Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV26-085
APPLICANT: Nationwide Children’s Hospital; c/o Elizabeth Seedorf; Atty.; 52 East Gay Street; Columbus, OH 43215.
PROPOSED USE: Temporary parking lot.
NEAR EAST AREA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The site is zoned UCR, Urban Core District, and is subject to Ordinance #0174-2023 (CV22-094) which allows a temporary parking lot. The variance expired on August 19, 2025. This request will maintain the existing temporary parking lot, which is limited to parking of personal vehicles for construction and contractor workers related to ongoing Nationwide Children’s Hospital construction projects. Variances for striping and marking, required surface, parking setbacks, landscaping buffer, parking lot shade trees, and headlight screening are also included in the request. The site is located within the planning boundaries of the Columbus Growth Strategy (2026)(CGS), which recommends “Mixed Use 3” land uses at this location. Staff supports the requested temporary parking lot as it will alleviate short term parking issues created by ongoing construction projects at the hospital, and will only be used for personal vehicles and not construction equipment. Variances for reduced development standards and gravel surface are also supported due to the temporary nature of the proposal. Lastly, this temporary parking lot is limited to an additional two years from the effective date of this ordinance.
Title
To grant a Variance from the provisions of Sections 34.E.20.100.A, Uses, Use Table; 3312.39, Striping and marking; 3312.43, Required surface for parking; 3389.131, Temporary Parking Lot; 34.E.20.070.G, Urban Core, On-Site Parking; 34.G.20.030.B.2, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer; 34.G.20.030.D, Landscaping, Parking Lot Shade Trees; and 34.G.20.040.A, Landscaping, Headlight Screening; of the Columbus City Codes, for the property located at 830 E. MOUND ST. (43205), to allow a temporary parking lot with reduced development standards in the UCR, Urban Core District, and to revoke Ordinance #0174-2023 (CV22-094), passed January 30, 2023 (CV26-085).
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WHEREAS, by application #CV26-085, the owner of property at 830 E. MOUND ST. (43205), is requesting a Council Variance to allow a temporary parking lot with reduced development standards in the UCR, Urban Core District; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.100.A, Uses, Use Table, does not allow non-accessory standalone parking lots, while the applicant proposes to continue to utilize a temporary parking lot for a period not to exceed two years from the effective date of this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, Section 3312.39, Striping and marking, requires parking spaces to be striped, while the applicant proposes to maintain a gravel parking area with no striping; and
WHEREAS, Section 3312.43, Required surface for parking, requires the surface of any parking area to be an approved hard surface other than gravel or loose fill, while the applicant proposes to maintain gravel parking surface; and
WHEREAS, Section 3389.131, Temporary parking lot, requires a special permit for the establishment of any non-accessory parking lot, while the applicant requests to waive the requirement for obtaining a special permit from the Board of Zoning Adjustment for continued use of the property as a temporary parking lot; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.E.20.070.G, Urban Core, On-Site Parking, requires a 24-foot parking setback along East Mound Street, and requires a five-foot parking setback along side streets, while the applicant proposes a front and side street parking setback of zero feet; 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 continuous row of shrubs or solid masonry wall between two and three feet or a continuous solid fence of six feet in height, while prohibiting chain link fencing, while the applicant proposes no landscape buffer and an existing chain link fence with mesh around the perimeter of the site; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.G.20.030.D, Landscaping, Parking Lot Shade Trees, requires one shade tree per ten parking spaces, while the applicant proposes no parking lot shade trees; and
WHEREAS, Section 34.G.20.040.A, Screening, Headlight Screening, requires a four foot wide landscaped area with a maximum screening height of 48-inches that does not include chain link fencing, while the applicant proposes to maintain the existing chain link fence, in combination with meshing without a landscaped area; and
WHEREAS, the Near East Area Commission recommends approval; and
WHEREAS, the City Departments recommend approval of the requested Council variance to extend the use of the temporary parking lot at this location because it will alleviate short term parking issues created by ongoing Nationwide Children's Hospital construction, will only be used for workers’ personal vehicles and not construction equipment, and will be limited to two years from the effective date of this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, said ordinance requires separate submission for all applicable permits and a Certificate of Zoning Clearance for the temporary parking lot; 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 830 E. MOUND ST. (43205), 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.A, Uses, Use Table; 3312.39, Striping and marking; 3312.43, Required surface for parking; 3389.131, Temporary parking lot; 34.E.20.070.G, Urban Core, On-Site Parking; 34.G.20.030.B.2, Landscaping, Residential Landscape Buffer; 34.G.20.030.D, Landscaping, Parking Lot Shade Trees; and 34.G.20.040.A, Landscaping, Headlight Screening, of Columbus City Codes, are hereby granted for the property located at 830 E. MOUND ST. (43205), insofar as said sections prohibit a temporary parking lot in the UCR, Urban Core District, with no striping or marking of parking spaces; a gravel surface rather than an approved hard surface; waiving the requirement for a special permit from the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the temporary parking lot use; a parking setback reduction from 24 feet to zero feet along the East Mound Street frontage and from five feet to zero feet along side streets; no landscape buffer and a chain link fence with meshing surrounding the perimeter of the site; no parking lot shade trees; and no headlight screening, said property being more particularly described as follows:
830 E. MOUND ST. (43205), being 3.62± acres located at the southeast corner of East Main Street and South 17th Street, and being more particularly described as follows:
Situated in the State of Ohio, County of Franklin, City of Columbus, lying in Lot 24, Section 13, Township 5, Range 22, United States Military Lands, being all of Lots 87 and 88 of "Crosby's Addition", a subdivision of record in Plat Book 11, page 263, conveyed as Parcel 3, Tracts A, B, C, D and E to The Lula Douglas Foundation, Inc. by deed of record in Official Record 16626 B10, (all references refer to the records of the Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio) being more particularly described as
follows:
BEGINNING at an iron pin set at the intersection of the southerly right-of-way line of East Main Street (80 feet wide) with the easterly right-of-way line of Seventeenth Street (33 feet wide), being the
northwesterly corner of said Lot 87 and Parcel 3, Tract C;
Thence North 90° 00' 00" East, a distance of 381.00 feet, with the northerly lines of said Lots 87 and 88, the northerly lines of said Parcel 3, Tracts C, A. B and D, and said southerly right-of-way line, to an iron pin set at the intersection of said southerly right-of-way line with the westerly right-of-way line of
Eighteenth Street (60 feet wide), being the northeasterly corner of said Lot 87 and Parcel 3, Tract D;
Thence South 01 ° 11' 13" West, a distance of 418.89 feet, with the easterly line of said Lot 88 and Parcel 3, Tract D and said westerly right-of-way line, to an iron pin set at the intersection of said westerly right-of-way line with the northerly right-of-way line of East Mound Street (60 feet wide), being the
southeasterly corner of said Lot 87 and Parcel 3, Tract D;
Thence North 89° 57' 38" West, a distance of 372.32 feet, with the southerly lines of said Lots 88 and 87, the southerly lines of said Parcel 3, Tracts D, B, A and E, and said northerly right-of-way line, to an iron pin set at the intersection of said northerly right-of-way line with said easterly right-of-way line, being the southwesterly corner of said Lot 88 and Parcel 3, Tract E;
Thence North 00° 00' 00" West, a distance of 418.54 feet, with the westerly line of said Lot 87, the westerly line of said Parcel 3, Tracts E and C. and said easterly right-of-way line, to the POINT OF BEGINNING, containing 3.620 acres, more or less, and being all of Auditor Parcel Number 010-066971
and Auditor Parcel Number 010-093457.
Subject, however, to all legal rights-of-way and/or easements, if any, of previous record.
Address: 830 East Mound Street, Columbus, OH 43205
Parcel Number: 010-066971
SECTION 2. That this ordinance is conditioned on and shall remain in effect only for so long as said property is used for a temporary parking lot for the personal vehicles belonging to contractors and construction workers engaged in construction projects at Nationwide Children's Hospital. No construction equipment is allowed to be stored on the subject site.
SECTION 3. That this ordinance is further conditioned on the applicant obtaining all applicable permits and a Certificate of Zoning Clearance for the temporary parking lot.
SECTION 4. That this ordinance is further conditioned upon the following:
The temporary parking lot shall be limited to two years from the effective date of this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That Ordinance #0174-2023 (CV22-094), passed January 30, 2023, be and is hereby revoked.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.