Explanation
Rezoning Application Z25-036
APPLICANT: Doug Scholl; c/o Matthew E. Moberg, Atty.; 41 South High Street, Suite 2800-3100; Columbus, OH 43215.
PROPOSED USE: Hospital and accessory uses.
DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval (4-0-1) on February 12, 2026.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The site consists of one parcel developed with an office campus in the CPD, Commercial Planned Development District. This requested CPD, Commercial Planned Development District includes an updated development text that allows the existing buildings to be re-purposed with hospital and associated accessory uses. The CPD text establishes appropriate use restrictions and includes supplemental development standards addressing building and parking setbacks, building height, lot coverage, vehicle parking, landscaping and screening, building design, and lighting. The requested CPD district will allow uses that are consistent with the Columbus Growth Strategy’s (2026) recommendation for “Business & Institutional Campus” land uses at this location.
Title
To rezone 4860-4900 E. DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD. (43081), being 24.71± acres located on the north side of East Dublin-Granville Road; at the northern terminus of Old Hamilton Road, From: CPD, Commercial Planned Development District, To: CPD, Commercial Planned Development District (Rezoning #Z25-036).
Body
WHEREAS, application #Z25-036 is on file with the Department of Building and Zoning Services requesting rezoning of 24.71± acres from CPD, Commercial Planned Development District, to CPD, Commercial Planned Development District; and
WHEREAS, the Development Commission recommends approval of said zoning change; and
WHEREAS, the City Departments recommend approval of said zoning change because the requested CPD, Commercial Planned Development District allows uses that are consistent with the Columbus Growth Strategy’s recommendation of “Business & Institutional Campus” land uses at this location; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Official Zoning Map of the City of Columbus, as adopted by Ordinance No. 0179 -03, passed February 24, 2003, and as subsequently amended, is hereby revised by changing the zoning of the property as follows:
4860-4900 E. DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD. (43081), being 24.71± acres located on the north side of East Dublin-Granville Road; at the northern terminus of Old Hamilton Road, and being more particularly described as follows:
Situated in the State of Ohio, County of Franklin, City of Columbus, lying in Quarter Township 3, Township 2, Range 16, United States Military Lands, and being all of the remainder of that 25.564 acre tract conveyed to Hamilton Crossing BL LLC by deed of record in Instrument Number 201609130123395 (all references are to the records of the Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio) and being more particularly described as follows:
Beginning, for reference, at Franklin County Geodetic Survey monument number FCGS 8816 found at the centerline intersection of Dublin-Granville Road with Old Hamilton Road (County Road 103), as depicted on Plat Book 122, Page 85, being the southerly common corner of said 25.564 acre tract and that 16.880 acre tract conveyed as Parcel 12-WL to State of Ohio by document of record in Deed Book 3738, Page 298, and being in the line common to said Quarter Township 3 and Quarter Township 4, Township 2, Range 17;
Thence North 03° 50' 37" East, with the line common to said 25.564 and 16.880 acre tracts, said common Quarter Township line, a distance of 45.01 feet to an iron pin set at an angle point in the northerly right-of-way line of Dublin-Granville Road, as dedicated in Plat Book 122, Page 85, the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING;
Thence North 03° 50' 37" East, continuing with the line common to said 25.564 and 16.880 acre tracts, said common Quarter Township line, a distance of 566.24 feet to an iron pin set in the southerly limited access right-of-way line of Relocated State Route 161, as depicted on State of Ohio Department of Transportation Plan FRA-161-16.75/LIC-161-0.00, being the southwesterly corner of that 31.729 acre tract conveyed as Parcel 13WL to State of Ohio by document of record in Official Record 25998B20;
Thence North 66° 48' 43" East, with said southerly limited access right-of-way line, the
line common to said 25.564 and 31.729 acre tracts, a distance of 678.43 feet to an iron pin set;
Thence North 67° 17' 20" East, continuing with said southerly limited access right-of-way line, said common line, a distance of 441.03 feet to an iron pin set at the northwesterly corner of the remainder of that 55.460 acre tract conveyed to Hamilton Crossing LLC by deeds of record in Instrument Numbers 201510300154503 and 201602110017560;
Thence South 38° 51' 57" East, with the line common to said 25.564 acre tract and the remainder of said 55.460 acre tract, a distance of 755.64 feet to an iron pin set in the northerly right-of-way line of said Dublin-Granville Road;
Thence with said northerly right-of-way line, the following courses and distances: South 50° 22' 13" West, a distance of 126.59 feet to an iron pin set;
North 77° 39' 38" West, a distance of 25.35 feet to an iron pin set;
South 43° 02’ 58" West, a distance of 35.06 feet to an iron pin set;
South 50° 22’ 13" West, a distance of 93.61 feet to an iron pin set;
South 11° 45 06" West, a distance of 24.83 feet to an iron pin set;
South 50° 22' 13" West, a distance of 265.99 feet to an iron pin set at a point of curvature;
With the arc of a curve to the right, having a central angle of 42° 31’ 31", a radius of 460.50 feet, an arc length of 341.79 feet, a chord bearing of South 71° 37’ 59" West and chord distance of 333.99 feet to an iron pin set;
North 87° 06' 16" West, a distance of 705.71 feet to an iron pin set;
North 00° 11' 23" West, a distance of 5.50 feet to an iron pin set; and
North 87° 06' 16" west, a distance of 92.68 feet to the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING, containing 24.711 acres, more or less.
Subject, however, to all legal rights-of-way and/or easements, if any, of previous record.
To Rezone From: CPD, Commercial Planned Development District,
To: CPD, Commercial Planned Development District.
SECTION 2. That a Height District of two-hundred (200) feet is hereby established on the CPD, Commercial Planned Development District on this property.
SECTION 3. That the Director of the Department of Building and Zoning Services be, and is hereby authorized and directed to make the said change on the said official zoning map and shall register a copy of the approved CPD, Commercial Planned Development District and Application among the records of the Department of Building and Zoning Services as required by Section 3311.12 of the Columbus City Codes; said site plan being titled, “OHIOHEALTH CORPORATION 4900 E. DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD SITE EXHIBIT,” dated September 16, 2025, and signed by Nicholas A. Ovens, Engineer for the Applicant, and text titled, “DEVELOPMENT TEXT,” dated February 11, 2026, signed by Matthew E. Moberg, Attorney for the Applicant, and the text reading as follows:
DEVELOPMENT TEXT
EXISTING ZONING: CPD, Commercial Planned Development District
PROPOSED ZONING: CPD, Commercial Planned Development District
PROPERTY ADDRESS: 4860-4900 E Dublin Granville Rd., Westerville, OH 43081
PARCEL ID: 010-296247
APPLICANT: OhioHealth Corporation
OWNER: OhioHealth Corporation
DATE OF TEXT: 2/11/2026
APPLICATION NUMBER: Z25-036
1. INTRODUCTION: The real property that is the subject of this zoning text consists of 24.711 acres located on south side of the State Route 161 Expressway in the vicinity of the Hamilton Road interchange, in the original Subarea A of ORD# 1758-2015 (all portions of this subarea that are located to the north and/or west of the centerline of the gas line easement that runs through this subarea), specifically parcel number 010-296247 in the Franklin County Auditor records. The site plan entitled “OHIOHEALTH CORPORATION 4900 E. DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD SITE EXHIBT,” signed by Nicholas A. Ovens with EMH&T, and dated September 16, 2025, is incorporated into this zoning for the purposes of schematically showing the Subject Property, the parking and building setbacks and the height districts.
2. PERMITTED USES: All uses permitted by Columbus City Codes Sections 3351.03, 3353.03, 3355.03, 3356.03, and 3389.08 by applicable special permit, including all office use, hotel use, food service, parking lots and garages and all other uses listed in the Columbus City Codes as being permitted in the C-4 zoning district, provided that:
A. Each use permitted by this Section 2 is a medical- or health-related use or a use oriented primarily towards providing for the convenience or comfort of related staff and/or clientele, including but not limited to administrative and other support functions.
B. Use of the property is not one of the following Prohibited Uses:
1) Billboards and other off-premises signs (§3378.03(A))
2)Bars, Cabarets and Nightclubs
3) Monopole telecommunication antennas or other free-standing towers containing communications equipment (but excluding communications equipment or antennae that are permitted on buildings per Columbus City Code).
4) Dance hall
5) Electric substation
6) Funeral parlor
7) Motor bus terminal, excepting therefrom public transit park and ride and station facilities
8) Motion picture theater
9) Pawn Shop or Pawn Brokers
10) Poolroom
11) Private club
12) Free-standing automobile repair shops conducting engine or body repair provided, however, free-standing automobile repair shops which conduct only routine maintenance shall be permitted.
13) Check cashing and loans
14) Animal Shelter
15) Halfway House
16) Missions/Temporary Shelters
17) Motorcycle, Boat, and Other Motor Vehicle Dealers (not including new car dealers)
18) Truck, Utility Trailer, and RV (Recreational Vehicle) Sales, Rental and Leasing
19) Used automobile sales, unless associated with a new automobile dealership
20) An adult entertainment establishment and/or an adult store
3. DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS: The applicable development standards are contained in Chapter 3356 (C-4 Commercial) of the Columbus City Code unless otherwise indicated within this text.
A. Density, Height, Lot and/or Setback Commitments:
1) Setbacks:
a) The minimum setback from the right-of-way for the State Route 161 Expressway shall be 40 feet for parking and maneuvering areas and for buildings.
b) The minimum setback from the right-of-way for East Dublin-Granville Road shall be 20 feet for parking and maneuvering areas and for buildings.
c) The minimum setback from the western boundary line shall be 25 feet for parking and maneuvering areas and buildings.
d) There shall be a zero setback for interior property lines for parking and maneuvering and buildings.
e) Building overhangs, stoops, steps, patios, and other architectural features shall be permitted to encroach no more than 5 feet into minimum required building setbacks.
f) There shall be a zero setback requirement for landscape features such as, but not limited to, planters or walls 6 feet high or less, or ornamental fencing, which may or may not contain signage as permitted by Article 15, Graphics Code of the City of Columbus.
2) Height District: The height district for the subject property shall be 200 feet, however, buildings shall not exceed 110 feet in height.
3) Lot Coverage: For structures and paved areas lot coverage shall not exceed eighty percent (80%). Internal sidewalks and bikeways shall not be considered as part of the lot coverage.
B. Access, Loading, Parking and/or Traffic Related Commitments:
1) There is a total of 39.5 feet of right-of-way measured from the centerline of East Dublin-Granville Road dedicated to the City of Columbus.
2) The minimum and maximum parking spaces to be provided for each use shall comply with Section 3312.49 of the Columbus City Code, except that Acute, Ambulatory, and Medical Care Uses shall have no limitation on the maximum number of parking spaces that are permitted.
C. Buffering, Landscaping, Open Space, and/or Screening Commitments:
1) Landscaping within these areas shall be adequate to meet the screening requirements of City Code Section 3312.21, where applicable.
2) A street tree row shall be maintained within all publicly dedicated rights-of-way containing 1 tree for every 30¬40 feet of street frontage. The spacing and species of street trees shall be subject to the approval of the City of Columbus Forester. Minimum street tree size at installation shall be 2 1/2 caliper inches.
3) Dumpsters and mechanical equipment shall be fully screened from off-site view by a solid wall or fence consisting of materials that are used on the nearest structure that is served by the relevant dumpster or mechanical equipment.
4) Parkland, green or open space requirements shall be fulfilled by the open/green space L-R zoning classification labeled as 9-A and 9-B in case Z05-054 approved by the Columbus City Council on July 23, 2007.
D. Building design and/or Interior-Exterior treatment commitments:
1) Permitted primary building materials shall include and shall be limited to the following (either alone or in some combination): brick, brick veneer, stone, stone veneer, metal, fiber cement siding or comparable material, wood, and/or glass. Nothing herein shall prohibit the use of the aforementioned materials or other materials as secondary or trim materials.
2) Any side of a building which is visible from a public street, right-of-way, or green shall have a finished appearance and shall be of compatible materials, color, trim, and style as the front facade of the building.
E. Dumpsters, Lighting, Outdoor Display Areas and/or Environmental Commitments:
1) Direct lighting fixtures for a ground sign shall be shielded with landscaping and shall be positioned in a manner that prevents glare.
2) The maximum height of light poles shall not exceed 39 feet in height, except that (i) light poles on outparcels with frontage on a public street and (ii) light poles located within 100 feet of property with a residential zoning classification shall not exceed 18 feet in height.
3) Rear service area lighting shall be provided through the use of cut-off style downlighting with concealed light sources.
F. Graphics and Signage Commitments:
Graphics on the Site will comply with the Graphics Code, Article 15, Title 33 of the Columbus City Code as it applies to the C-4, Commercial District. Variances to sign requirements shall be submitted to the Columbus Graphics Commission or master graphic plan for the Site may be submitted to the Columbus Graphics Commission for consideration. All signage and graphics shall conform to the requirements of the Regional Commercial Overlay as specified below unless otherwise approved by the Graphics Commission.
1) Standards for ground signs for commercially zoned parcels equal to or greater than five acres, the following standards shall apply:
a) Single-tenant buildings.
(i)The sign shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the right-of-way.
(ii)The sign height shall not exceed 20 feet.
(iii)The overall sign area shall not exceed 160 square feet with the graphic area not to exceed 80 square feet.
b) Multi-tenant buildings.
(i)The sign shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the right-of-way.
(ii)The sign height shall not exceed 30 feet.
(iii)The overall sign area shall not exceed 320 square feet with the graphic area not to exceed 160 square feet.
2) General Standards for all Ground Signs
a) The sign base shall be between 18 inches to 36 inches in height and as long and wide as the sign structure itself.
b) The sign base shall be landscaped with either low shrubs or perennial plantings for a minimum two feet perimeter around the sign base.
c) The sign base shall be constructed of limestone or limestone veneer, horizontally coursed with flush raked mortar joints. Any caps on walls or piers should be continuous natural stone caps) shall be incorporated into the sign design. The stone shall be used as the sign base, but is not limited to this part of the sign.
G. Miscellaneous Commitments:
The subject site shall be in accordance with the attached Site Plan titled “OHIOHEALTH CORPORATION 4900 E. DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD SITE EXHIBIT” signed by Nicholas A. Ovens with EMH&T and dated September 16, 2025,”. The Site Plan may be slightly adjusted to reflect engineering, topographical or other site data developed at the time that development and engineering plans are completed. Any slight adjustment to the Site Plan shall be reviewed and may be approved by the Director of the Department of Building and Zoning Services, or a designee, upon submission of the appropriate data regarding the proposed adjustment.
H. Modification of Code Standards:
1) Modification to Columbus City Code Section 3321.03, to increase the permitted maximum height of light poles from 28 feet to 39 feet, subject to the limitations provided in this text.
2) Modification to Columbus City Code Sections 3356.11 to reduce the setback requirements identified in those provisions in accordance with this text.
3) Modification to Columbus City Code Section 3312.49 to have no limitation on the maximum number of parking spaces for Acute, Ambulatory, and Medical Care Uses.
I. Other CPD Requirements:
1) Existing land uses: existing commercial office space.
2) Circulation: Access to the site shall be via East Dublin-Granville Road
3) Visual Form of the Environment: The site shall be developed in accordance with the zoning text.
4) Visibility: In the development of the subject property and the location of the buildings and access points consideration has been given to the visibility and safety of motorists and pedestrians.
5) Proposed Development: Office and commercial as permitted under this text.
6) Emissions: No adverse effects from emissions shall result from the proposed development.
7) Helipad permitted with appropriate Special Permit as required by Columbus City Code Chapter 3389.
SECTION 4. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.