Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV08-011
APPLICANT: Timothy Welsh; 1838 Ridgeview Road; Upper Arlington, OH 43221.
PROPOSED USE: Concurrent Council variance to permit ground floor dwelling units and parking in the CPD, Commercial Planned Development District.
UNIVERSITY AREA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The property is zoned in the C-4, Commercial and P-1 Parking Districts. The applicant is applying for a concurrent Council Variance to allow ground floor dwelling units in the proposed CPD, Commercial Planned Development District and ground floor parking under dwellings in the proposed CPD, Commercial Planned Development District in anticipation of a pending change in the Zoning Code that would prohibit exclusively ground floor parking under dwelling units in the commercial districts. Should the applicant proceed without the granting of this variance it would, at minimum, render the project non-conforming. The proposal is supported by Staff and the community noting that it will be an improvement of a site slated for redevelopment in the The Weinland Park Neighborhood Plan (2006). Staff believes no precedent would be set that would undermine the proposed change to the Zoning Code because this situation is unique in that the applicant's proposal was already underway when the Zoning Code change was initatated and thus would not be granting the applicant an unfair privilege. Finally, because the City of Columbus Zoning Code contains no district allowing a mixture of residential and retail uses on the ground floor, this is the only avenue the applicant has to pursue such a project.
Title
To grant a Variance from the provisions of Sections 3356.03, C-4 Permitted Uses and 3356.05E(1)(2), C-4, District Development Limitations, of the Columbus City codes, for the property located at 253 EAST ...
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