Board approves variance, COA and major site plan for 103‑unit 'Heights on Main' mixed‑use project with conditions

The Reynoldsburg Planning & Zoning Board approved on Aug. 21 a package of approvals for a proposed five‑story, 59‑foot‑6‑inch mixed‑use building at 7185 East Main Street — a project the applicant calls the Heights on Main — including a variance reducing first‑floor minimum clear ceiling heights, a certificate of appropriateness (COA) and the major site plan, subject to staff conditions.

Staff presented the project (application 20250404 and related filings) as a 103‑unit mixed‑income development proposed by Metropolitan Housing Partners with substantial involvement from Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA). CMHA’s Bethany Hahnembergis said the project will provide 103 units, 25 of which will have project‑based vouchers, and that the project had won federal and state low‑income housing tax credits. She said the development was identified by the city as an opportunity and that the project aligns with transit plans that include a proposed bus rapid transit line.

The primary variance request concerned the code’s minimum clear first‑floor ceiling height (staff interpreted the code’s minimum clear ceiling height as the distance from finished floor to the lowest hanging point of the ceiling, excluding ductwork and mechanical). The applicant argued that structural, mechanical and floodplain constraints — including a 72‑inch sanitary sewer that bisects the site and limits buildable area — made strict compliance infeasible for a five‑story building that also must meet permitted overall height limits. Architect and consultant Anoop Janardhan (Moody Nolan) and the applicant’s engineering team described multiple configuration iterations (L‑shaped, U‑shaped and other footprints), fire‑access and parking constraints, and coordination with the City of Columbus on sewer relocation options; they said a five‑story design was the viable option to achieve the required unit count within site constraints.

Several board members expressed concern about the lack of a local definition for “clear ceiling height” and asked the applicant for additional narrative documenting alternative layouts. Staff acknowledged it had used a trade‑organization definition (NIOP) as an interpretive guide and said it was open to providing an alternative, reputable reference if the applicant supplied one. Neighbors spoke in favor of affordable housing but opposed the five‑story massing and potential changes to Main Street character.

After extended deliberation, the board found the site had unique constraints (floodplain and main sewer line) and that the requested variances were the minimum necessary; Mr. First moved to accept the variance application and the motion passed by roll call. The board then approved the certificate of appropriateness and the major site plan subject to staff’s listed conditions (submitting revised site plan sheets showing front/rear setbacks, foundation and column materials, completed E101–E105 sheets, and either the ceiling‑height variance or a revised COA meeting ORDC minimums). Applicant representatives said they would provide the revisions. The approvals allow the applicant to proceed to final permitting steps with staff‑required revisions.