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Columbus zoning board approves variances for apartments, fences and storage; tables one Livingston case
Summary
At a special April 28 meeting, the Columbus Board of Zoning Adjustment approved multiple variances — including reduced parking for a 108‑unit Chesapeake Ave. project and a fence/vision‑clearance variance for 42 E. Tompkins — and tabled one application after an applicant requested more time.
The Columbus Board of Zoning Adjustment met in special session on April 28 to hear a string of variance requests affecting neighborhoods across the city and approved the majority of cases on the agenda.
The board tabled a last‑minute request to hold case 2167/2187 (21672187 East Livingston Avenue) after attorney Laura Komack told the panel the applicant is resolving a site‑planning issue and may not need BZA review. "There's a chance I don't need this BZA at all," Komack said. The board voted to table the item.
Major approvals included a parking variance for 1201 Chesapeake Avenue, where the developer sought stacked parking and a reduction in required spaces from 162 to 138 to serve a 108‑unit building. Attorney David Hodge told the board the project "removed a floor" and reduced units from 128 to 108; staff and the Fifth by Northwest Area Commission recommended approval. A nearby tenant, Monica Tuttle, said private parking spaces in front of her business are frequently taken by others and raised concerns about notice to tenants. Hodge said the applicant submitted the required affidavit and posted the notice sign, and staff maintained the proposal is consistent with city guidance and transit proximity.
A contested request at 42 East Tompkins Street for a six‑foot ornamental fence and elimination of portions of vision‑clearance triangles prompted the lengthiest public comment. Church representatives cited child safety and vandalism as reasons to enclose a new grass play area; traffic staff testified the proposed location and 30% opacity would not obstruct requisite sight lines and noted East Tompkins is one‑way westbound. Neighbor Kathy Kramer opposed eliminating the 30×30 triangle, calling it "a complete elimination of a safety requirement." After discussion, the board approved the vision‑clearance variances.
Other approvals on the consent docket or after brief discussion included setbacks or fence‑related variances at 3547 Lindstrom Drive; a combination of lot‑coverage and setback variances at 267 Reinhardt Avenue; an ADU parking reduction at 410 Hamilton Avenue; permission to move and extend chain‑link fencing at 1574 Harrisburg Pike (owners cited material cost differences and property‑line correction); storage setback reductions at 411 Commerce Square; expansion‑related variances for a volleyball facility at 6835 Caine Road; and a floor‑area‑ratio increase for a new home at 1288 Indianola Avenue. In most cases staff recommended approval and several neighborhood area commissions supported the requests.
Votes and next steps: the board recorded motions and roll‑call votes for each item and granted the variances that were found consistent with the Dunkin factors and city planning guidance. The applicant for the tabled Livingston Avenue case may return when the site‑planning question is resolved. The board adjourned at the close of the agenda.
Votes at a glance (cases referenced at hearing): • 21672187 East Livingston Ave — motion to table after applicant request; outcome: tabled. • 1201 Chesapeake Ave — requested stacked parking and reduction from 162 to 138 spaces for a 108‑unit building; outcome: variance granted after applicant and staff testimony. • 42 E. Tompkins St (BZA25‑134) — request to reduce vision‑clearance triangles to enclose a grass area with a 6‑ft wrought‑iron fence; outcome: variance granted after extensive public comment and testimony from traffic staff. • 3547 Lindstrom Dr — privacy fence setback reduction to legitimize an existing fence; outcome: granted. • 267 Reinhardt Ave — multiple minor setbacks and lot‑coverage variances; outcome: granted. • 410 Hamilton Ave — ADU parking reduction from 4 to 2 spaces; outcome: granted. • 1574 Harrisburg Pike — chain‑link fencing variance tied to parcel boundary adjustments; outcome: granted (applicants cited cost differential with alternative fence materials). • 6835 Caine Rd — multiple variances to expand an indoor/outdoor volleyball facility; outcome: granted with staff conditions to consult the city forester. • 411 Commerce Square — outdoor storage setback reductions; outcome: granted. • 1288 Indianola Ave — FAR increase for a new single‑family home with ADU; outcome: granted.
The board listed conditions where appropriate (for example, coordination with the city forester on street trees for larger site work). Several neighbors raised safety and visibility concerns during testimony; staff and division of traffic management responded with sight‑line measurements and the city staff recommendation. The chair closed the meeting after the final roll call and adjourned.
