Real or Rumor: Is Olive Garden or Longhorn coming to Marysville? Chick-fil-A greenlit to break ground.
Give us a few moments and we'll serve up what matters in Marysville on Monday, July 14, 2025
In this edition, sponsored by Weeks Plumbing:
Chick-fil-A has the conditional green light to move dirt, but when will they?
Real or Rumor? Is Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse coming to 43040?
County Auditor Andrea Weaver is addressing property tax myths
Gas prices continue to trend above the state average here in Marysville
And a check on fire/EMS runs in the first half of 2025
But first, a word from our sponsor
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Chick-fil-A construction imminent
Backers of the proposed Marysville Chick-fil-A at 1000 Delaware Avenue have the green light to begin laying the foundation at the store’s proposed location at 1000 Delaware Avenue.
The County Building Office has conditionally signed off on the building plans for the much-anticipated restaurant, which will include new construction of a restaurant with drive-through service, patio dining, an indoor playground, and an attached canopy.
The builder received phased approval to begin the foundation work in June. And recently, the backers of the project have worked with the city on signage.
We have no firm date on when construction might start, but it appears the necessary approvals by the city and county officials have cleared important hurdles.
Real or Rumor? Is Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse coming to Marysville?
Social media channels were abuzz over the weekend about whether or not Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse might be coming to town.
It started with a social media post making the claim based on a real estate brochure marketed by Goodman Real Estate Group.
While there is nothing in writing confirming the claim, the brochure labeled a future site of the proposed Marysville East development on the north side of US 36 might include the duo of restaurants owned by the Darden Restaurant Chain.
A zoom in on the commercial mixed-use development promotes available commercial space on the lots facing US 36 reveals the two potential restaurants sitting on the roadside front of the development.
The brochure markets 6 available commercial spaces, along with a 7,800 square foot Olive Garden and a 5,700 square foot Longhorn building on a lot adjacent to the existing TSC Store.
The Darden Restaurant group is on the upswing from a business standpoint, growing 19% so far this year based on published reports about the company's financial performance.
So, is it real or rumor?
To date, we're not aware of any scheduled hearings for the potential sites, but the marketing brochure lends a level of credibility to the potential of the popular chains coming to town.
But…
I was told by reliable sources over the weekend that at least one of the two Darden-chain restaurants is very likely, but whether it happens is contingent on a bevy of approvals.
Residents have clamored on social media channels for an Italian restaurant, and Olive Garden would be a popular choice.
The developer has stated a desire to have 2 or 3 sit-down restaurants on this site and have committed to Marysville City Council not to focus on fast food facilities. It’s very likely that at least 2 of the outparcels will be sit-down restaurants.
We'll keep you posted.
CSX to temporarily close Scottslawn crossing
One of the options to maneuver around the Coleman's Crossing detour to access Marysville from the south will be temporarily shut down this week.
CSX has notified the city that it is going to shut the Scottslawn road rail crossing down for 3 to 5 days this week for essential maintenance. It was closed over the weekend according to social media posts.
While shock absorbers of many motorists will hopefully be served by this work, it eliminates the ability to cut across from Industrial Parkway to Weaver Road and SR 736 to access the south and west sides of Marysville from Industrial Parkway.
Work continues on the Coleman's Crossing roundabout, which officials hope to have completed by the end of summer. That project was delayed until June to avoid impacting traffic during the school year.
High-speed flight convictions resulting in state law change
The conviction and sentencing of a man involved in a Union County high-speed pursuit is an example of the need driving a recent change in state law.
That's according to a recent post from Union County Prosecuting Attorney David Phillips’ office.
24-year-old Kayden Baldridge led authorities on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour on US 33 back on November 30, 2024. The chase started in Union County and was called off by authorities due to safety concerns.
Baldridge was eventually tracked down by authorities and was indicted by the Union County Grand Jury.
He was later arrested following another high-speed pursuit that extended through Logan, Champaign, and Clark Counties.
Judge Steven Beathard sentenced Baldridge to four years in prison and imposed a ten-year driver’s license suspension, according to Prosecutor Phillips.
"In response to cases like this, the Ohio General Assembly has increased the potential penalty for fleeing from law enforcement to a maximum of five years in prison," Phillips posted on his office's Facebook page. "Running from the police is not only a crime—it’s a danger to everyone on the road. And as Kayden Baldridge now knows, it carries serious consequences."
County Auditor attempts to address myths on property tax repeal
Union County Auditor Andrea Weaver is regarded as one of the better-informed experts on Ohio property tax matters.
She has appeared at events across the state and has lobbied the General Assembly in person for property tax reform to help residents who are struggling with increasing taxes.
Her office is also in the process of updating property tax valuations under a process determined by the state of Ohio. Union County residents are anticipating increases in property taxes when then new values are finalized later this year.
Weaver posted the following information last week on her social media channels regarding property taxes:
Myth: “No one pays the same for services and schools.”
Fact: Property taxes are calculated as Property Value X millage (tax) rate = gross tax. Ohio law requires uniformity, meaning all taxpayers in a tax district pay the same tax rate. However, homes have different values, so a $250k home pays less than a $300k home, but the millage rate is identical for both.
Myth: “Taxes leave people homeless.”
Fact: Suggesting property tax alone causes homelessness is an oversimplification. Any expense increase—gas, food, medical costs—will impact a homeowner’s budget. Blaming only property tax for financial hardship is misleading and inflammatory.
Myth: “What you pay is based on speculation.”
Fact: Property valuation in the U.S. uses three defined methods: market (recent sale price), income (for income-generating properties), and cost (new construction). In Ohio, residential properties are taxed at their market value, determined by valid, recent sales, not speculation. Home values are updated every 3 years by County Auditors so as to capture market activity and ensure that values mirror the market. This is Ohio law.
Myth: “The system is so confusing that some think taxes are hidden in rent.”
Fact: Landlords often pass on increased operating costs, including property taxes, to tenants to maintain their profit margins. Claiming that renters are unaware of this is misleading.
Agreement to protect Boerger and Southard Roads
The developer for the Hickory Woods project on Boerger Road has agreed with the County to reimburse taxpayers for any damage to county roads by construction equipment.
Under an agreement signed and approved by the Union County Commissioners last Wednesday, the developer has agreed to reduce heavy loads by 15% and has agreed to contribute $210,000 toward the repair or maintenance of roadways impacted by the project.
Both Boerger Road and Southard Road are managed by the County.
The project is under review by Marysville City Council.
Tonight, Council has a public hearing scheduled to take comments on the project.
City Council is also expected to again table legislation regarding the annexation and zoning of 300 acres along Watkins Road, intended as an addition to the Marysville East industrial park. Developers have been working with concerned residents to align on concessions regarding the impact of future use of the land on their neighboring properties, which are adjacent to the land in question.
Council meets tonight at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall.
Marysville gas prices continue to trend above state average
The lowest price for gas in the state of Ohio, coming out of the weekend, was $2.39 sold at several stations in the Toledo and Columbus area.
The statewide average was trending down at $3.04 per GasBuddy.com.
Walmart had the lowest price in Marysville on Sunday afternoon at $3.02. Most other locations in town were selling regular gas anywhere from $3.12 to $3.20, with the uptown Marathon was selling at the highest price in town at $3.20
Note: I paid $3.09 on the south side of Chicago on Sunday afternoon.
MFD 2025 runs are tracking ahead of last year's totals
Marysville Fire Division logged 2,642 total runs in the first 6 months of 2025. That's about 54.4% of total runs recorded last year, when the department logged a total of 4,853 runs in 2024.
That's according to the monthly data published by the Fire Division on its Facebook page.
So far in 2025, 651 fire runs have been recorded, and 1,991 EMS runs have been tracked. The EMS runs are about 53.7% ahead of last year’s total. Fire runs are 57% ahead of 2024's total at the halfway mark.
If the trend continues, the Division could top last year’s activity.
In June, the department logged 6 fire calls, 44 EMS runs, and 38 false alarm responses. And crews logged 1,043 hours of training last month.
Thanks for reading Marysville Matters!
Folks in town are hungry for information about restaurants coming to town. I’m excited about DQ re-opening in the coming days. Many are crazy for updates on Chick-fil-A. And not a single person I know of wants to see another fast-food chain.
I’m interested in what restaurants you’d like to see come to Marysville. My personal top request: Bibibop. What say you? Drop me a note at joedcase@gmail.com
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Have a great Monday!!
-Joe C.