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Planning commission declines to recommend rezoning for proposed hotel on North Hamilton Road
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Summary
After extended public comment and commissioner questions, Gahanna’s Planning Commission did not recommend rezoning 4530 N. Hamilton Road from Neighborhood Commercial to General Commercial for a proposed 60-foot, 86-room hotel; staff had recommended disapproval citing incompatibility with the land use plan.
The Gahanna Planning Commission on Feb. 11 declined to recommend that the City Council rezone 4530 North Hamilton Road from Neighborhood Commercial (NC) to General Commercial (GC), a move that would have cleared the way, proponents said, for a four‑story, 60‑foot Comfort Inn & Suites with 86 rooms.
Planning staff advised against the rezoning, saying NC was intentionally assigned to this parcel in 2024 because the site abuts multiple residential neighborhoods and that GC permits higher‑intensity uses that are incompatible with adjacent homes. "Finally staff recommends disapproval of the rezoning as submitted," staff told commissioners.
Applicant representative Rebecca Mott said the hotel would bring jobs and tax revenue and offered a compromise: a limited overlay restricting the parcel to hotel use only. "The problem is that the actual zoning district does not permit a hotel," Mott said, arguing the site’s location at a gateway and the hotel’s bedding-tax revenue supported the request. She also said the applicant performed a traffic study and proposed landscaping and screening.
Residents from the adjacent Woods at Shagbark condo community and other neighbors urged the commission to reject rezoning. Ken Johnson raised concerns about curb cuts and private access on Shagbark Road; Bruce Brown cited noise and safety concerns given the proximity of a school bus stop; Bill Miller, a retired architect, argued that a 60‑foot building would tower over the neighborhood; and Jane Miller cited police-incident statistics for hotels and questioned local demand.
Commissioners questioned whether a single-use hotel satisfies the "mixed-use" goals of the North Gateway focus area and raised traffic, buffering, and height concerns. Multiple commissioners said they were not convinced the rezoning meets the land‑use plan’s compatibility criteria.
Commissioner Soriano moved to recommend approval; Tamarkin seconded. The applicant requested tabling; the chair denied the request. After discussion, the motion failed in roll call, so Planning Commission will not forward a recommendation of approval to City Council, and the rezoning application will not proceed to council for a vote in its current form.
Next steps: without a favorable recommendation from Planning Commission, the rezoning application does not advance to City Council; the applicant may revise the proposal or request further meetings with staff and the neighborhood.
