Explanation
Council Variance: CV05-018.
APPLICANT: Community Housing Network, Inc.; c/o Samantha A. Shuler, Atty.; 957 East Broad Street; Columbus, OH 43205.
PROPOSED USE: Fifteen-unit apartment building.
GREATER HILLTOP AREA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Disapproval. This variance would allow the applicant to replace four non-conforming two-family dwellings in the R-3, Residential District with a fifteen-unit apartment building at a density of 33.5 dwelling units/acre. The proposed development for residents with special needs would have a resident manager and tenant community room. Staff recommends disapproval because the proposed 15-unit apartment building is inconsistent with The Greater Hilltop Plan (2001) land-use recommendations and with the surrounding zoning and development pattern. While the Plan recognizes the need to provide senior and special needs housing, the land-use section recommends that such uses be located along West Broad Street and states that, "New construction or additions should be compatible with the size, scale, materials and general built characteristics of the property and surrounding built environment." The R-3, Residential zoning around this site permits one single-family dwelling per lot. Except for a few non-conforming residential and commercial land-uses, the surrounding neighborhood is developed with single-family dwellings that are of much smaller scale than the proposed apartment building. The Plan also recommends appropriate buffering between land-uses, which cannot be provided in the proposed five (5) foot wide side yard located north of the apartment building. Additional variances to development standards are requested to allow the building to front a public alley (a technical variance required because the main entrance is at the rear of the building), to reduce the minimum nu...
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