Columbus holds public hearing on proposed zoning changes to allow accessory dwelling units

Columbus City Council on Tuesday heard more than two hours of testimony and staff briefing on a proposed zoning rewrite to allow accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, more broadly in residential districts as part of the council’s “Housing for All” initiative.

Councilmember Otto Beatty opened the public hearing, saying, “The purpose of this public hearing is not only to discuss the potential legislation, but more importantly, to hear from residents, homeowners, neighborhood leaders, and advocacy organizations about their ideas, opinions, and experiences with ADUs.” The council said a draft ordinance will be circulated to the public in the coming weeks.

Chief Zoning Officer Shannon Pine told the council an ADU is “a second residential dwelling unit which provides complete independent living facilities for 1 or more persons,” and walked through proposed code changes intended to streamline construction by removing the need for many property owners to pursue council variances. Pine said the city analyzed 44 ADUs approved between 2019 and 2023 and found an average unit size of about 722 square feet and an average height of 22 feet; the completed examples reviewed were predominantly…