional opportunities could be provided to the students with organized activities and intramural sports. The athletic master plan done in 1999 will greatly enhance recreational opportunities.

Green Space

The central core of campus is open, green space with a small lake, outdoor theater and bell tower. This is a desirable but under used area on campus. Amenities could be added to promote congregation in the heart of campus and enhance opportunities around the existing pond. Providing an additional outdoor teaching space would integrate the outdoor spaces to the learning activities on campus and increase the use of the interior of campus.

The south meadow is currently an open field. This space is now a passive open area, but there is adequate opportunity for some development and other recreational activities.

Natural Elements

The natural features of the campus include a combination of gentle and steep slopes, woodlands, and wetland areas, as shown on the Natural Elements Map. The campus is fairly flat in topography and slopes from north to south. The detention pond that has developed into an enjoyable green space enhances the campus core. As the campus landscaping is added to it can enhance the appearance of the drainage channels and other areas of the campus. If the opportunity arises, overhead utilities should be relocated so natural views can be enhanced, and thereby improve the overall appearance of the campus.

Facilities

To be included in the next submittal.

 Chapter 1 — Introduction
 Chapter 2 — The Newark Campus
 Chapter 3 — Existing Conditions
 Chapter 4 — Goals and Objectives
 Chapter 5 — Alternatives
 Appendix A — Issues

[top]