Explanation
Council Variance Application: CV21-056
APPLICANT: WODA Cooper Companies, Inc.; c/o Dave Perry, Agent; David Perry Company; 411 East Town Street, 1st Floor; Columbus, OH 43215, and Donald Plank, Atty.; Plank Law Firm; 411 East Town Street, 2nd Floor; Columbus, OH 43215.
PROPOSED USE: Multi-unit residential development.
MIDEAST AREA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
CITY DEPARTMENTS' RECOMMENDATION: Approval. The site is undeveloped and zoned in the M, Manufacturing District. The requested Council variance will permit an affordable housing apartment complex with 84 units, and will allow the applicant to complete a financing application with the Ohio Housing Finance Association which requires certain land attributes including compliant zoning. A variance to increase the height of buildings from 35 feet to 40 feet is included in the request. The Council variance process is supported to assist in this state funding application process as Rezoning Application #Z21-052, a request for the AR-1, Apartment Residential District, has been filed and is in process. The site is within the planning boundaries of the Port Columbus Joint Economic Development Strategy (2008), which recommends office and light industrial land uses at this location. However, with the recent construction of a school and multi-unit residential development adjacent to this site, staff finds the proposed residential development appropriate. The Plan guidelines also stress the importance of new development incorporating sidewalks to improve pedestrian connectivity, street trees, and landscaping and screening, and the site plan included with the request addresses these details. Planning staff also finds the conceptual elevations for the proposed apartment buildings consistent with Columbus Citywide Planning Policies (C2P2) Design Guidelines (2018).
Title
To grant a Variance from the provisions of Sections 3363.01, M-manufacturing districts; and 3309.14(A), Height districts, of the Co...
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