Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves Homeport rezoning for affordable housing at North Hamilton Road amid density debate
Summary
The development commission granted the requested AR‑2 rezoning for a 1.55‑acre Homeport affordable housing project on North Hamilton Road over Northland Community Council opposition; commissioners and staff flagged pending traffic review and sidewalk connectivity but supported the project’s affordable‑housing mission.
The Columbus Development Commission on Jan. 9 approved a rezoning to allow a multiunit affordable housing development on a 1.55‑acre parcel at North Hamilton Road (case z24‑0025432), despite opposition from the Northland Community Council over density and height.
Homeport representative Laura Komack told the commission the project is step two of the city’s affordable‑housing process, noting the council previously granted a variance and that the developer received funding from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency last June. Komack said the scheme increases parking by about 20% compared with the council variance through a taller building footprint and that the design connects to a nearby, largely new sidewalk providing direct access to a COTA bus stop.
Opposition and community review: Daniel Stubner, a resident who lives directly east of the site, called the proposal “spot zoning” and questioned community benefit, saying the surrounding area is “up and coming” and that neighbors did not want the density. Dave Paul, co‑chair of the Northland Community Council Development Committee, said his committee unanimously recommended disapproval because the project’s density (about 38.7 units per acre, as recorded in the committee discussion) and four‑story height were incompatible with the single‑family neighborhood to the east. Paul acknowledged Homeport has done work in Northland but said this parcel was too dense for the location.
Staff and traffic: City staff recommended conditional approval. Staff and traffic reviewers noted an updated traffic impact study had been submitted and was under review and that additional commitments or access revisions might be required depending on that review. Planning staff confirmed the application fits the city’s multimodal thoroughfare vision and that sidewalk connections exist to serve potential residents.
Commissioners’ deliberation and outcome: Commissioners debated consistency with surrounding development and transition to single‑family areas. The roll call in the transcript recorded votes from commissioners, including Janice Keith Shanklin (yes), Maria Conroy (no), Johnny Worson (yes), Loubena (yes), David Carey (yes) and Sheriff Patrick Fitzpatrick (yes). The commission’s recorded roll call concluded with the chair announcing the application was approved and would be forwarded to city council with the noted conditions.
Quotes: “This project serves a core component of workforce and affordable housing,” Laura Komack said. “The sidewalk system we will be tapping into is new and accessible.”
Next steps: The city will review the outstanding traffic study resubmittal; staff noted additional commitments may be required before council action. The council variance and concurrent variance applications tied to height and other site elements will be heard by City Council and are not decided at this meeting.
