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Board grants five variances and approves COA for mixed-use project at 7372 East Main Street
Summary
After staff explained floodplain constraints and lot configuration, the board granted five variances requested by Vets EmTech LLC for a 2,000 sq ft mixed-use building at 7372 East Main Street and approved a related certificate of appropriateness with conditions tied to the variances.
The Reynoldsburg Planning & Zoning Board on April 16 approved five variances and a certificate of appropriateness for a proposed 2,000-square-foot mixed-use building at 7372 East Main Street, a parcel the staff said is partially in the floodplain and accessed by an established alley/easement rather than a public right of way.
Staff (application 20260123) explained that the applicant seeks five variances because the narrow, irregular lot and floodplain constraints make strict compliance with several Old Reynoldsburg design and parking standards impracticable. The requested exceptions included: not requiring public-right-of-way access (allowing access via an established path), permitting vehicles to leave the site in reverse rather than forward motion, allowing one unmarked 12-foot ADA-sized parking space in lieu of a designated ADA space, and waivers of two interior-lot landscaping tree requirements for residential and commercial uses.
Staff recommended approval, noting similar variances had been granted previously by city council in 2024 but had expired; staff said the requested variances are primarily justified by lot size, floodplain/floodway constraints and the parcel’s historic split. The applicant, architect Dino Herbert, described plans to keep the building footprint outside the mapped flood plain, coordinate with the floodplain administrator for grading and utilities, and rely on nearby public parking and reciprocal easement access.
Board members discussed hardship, uniqueness of the parcel and alternatives. Multiple board members said they were convinced the parcel’s unique configuration and existing conditions justified the variances; one member raised concern about precedent but the city attorney advised a motion could be drafted to limit applicability (for example, to attached single-family/townhome lots rather than detached single-family homes).
Each variance was moved and voted on separately and the board recorded affirmative roll-call votes on all five variances. With the variances approved, staff presented application 20260124 for a certificate of appropriateness covering building materials, colors and elevations; staff recommended approval with the condition that the variances be granted where applicable. The board approved the COA with staff recommendations.
