Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV04-039
APPLICANT: Children's Hospital; c/o Gretchen D. Jeffries, Atty.; 52 East Gay Street; Columbus, OH 43215.
PROPOSED USE: To permit the use of three temporary parking lots for an additional two years.
NEAR EAST AREA COMMISSION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. This Council variance will permit three temporary off-site parking lots for use by Children Hospital employees north of I-70 for two additional years. Non-accessory parking lots are a commercial use and not permitted in the AR-3, Apartment Residential District. The lots were to replace approximately 113 parking spaces displaced during construction of a parking garage at the southwest corner of the intersection of 18th and Mooberry Streets. Council Variance CV01-036 stipulated that upon completion of the garage, the parking lots were to be removed and the lots returned to their former condition. However in 2004, Children's Hospital still finds that this parking is needed in addition the parking which was added with the parking garage that was built. Staff supports the extension of this use, but for only two years and only in order to give the applicants time to plan for a permanent solution for this property. Staff is concerned that continued Council variance approvals of temporary parking lots which will have existed for five years by the expiration of this Council variance will result in these lots becoming permanent gravel parking lots conflicting with the Near East Area Plan's recommendation discouraging institutional use encroachment. Staff's position is that if the applicants wish for this to become permanent parking they should pursue a rezoning for such and if successful, develop the parking lots in accordance with...
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