Sandusky commission affirms planning paneldenial of conditional use permit for recovery housing at 603 Columbus Ave

The Sandusky City Commission on Sept. 8 affirmed the City Planning Commissiondenial of a conditional use permit sought by the Recovery Institute of Ohio to operate interim recovery housing at 603 Columbus Ave.

The decision came after an extended public hearing in which the applicant and its counsel argued the propertyfits within the zoningdistrictpermitting transient occupancy and that a denial was improperly motivated by opposition to the future residents. Planning staff recommended the denial, citing proximity to schools and other places of assembly and concerns the proposed use would be inharmonious with the surrounding neighborhood.

The appeal involved competing legal and factual claims. Michael Nacon, who identified himself as counsel for the applicants, told commissioners the building had previously received a conditional use permit for transient occupancy and that the current proposalwould house participants in a recovery program for two to six weeks. "This is a commercial building," Nacon said, arguing the use was misclassified by staff and the Planning Commission and pointing to a prior 2022…