Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV25-115
APPLICANT: Tenby Development LLC; c/o Molly Gwin, Atty.; 250 West Street, Suite 700; Columbus, OH 43215.
PROPOSED USE: Light industrial uses.
FAR EAST AREA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The site consists of one parcel developed with an existing big-box retail store in the RAC, Regional Activity Center District. The requested Council variance will allow the site to be redeveloped with up to 144,000 square feet of light industrial uses. A Council variance is required because the RAC district only allows up to 10,000 square feet of artisan manufacturing uses, while the applicant proposes limited industrial uses including storage, distribution, and wholesaling. The site is located within the boundaries of the Columbus Growth Strategy (2026), which recommends “Mixed Use 2” land uses at this location. Staff supports the requested use which includes a mix of industrial and office uses while utilizing the existing development site, and notes that the building elevations and landscape plan are also consistent with the Columbus Growth Strategy’s mixed use design guidelines.
Title
To grant a Variance from the provisions of Sections 34.E.20.100.A, Uses, Use Table; 34.E.90.090.C, Regional Activity Center (RAC), Building Placement; 34.E.90.090.F, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), Facade; 34.E.20.090.G, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), On-Site Parking; and 34.F.040.030.A.1.a, Procedures for Large Sites, Site Plan for Large Development Sites, of the Columbus City Codes; for the property located at 2675 BRICE RD. (43232), to allow light industrial uses with reduced development standards in the RAC, Regional Activity Center District (Council Variance #CV25-115).
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WHEREAS, by application #CV25-115, the owner of the property at 2675 BRICE RD. (43232), is requesting a Council variance to allow light industrial uses with reduced development standards in the RAC, Regional Activity Center District; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.100, Uses, Use Table, does not allow for industrial uses other than up to 10,000 square feet of artisan manufacturing, while the applicant proposes up to 144,000 square feet of light industrial uses; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.90.090.C, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), Building placement, allows a maximum building setback of 30 feet with a minimum length of 70 percent of the buildings located within the required facade zone, while the applicant proposes a maximum building setback of 52± feet with zero percent of the proposed buildings located within the required facade zone; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.90.090.F, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), Façade, requires a minimum of 60 percent transparency of non-residential ground floor façade for front streets, and 25 percent for side streets , while the applicant proposes reduced front transparency of 53.6 percent for Parcel 1, and 28.6 percent for Parcels 2 and 3, and reduced side street transparency to zero percent; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.090.G, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), On-Site Parking, does not allow parking or circulation aisles to be located between the principal building and adjacent streets, while the applicant proposes two rows of parking between the primary building and Chantry Drive and one row of parking between the primary building and Brice Road; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.F.40.030.A.1.a, Procedures for Large Sites, Site Plan for Large Development Sites, requires that sites with more than 500 feet of frontage provide a break in the street frontage with open space, plazas, or pedestrian access areas, while the applicant proposes to provide no break in the street frontage of Parcel 1 as the site is developed with existing access points; and
WHEREAS, the Far East Area Commission recommends approval; and
WHEREAS, the City Departments recommend approval because the requested use as it is consistent with the “Mixed Use 3” land use recommendation of the Columbus Growth Strategy, which includes a mix of industrial and office uses while utilizing an existing development site and does not introduce incompatible uses to the area; and
WHEREAS, said ordinance requires separate submission for all applicable permits and a Certificate of Occupancy for the proposed uses; and
WHEREAS, said variances will not adversely affect the surrounding property or surrounding neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, the granting of said variances will not impair an adequate supply of light and air to the adjacent property, unreasonably increase the congestion of public streets, increase the danger of fires, endanger the public safety, unreasonably diminish or impair established property values within the surrounding area, or in any other respect impair the public health, safety, comfort, morals or welfare of the inhabitants of the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the granting of said variance will alleviate the difficulties encountered by the owner of the property located at 2675 BRICE RD. (43232), in using said property as desired; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That a variance from the provisions of Sections 34.E.20.100, Uses, Use Table; 34.E.90.090.C, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), Building Placement; 34.E.90.090.F, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), Façade; 34.E.20.090.G, Regional Activity Center, (RAC), On-Site Parking; and 34.F.040.030.A.1.a; Procedures for Large Sites, Site Plan for Large Development Sites, of the Columbus City Codes; is hereby granted for the property located at 2675 BRICE RD. (43232), insofar as said sections prohibit light industrial uses in the RAC, Regional Activity Center District, with an increased building setback from 30 feet to a maximum of 52± feet, with zero percent of the proposed building located within the façade zone; a reduced façade transparency for front streets from 60 percent to 53.6 percent for Parcel 1, and 28.6 percent for Parcels 2 and 3, and reduced side street transparency to zero percent; two rows of parking between the primary building and Chantry Drive and one row of parking between the primary building and Brice Road; and no breaks in the street frontage of Parcel 1 with open space, plazas, or pedestrian access areas; said property being more particularly described as follows:
2675 BRICE RD. (43232), being 31.52± acres at the southwest corner of Brice Road and Scarborough Boulevard, and being more particularly described as follows:
Situated in the City of Columbus, County of Franklin, and State of Ohio, Half Section 45, Township 12. Range 21 of the Refugee Lands, and being part of a 31.567 acre parcel of land conveyed to Franklin Progressive Assets, LTD, an Ohio Limited Liability Company, as recorded by Instrument Number 201111230153491, all references being to the Franklin County Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio, and being bounded and more particularly described as follows:
Being a parcel of land lying on the north side of the centerline of existing right-of-way of Chantry Drive, being located within the following described points in the boundary thereof;
Beginning, for reference, at a 5/8'' iron pin found with an unreadable cap in the existing northerly right-of-way line of said Chantry Drive, as shown in Dedication of Scarborough Boulevard, Chantry Drive, Park Crescent, Alshirc Road and Easements, as recorded in Plat Book 46, Page 52 of the records of Franklin County Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio being 40.00 feet left of Station 36+40.16 in said centerline;
Thence along said northerly line with a curve to the right having a radius of 960.00 feet, a central angle of 6° 39' 13", an arc length of 111.48 feet, a chord bearing North 88° 58' 30" West, and a chord distance of 111.42 feet to a point 40.00 feet left. of Station 35+24.03 in said centerline;
Thence continuing along said northerly line North 85° 38' 54"' West a distance of 9.37 fret to a 5/8" iron pin found with an unreadable cap, said pin being at the Grantors southeast corner, also
Being the southwest corner of a 1.507 acres parcel of land conveyed to Franklin Progressive Assets II, LLC, and Ohio Limited Liability Company, as recorder by Instrument Number 202109020156662, being 40.00 feet left of Station 35+14.66 in said centerline, and being the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING for the parcel herein described;
Thence along said northerly line and the Grantor’s southerly line the following two courses:
1. North 80 degrees 38’ 54” West a distance of 1,135.58 feet to a point 40.00 feet left of station 23+79.08 in said centerline, witnessed by a 5/8” iron pin found with an unreadable cap, said pin being North 7 degrees 16’ 05” east a distance of 1.17 feet from said point’=;
2. With a curve to the right having a radius of 35.00 feet, a central angle of 19 degrees 27’ 57”, an arc length of 11.89 feet, a chord bearing North 75 degrees 55’ 06” west, and a chord distance of 11.83 feet to an iron pin set 42.00 feet left of Station 23+67.42 in said centerline;
Thence crossing the Grantor’s tract along a new line south 85 degrees 38’54” east a distance of 1,147.25 feet to an iron pin set in the Grantor’s easterly line, and westerly line of said 1.507 acre tract being 42.00 feet left of station 35+14.67;
Thence along said Grantor’s line south 4 degrees 35’ 39” west a distance of 2.00 feet to the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING, containing 0.052 acres, of which the present road occupies 0.000 acres.
Of the above described tract 0.052 acres, including 0.000 acres of present road occupied, is located in the Auditor’s Parcel Number 010-198708.
The bearings for this description are based on Grid North, of the Ohio State Plane Coordinante System, South Zone, NAD83 (2011) as determined by GNSS measurements tied to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Real Time
Address: 2675 Brice Road, Columbus, OH 43232
Parcel Number: 010-198708
SECTION 2. That this ordinance is conditioned on and shall remain in effect only for so long as said property is used for the light industrial uses noted in Section 4, or those uses allowed in the RAC, Regional Activity Center District.
SECTION 3. That this ordinance is further conditioned on the subject site being developed in general conformance with the site plans titled, "SITE PLAN C100", “LANDSCAPE PLAN L100", “LANDSCAPE PLAN L101", “LANDSCAPE PLAN L102", and “LANDSCAPE DETAILS L500", and building elevations titled, “ELEVATIONS 1", and “ELEVATIONS 2", all dated July 28, 2026, and signed by Molly Gwin, Attorney for the Applicant. The plans may be slightly adjusted to reflect engineering, topographical, or other site data developed at the time of the development and when engineering and architectural drawings are completed. Any slight adjustments to the plans shall be subject to review and approval by the Director of the Department Building and Zoning Services, or a designee, upon submission of the appropriate data regarding the proposed adjustment.
SECTION 4. That this ordinance is further conditioned upon the following approved light industrial uses:
1. Warehouses, storages in bulk for clothing, cotton, drugs, dry goods, feed, food. fuel, furniture, hardware, ice machinery, metals, paint, paint materials, pipe, rubber, shop supplies, soil stabilizer, tobacco, wool, wholesaling or distributing establishments, and warehouse or wholesale markets.
2. Heavy manufacturing including refining, processing, or use of natural shall be prohibited, as will all uses listed in Columbus City Code sections 3363.09-3363.15 and 3365.09-3365.15.
SECTION 5. That this ordinance is further conditioned upon the applicant obtaining all applicable permits certificates of occupancy for the proposed uses.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.