Dublin board approves parking variance for Cypress Church at 7055 Avery Road

The Dublin Board of Zoning Appeals approved a nonuse area variance allowing Cypress Church at 7055 Avery Road to reduce required off-street parking to 211 spaces, the board announced after a vote at its meeting.

City staff told the board the church’s existing lot contains 225 spaces but the R-1 code requires 233 spaces based on a 6,969-square-foot sanctuary; the requested variance would reduce the lot by 14 spaces and leave it 22 short of the ordinance requirement. City staff recommended approval, saying the site’s history, lot coverage limit and mature trees create special circumstances that justify the reduction.

The variance matters because it permits the congregation to build a 2,700-square-foot entry and gathering addition while avoiding added pavement in front of the building and removal of protected trees, applicants said. “The overall purpose for the project and the goal is to provide a dedicated entry space, that also increases, square footage for fellowship before and after service,” said Dustin Todd of Archol Architects.

City staff summarized the regulatory background and findings. Staff described the site as a legally nonconforming property that was built in 1983 and later annexed and rezoned; the site is at the maximum 45% lot coverage allowed by current code. Staff said all three required variance criteria for the nonuse area variance were met and that three of the four secondary criteria were met, recommending approval of a reduction to 211 spaces to permit the proposed addition. Staff also noted prior board cases with similar characteristics.

Applicant testimony explained operational reasons the church believes the full code parking requirement is not needed. “We actually have to separate this addition from the existing building with a firewall,” Dustin Todd said, describing how the planned addition will be separated from sanctuary space and would not be used for worship. Ken Murphy, senior pastor of Cypress Church, said the congregation’s typical attendance is about 500 split across multiple services and that a recent parking study showed roughly 44% peak utilization. “Christmas, Easter are gonna be the big ones. But, no, that's not, parking has not been our issue in Dublin,” Murphy said.

Board discussion focused on the four statutory/ordinance criteria. Several members agreed the property’s prior construction under different township zoning, the presence of mature trees, and the existing lot coverage supported a finding of special circumstances. Board members also noted that alternatives—adding parking or expanding in ways that meet current code—would likely require separate lot-coverage variances or tree permits. One board member said similar church cases, including decisions in 1998 and a later February case, had set precedent for comparable relief.

A motion to approve the nonuse area variance to zoning code section 153.212 carried on a roll-call vote in favor by all voting members present. The board did not record any opposing votes during roll call. The motion’s approval allows the church to proceed with building the stated addition under the site plan and parking configuration presented to the board, subject to any building-permit and site-plan review requirements outside the variance decision.

Less critical meeting items: staff noted there will be a joint training session with Dublin City Council in September and that further information will be provided to board members.

Votes at a glance: The board approved a nonuse area variance to zoning code section 153.212 to reduce required parking for Cypress Church (7055 Avery Road) to 211 spaces (outcome: approved).