The Development Commission on Oct. 9 recommended approval of a zoning change that would allow a multiunit residential development of up to 48 units at a property near the intersection of Hall Road and Georgesville Green Drive in the Hilltop area.

The commission’s recommendation follows a staff report saying the request for AR‑1 (apartment residential) is consistent with the site’s context and the city’s objectives to add housing. The applicant told commissioners the proposal is a “down‑zoning” from the parcel’s existing LC‑3 commercial designation and said the project preserves a 25‑foot buffer and a stream corridor on the east side of the site.

Why it matters: The parcel sits adjacent to single‑family homes and a condominium complex; neighbors said the change would alter neighborhood character and worsen traffic and safety on Hall Road. The commission approved the applicant’s zoning change and will send a recommendation to Columbus City Council, which has final authority.

City staff noted the site is within the Hilltop land‑use plan boundary and subject to Columbus citywide planning policies and the multimodal thoroughfare plan. Staff recommended approval, citing compatibility with existing nearby multiunit residential developments despite the proposal exceeding the plan’s density guideline for the site. The applicant also told the commission the property is expected to be included in Phase 2 of the city’s rezoning initiative, which could allow multifamily residential by right in the future.

Neighbors who spoke at the hearing urged denial. Richard Kitchen, who identified himself as president of Georgesville Green, said, “Basically, our biggest concern as a community is safety,” listing narrow neighborhood streets, school bus traffic and heavy commercial vehicle traffic on Hall Road. Another neighbor said trees had been cut for soil testing and expressed worry about loss of canopy and increased accidents at the nearby intersection.

Applicant representatives said the site plan preserves vegetation along the north property line, provides a 25‑foot perimeter buffer where feasible, includes a small dog run and will construct a south‑side shared‑use path to tie into existing sidewalks. The applicant also said traffic management staff determined the proposed access location is appropriate and that a commercial development allowed under the site’s existing LC‑3 zoning would generate more vehicle traffic than the proposed 48 one‑ and two‑bedroom apartments.

Commissioners asked about outreach; the applicant said it met twice with the Greater Hilltop Area Commission zoning committee and once with the full area commission and offered to meet with adjacent property owners, some of whom declined in‑person meetings. The commission heard from the city’s traffic reviewer and from the applicant’s traffic engineer during the presentation.

Outcome: The commission voted to recommend approval and forwarded the rezoning to Columbus City Council for final consideration.

What’s next: The council will consider the rezoning and the companion variance (related to minimum building lines) that is to be heard directly by council; public comment may be presented at that hearing.