Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV26-003
APPLICANT: Fireland High, LLC; c/o Elizabeth Seedorf, Atty.; 52 East Gay Street; Columbus, OH 43215.
PROPOSED USE: Flex warehouse and storage.
FAR SOUTH COLUMBUS AREA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The site consists of one parcel developed with a contractor’s office buildings in the CAC, Community Activity Center District. The requested Council variance will allow the construction of two buildings that will be used for warehouse flex, office, and contractor’s storage. A Council variance is required because storage and warehousing uses are not allowed in the CAC district. Variances to abutting residential district setbacks, surface parking setbacks, public entry, landscaping buffer, and increased fence height are included in the request. The Columbus Growth Strategy (2026) recommends “Mixed-Use 2” land uses at this location. While warehouse and storage uses are not allowed in the CAC district, staff notes the following: that the proposed development includes office components; that all storage uses will be contained within buildings that are located behind the principal office building; and that the adjacent SR, Suburban Residential District is undeveloped, and likely will remain undeveloped given its location in the floodway and proximity to heavy industrial uses. Additionally, the plan demonstrates the addition of sidewalks along South High Street and Service Road B, adding to a more walkable environment. The request will not introduce incompatible use to the surrounding area.
Title
To grant a Variance from the provisions of Sections 34.E.20.100.A, Uses, Use Table; 34.E.20.030.C.1.a, General Requirements, Ground Floor Design; 34.E.20.030.J.2, General Requirements, Miscellaneous; 34.E.20.080.C, Community Activity Center (CAC), Building Placement; 34.E.20.080.G, Community Activity Center (CAC), On-Site Parking; 34.F.40.030.A.1.a, Procedures for Large Sites, Site Plan for Large Development Sites; 34.G.20.030.B.1, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer; and 34.G.20.030.B.2, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer, of the Columbus City Codes; for the property located at 2295 S. HIGH ST. (43207), to allow flex warehouse and storage uses with reduced development standards in the CAC, Community Activity Center District (Council Variance #CV26-003).
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WHEREAS, by application #CV26-003, the owner of the property 2295 S. HIGH ST. (43207), requests a Council variance to allow flex warehouse and storage uses with reduced development standards in the CAC, Community Activity Center District; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.100.A, Uses, Use Table, does not allow warehousing and storage uses in the CAC, Community Activity Center District, while the applicant proposes warehousing and storage of contractor equipment, materials and vehicles within new buildings, as shown on the submitted site plan; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.030.C, General Requirements, Ground Floor Design, requires a building entry for the proposed building fronting Service Road B, while no such building entry is proposed; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.030.J.2, General Requirements, Miscellaneous, limits any fences or walls between the maximum building setback line and public street right-of-way to four feet in height, while the applicant proposes a fence of eight feet in height; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.080.C, Community Activity Center (CAC), Building Placement, requires a side setback abutting residential districts of no less than 25 feet, while the applicant proposes a reduced setback of five feet from the adjacent SR, Suburban Residential District; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.080.G, Community Activity Center (CAC), On-Site Parking, prohibits parking between the principal building and adjacent street rights-of-way, while the applicant proposes a surface parking lot between the principal building and Service Road B, as shown on the site plan; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.F.40.030.A.1.a, Procedures for Large Sites, Site Plan for Large Development Sites, requires development sites that have a continuous street frontage of 300 feet or more but are less than 10 acres in size to extend the public realm into the development site, while the applicant proposes no such extension into the development site; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.G.20.030.B.1, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer, requires a landscaped buffer between the CAC district and any abutting residential district, while the applicant proposes no such buffer along the adjacent SR, Suburban Residential District; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.G.20.030.B.2, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer, requires such landscape buffer be a minimum of five feet in depth, with a contiguous row of shrubs or solid masonry wall between two and three feet or a contiguous solid fence of six feet in height, while the applicant proposes no landscape buffer along the adjacent SR, Suburban Residential District, and an increased fence height of eight feet; and
WHEREAS, the Far South Columbus Area Commission recommends approval of said zoning change;
WHEREAS, City Departments recommend approval of the requested variances because the proposed development includes office components and all storage uses will be contained within buildings that are located behind the principal office building. Additionally, the site plan demonstrates the addition of sidewalks along South High Street and Service Road B, adding to a more walkable environment. The request will not introduce an incompatible use to the surrounding area.; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance requires separate submission for all applicable permits and a Certificate of Occupancy for the proposed development; and
WHEREAS, said variance will not adversely affect the surrounding property or surrounding neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, the granting of said variance will not impair an adequate supply of light and air to adjacent properties or unreasonably increase the congestion of public streets, or unreasonably diminish or impair established property values within the surrounding area, or otherwise 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 owners of the property located at 2295 S. HIGH ST. (43207), in using said property as desired; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That a variance is hereby granted from the provisions of Sections 34.E.20.100.A, Uses, Use Table; 34.E.20.030.C.1.a, General Requirements, Ground Floor Design; 34.E.20.030.J.2, General Requirements, Miscellaneous; 34.E.20.080.C, Community Activity Center (CAC), Building Placement; 34.E.20.080.G, Community Activity Center (CAC), On-Site Parking; 34.F.40.030.A.1.a, Procedures for Large Sites, Site Plan for Large Development Sites; 34.G.20.030.B.1, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer; and 34.G.20.030.B.2, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer; of the Columbus City Codes; for the property located at 2295 S. HIGH ST. (43207), insofar as said sections prohibit warehousing and storage uses in the CAC, Community Activity Center District, with no building entry for the proposed building along Service Road B; increased fence height from four to eight feet between the maximum building setback and public right-of-way; reduced side setback from a residential district from 25 to five feet; parking between the principal building and Service Road B; no extension of the public realm into the development site; no landscape buffer between the site and the adjacent residential district; and an increased fence height from six to eight feet in lieu of a landscape buffer; said property being more particularly described as follows:
2295 S. HIGH ST. (43207), being 7.74± acres located on the west side of South High Street, 450± feet south of Route 104, and being more particularly described as follows:
PARCEL I:
Situated in the County of Franklin, in the State of Ohio and in the City of Columbus and bounded and described as follows:
Being in Section 4, Township 4, Range 22, Congress Lands, and being part of a 10.04 acre tract conveyed to C.V. Perry and R.O. Read and 0. E. Morris by deed of record in Deed Book 2392, Page 54 and Deed Book 2473, Page 339. Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio, and being more particularly described as follows:
Commencing at the northeast comer of the said 10.04 acre tract, said corner being in the centerline of South High Street (U.S. Route 23) and also being the northeast corner of the Standard Oil Company 0.762 acre tract (Deed Book 2785, Page 43);
Thence, South 0°55' East, along the east line of the 10.04 acre tract and along the centerline of said South High Street, a distance of 222.6 1 feet to a point, said point being the southeasterly corner of Parcel 15 WD, as described in Franklin County Common Pleas Court No. 240818, said parcel being a part of Service Road "B" as shown on Page 20 of the Right-of-Way Plans of Franklin-Refugee Road (FRA-104-8.73) said point being the true point of beginning of this description:
Thence South 0°55' East, continuing along the easterly line of the said 10.04 acres and the centerline of said South High Street, a distance of 22.39 feet to a point;
Thence, North 87°30' West, across the said 10.04 acre tract, along a line parallel to the northerly line of the said 10.04 acre tract, passing an iron pin on line at 40.07 feet, and 422.07 feet, a total distance of 602.90 feet to an iron pin in the westerly line of the said 10.04 acre tract;
Thence, North 2 degrees 34 minutes West, along the westerly line of the said 10.04 acre tract. a distance of 63.58 feet to an iron pin at an angle point in said line;
Thence, North 5 degrees 36 minutes East along the westerly line of the said 10.04 acre tract, a distance of 131.50 feet to an iron pin, said pin being the southwest comer of Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc, 0.057 acre tract (Deed Book 2826. Page 81);
Thence, South 87 degrees 30 minutes East, along the southerly line of the said 0.057 acre tract. a distance of 50.0 feet to an iron pin, said pin being the southeast corner of the said 0.057 acre tract;
Thence, North 5 degrees 36 minutes East, along the east line of the said 0.057 acre tract, a distance of 50.0 feet to an iron pin in the northerly line of the said 10.04 acre tract, said pin being the northeast comer of the said 0.057 acre tract. said pin also being in the south right-of the-way line of said Service Road "B";
Thence South 87 degrees 30 minutes East, along the north line of the said 10.04 acre tract, and along the south right-of-the-way line of the said Service Road ''B", a distance of 194.31 feet to an iron pin, said pin being located North 87 degrees 30 minutes West, a distance of339.79 feet from the northeast comer of the said I0.04 acre tract: said pin also being the northwest comer of Parcel 15A WD, as described in the said Court Cas No, 240818 and shown on said Right-of-Way Plans;
Thence, South 53 degrees 42 minutes 10 seconds East, along the southerly Right-of-Way line of said Service Road "B", a distance of 82.96 feet to an iron pin:
Thence, South 32 degrees 51 minutes 27 seconds East, continuing along the said southerly right-of-way line, a distance of 157.61 feet to an iron pin, said pin being the original southwest comer of the said Standard Oil Company tract, said pin being the southeast comer of said Parcel 15A WD and the northwesterly corner of Parcel 15WD;
Thence South 69 degrees 25 minutes 52 seconds East, along the southerly line of said Parcel 15 WD and along the southerly right-of-way line of said Service Road "B•, a distance of 160.91 feet to an iron pin in the original west right-of-way line of said South High Street, said right-of-way line being 40.0 feet west of (measured at right angles to) the centerline of said South High Street;
Thence, North 89 degrees 05 minutes East, continuing along the southerly line of the said Parcel 15 WD a distance of 40.0 feet to the place of beginning, containing 2.153 acres of land, more or less,
Together with a perpetual non-exclusive easement 20.0 feet wide for the purpose of ingress and egress, said easement being more particularly described as follows:
Beginning at a point at the southeasterly comer of the above described 2.153 acre tract;
Thence South 0 degrees 55 minutes East along the centerline of said South High Street, and along the easterly line of said 10.04 acre tract, a distance of 20.04 feet toa point;
Thence North 87 degrees, 30 minutes West across said 10.04 acre tract and along a line 20 feet (measured at right angles) southerly of and parallel to the above described 2.153 acre tract, a distance of 422.07 feet to a point;
Thence North 0 degrees 55 minutes West across said 10.04 acre tract and parallel to the easterly line of said 10.04 acre tract, a distance of 20.04 feet to an iron pin in the southerly line of the above described 2.153 acre tract;
Thence South 87 degrees 30 minutes East along the southerly line of the above described 2.153 acre tract, a distance of 422.07 feet to the place of beginning.
PARCEL II:
Being situated in the State of Ohio, County of Franklin, City of Columbus in Section 4, Township 4, Range 22, Congress Lands and being a part of a 10.04 acre tract conveyed to C.V. Perry et al., in Deed Book 2392, Page 54 and Deed Book 2473, Page 339, Recorders Office, Franklin County, Ohio and being more particularly described as follows:
Commencing at the southeasterly comer of said l 0.04 acre tract and in the centerline of South High Street (U.S. Route 23 - 80 feet wide);
Thence along the centerline of said South High Street and along a line 40 feet easterly of (as Measured at the right angles) and parallel with the easterly line of the Certified Oil Corporation 0.976 acre tract (Deed Book 3323, Page 81), North O degrees 55 minutes West, 167.00 feet to the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THIS DESCRIPTION:
Thence across said 10.04 acre tract and along the northerly line of said 0.976 acre tract (passing an iron pipe line in the westerly right-of-way line of said South High Street and at the northeasterly corner of said 0.976 acre tract at 40.07 feet) North 87 degrees 23 minutes West, 295.07 feet to an iron pipe at the northwesterly comer of said 0.976 acre tract and in an easterly line of the Welch Avenue Free Will Baptist Church 4.493 acre tract (Deed Book 3503, Page 926);
Thence continue across said 10.04 acre tract and along an easterly line of said 4.493 acre tract, North O degrees 55 minutes West, 145.00 feet to an iron pin at a comer of said 4.493 acre tract;
Thence continue across said 10.04 acre tract and along a southerly line of said 4.493 acre Tract, North 87 degrees 40 minutes East, 294.60 feet to a point in the centerline of said South High Street and at a southeasterly comer of said 4.493 acre tract, passing an iron pin on line in the westerly right-of-way line of said South High Street at 254.59 feet;
Thence along the easterly line of said 10.04 acre tract and along the centerline of said South High Street, South O degrees 55 minutes East, 170.47 feet to the place of beginning containing 1.066 acres, more or less, of which 0.155 acres is within the present right-of-way of said South High Street.
Parcel III
Situated in the County of Franklin, in the State of Ohio and in the City of Columbus and bounded and described as follows:
Being situated in the State of Ohio, County of Franklin, City of Columbus, Section 4, Township 4, Range 22, Congress Lands, and being a part of a 10.04 acre tract deed to C.V. Perry, et al., in Deed Book 2392 page 54, and Deed Book 2473, page 339, Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio, and being more particularly described as follows:
Commencing at the northeasterly comer * said 10.04 acre tract and in the centerline of South High Street (U.S. Route 23);
Thence along the easterly line of said l 0.04 acre tract and along the centerline of said South High Street, South 0 degrees 55 minutes East, a distance of 245.0 feet to a point at the southeasterly comer of Welch Avenue Free Will Baptist Church 2.153 acre tract (Deed Book 3444, Page 962), and the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING OF THIS DESCRIPTION;
Thence continuing along the easterly line of said 10.04 acre tract and along the centerline of said South High Street, South 0 degrees 55 minutes East, a distance of 153.04 feet to point, said last described point being North 0 degrees 55 minutes West, along the easterly line of said 10.04 acre tract, a distance of 337.47 feet from the southeasterly comer of said 10.04 acre tract;
Thence across said 10.04 acre tract, passing an iron pin on line at 40.01 feet, South 87 degrees 40 minutes West, a distance of 294.6 feet to an iron pin in westerly line of the Certified Oil Corporation 0.976 acre tract, (Deed Book 3323, Page 81), produced northerly;
Thence across said l 0.04 acre tract, and along the westerly line of said 0.976 acre tract, and along the westerly line of said 0.976 acre tract produced northerly, South 0 degrees 55 minutes East, passing an iron pin on line at 14.0 feet, a total distance of 312.0 feet to an iron pin at The southwesterly comer of said 0.976 acre tract and in the southerly line of said 10.04 acre tract;
Thence along the southerly line of said l 0.04 acre tract, North 87 degrees 23 minutes West, a distance of 293.76 feet to a nail at the southwesterly comer of said l 0.04 acre tract, and at the southeasterly corner of the Welch Avenue Free Will Baptist Church 6.798 acre tract, (Deed Book 3411, Page 33);
Thence along the westerly line of said 10.04 acre tract, and along the easterly line of said 6.798 acre tract, North 2 degrees 34 minutes West, a distance of 490.35 feet to an iron pin at the southwesterly corner of said 2.153 acre tract;
Thence across said 10.04 acre tract, and along the southerly line of said 2.153 acre tract, Passing iron pins on line at 180.83 feet and 562.83 feet, South 87 degrees 30 minutes East, a total distance of 602.9 feet to the place of beginning, containing 4.493 acres, more or less.
Parcel Number: 010-113280
SECTION 2. That this ordinance is conditioned on and shall remain in effect only for so long as said property is used as flex warehouse and storage, in accordance with the submitted site plans, or those uses allowed in the CAC, Community 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,” and “LANDSCAPE PLAN,” and building elevations titled “EXTERIOR ELEVATIONS SHEETS C800 & C802,” all dated March 16, 2026, and signed by Elizabeth Seedorf, 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 of 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 applicant obtaining all applicable permits and a Certificate of Occupancy for the proposed development.
SECTION 5. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.