Development commission recommends approval of 264-unit Amherst/Demorest Road apartment project amid strong traffic concerns

The Columbus City Development Commission voted on July 10 to forward a rezoning for Amherst Park — a Metro Development proposal for up to 264 apartment units on a roughly 14.07-acre site along Demorest/Amherst Road — to Columbus City Council with a recommendation of approval, after multiple rounds of revisions and extensive public comment on traffic and density.

Metro Development’s application seeks an LAR-1 limited apartment residential district to permit multiunit development on property pending annexation into the city. The staff report recommends conditional approval, noting mitigation including preserved tree lines, buffering, added sidewalks and a required clarification on an off-site improvement funding item of approximately $193,166.16 tied to a nearby roundabout or intersection project.