Reynoldsburg board tables request for 2213 Beltree Drive residential care home after neighbors object

The Reynoldsburg Planning and Zoning Board on April 3 tabled a conditional‑use application by Daniel Kamgang to operate a dwelling‑group residential care facility at 2213 Beltree Drive, after multiple neighbors raised concerns about proximity to a nearby junior high school and possible impacts on the neighborhood.

Staff told the board the parcel is 0.19 acres in the SR Suburban Residential zoning district and that the applicant seeks permission for a “dwelling group” — a residential facility providing accommodations and personal care for one to five unrelated adults. The application states the facility would provide supervision, meal preparation, laundry, cleaning and medication management, and would be staffed 24 hours daily; staff also said the applicant has not yet obtained required state licensure and must do so prior to occupancy.

Neighbors gave three separate in‑person comments raising safety and traffic concerns, the potential for negative effects on property values and the condition of fencing and grounds at the property. Devin Brothers, a Reynoldsburg resident, said the home’s close proximity to a junior high and to young children in the neighborhood made the location “simply not right, not the right fit,” and urged the board to deny the permit. Sean Mitchell, who said his property backs up to the Beltree lot, asked that the record reflect the property’s existing fence is “raggedy and rusty” and suggested a privacy fence; Joanna Horton, another neighbor, said she feared a decrease in property values and cited a 2022 incident she found in research as a reason to oppose the use.

Board members noted the applicant was not present to address the public comments and that, under due‑process norms, the applicant should have an opportunity to respond. Planning and Zoning Board member Mr. First moved to table the application to the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting; the motion was seconded by Ms. Barnhart and carried on a roll call (6 yes, 0 no). The board instructed staff to place the item on the April 17 agenda so the applicant can appear and answer questions.

Staff and the board also noted the statutory framework cited in the staff presentation: Ohio Revised Code Section 511.34 (division cited by staff) that relates to licensing and permitted residential facilities for small group homes; staff reiterated that the city requires the applicant to present proof of state licensure prior to commencing operations.

The application remains pending and will return to the board on April 17. At that meeting the applicant is expected to address neighbors’ concerns and provide the license documentation staff requested.