Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV05-032
APPLICANT: Columbus Compact Corporation and City of Columbus Department of Development; c/o Jonanthan C. Beard, President; Columbus Compact Corporation; 1000 East Main Street; Columbus, OH 43205.
PROPOSED USE: Art dealer business/gallery.
NEAR EAST AREA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The site is developed with a 2,700 square-foot single-family dwelling. The applicant is requesting a Council variance to convert the building into an art dealer business/gallery in the R-2F, Residential District. A variance is necessary because the R-2F District prohibits commercial uses. Variances to conform the building's existing conditions and for the minimum number of required parking spaces are also included in the request. The site lies within the Near East Area Plan (1995), which encourages the development of a cultural district on Long Street and Mount Vernon Avenue. The Plan is currently undergoing an update, and the draft Plan provides criteria to assess the appropriateness of locating commercial uses in residential districts, including adjacency to commercial districts and the availability of shared parking, and benefits that the proposed use would offer to the neighborhood. The site also lies within the planning area of the King-Lincoln District Plan (2002), which encourages mixed-use development, including businesses, at appropriate locations. Staff has determined that the proposed use is consistent with several recommendations of these Plans because of the site's close proximity to both Long Street and Mount Vernon Avenue. A hardship exists in that an art dealer business/gallery is prohibited in the R-2F District, and retaining the current zoning district will ensure that the residential character of the building will remain.
Title
To grant a Variance f...
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