Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV24-144
APPLICANT: BOHEMCO LLC; c/o Jackson B. Reynolds, III, Atty.; 37 West Broad Street, Suite 460; Columbus, OH 43215.
PROPOSED USE: Apartment building.
GERMAN VILLAGE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The site consists of one parcel developed with a four-unit dwelling zoned in the R-2F, Residential District. The requested Council variance will allow the existing four-unit dwelling to add an additional unit, thus becoming a five-unit apartment building. A Council variance is necessary because the R-2F district does not allow a five-unit apartment building. The request also includes variances to landscaping and screening, parking setback, required parking, vision clearance, building lines, minimum side yard, and rear yard requirements. Staff supports the proposed variances as the request will not introduce an incompatible use to the area and will conform existing conditions.
Title
To grant a Variance from the provisions of Sections 3332.037, R-2F residential district; 3312.09, Aisle; 3312.13(D), Driveway; 3312.21(D)(1), Landscaping and screening; 3312.27, Parking setback line; 3312.49, Required parking; 3321.05(B)(2), Vision clearance; 3332.21(E), Building lines; 3332.26(E), Minimum side yard permitted; and 3332.27, Rear yard, of the Columbus City Codes; for the property located at 898-900 S. 3RD ST. (43206), to allow a five-unit dwelling with reduced development standards in the R-2F, Residential District (Council Variance #CV24-144).
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WHEREAS, by application #CV24-144, the owner of the property at 898-900 S. 3RD ST. (43206), is requesting a Council variance to allow a five-unit dwelling with reduced development standards in the R-2F, Residential District; and
WHEREAS, Section 3332.037, R-2F, residential district, allows single or two-unit dwellings, while the applicant proposes a five-unit apartment building; and
WHEREAS, Section 3312.09, Aisle, requires a minimum aisle width and maneuvering area of 20 feet, while the applicant proposes a reduced drive aisle width and maneuvering area of 13 feet; and
WHEREAS, Section 3312.13(D), Driveway, does not allow vehicles to enter a public right-of-way in a backward motion, while the applicant proposes to allow vehicles to exit the proposed parking lot in a backward motion; and
WHEREAS, Section 3312.21(D)(1), Landscaping and screening, requires headlight screening of a parking lot along a public street, and within 80 feet of residentially zoned property within a four-foot landscaped area, at no less than three-feet in height, with an opacity of no less than 75 percent, while the applicant proposes to not provide such screening along the southern property line to maintain existing conditions; and
WHEREAS, Section 3312.27, Parking setback line, requires a parking setback line of 10 feet along South 3rd Street, while the applicant proposes to maintain a reduced parking setback line of eight feet; and
WHEREAS, Section 3312.49, Required parking, requires 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit for a total of eight required parking spaces for five units, while the applicant proposes five parking spaces; and
WHEREAS, Section 3321.05(B)(2), Vision clearance, requires a clear vision triangle of 30 feet at street intersections, while the applicant proposes to maintain no clear vision triangle at the southeast corner of South 3rd Street and East Whittier Street, with the existing building encroaching into said triangle, as shown on the submitted site plan; and
WHEREAS, Section 3332.21(E), Building lines, requires a minimum building setback of 10 feet along East Whittier Street, while the applicant proposes to maintain no minimum building setback along East Whittier Street; and
WHEREAS, Section 3332.26(E), Minimum side yard permitted, requires a minimum distance for a garage of three feet from a side lot line, while the applicant proposes to maintain no distance from the southern and eastern property lines; and
WHEREAS, 3332.27, Rear yard, requires each dwelling, residence or principal building shall be erected so as to provide a rear yard totaling no less than 25 percent of the total lot area, while the applicant proposes a reduced rear yard of 18.5 percent; and
WHEREAS, the German Village Commission recommends approval; and
WHEREAS, City Departments recommend approval of the requested Council variance because the request will not introduce an incompatible use to the area and will conform existing conditions; and
WHEREAS, said ordinance requires separate submission for all applicable permits and a Certificate of Zoning Occupancy for the proposed use; 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 898-900 S. 3RD ST. (43206), 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 3332.037, R-2F residential district; 3312.09, Aisle; 3312.13(D), Driveway; 3312.21(D)(1), Landscaping and screening; 3312.27, Parking setback line; 3312.49, Required parking; 3321.05(B)(2), Vision clearance; 3332.21(E), Building lines; 3332.26(E), Minimum side yard permitted; and 3332.27, Rear yard, of the Columbus City Codes; for the property located at 898-900 S. 3RD ST. (43206), insofar as said sections prohibit a five-unit apartment building in the R-2F, Residential District; with reduced aisle width and maneuvering area from 20 to 13 feet; to allow vehicles to exit the parking lot in a backward motion; no parking lot landscaping or screening along the southern property line; a reduced parking setback line from 10 to eight feet from South 3rd Street; a parking space reduction from eight required to five provided spaces; no vision clearance triangle at the southeast corner of South 3rd Street and East Whittier Street; no building line along East Whittier Street; no minimum side yard along the southern and eastern sides of the garage; and a reduced rear yard from 25 to 18.5 percent; said property being more particularly described as follows:
898-900 S. 3RD ST. (43206), being 0.14± acres located at the southeast corner of South 3rd Street and East Whittier Street, and being more particularly described as follows:
Situated in the City of Columbus, County of Franklin, State of Ohio, and described as being the north one-half of lot number 132 and 24.5 feet off of the west side of the north one-half of lot number 133 of Jaeger’s 17th Addition, as the same are numbered and delineated upon the record plat in Plat Book 2, Page 6, Recorder’s Office, Franklin County, Ohio.
SECTION 2. That this ordinance is conditioned on and shall remain in effect only for so long as said property is used as a five-unit dwelling, as shown on the submitted site plan, or those uses allowed in the R-2F, Residential District.
SECTION 3. That this ordinance is further conditioned on the Subject Site being developed in general conformance with the site plan titled "SITE PLAN OF 898-900 S. 3RD ST," dated May 14, 2025, and signed by Jackson B. Reynolds, III, Attorney for the Applicant. The plan 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 plan 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 Certificates of Occupancy for the proposed use.
SECTION 5. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.