Landmarks commission gives conceptual approval, recommends variance for renovation at 41–43 W. Columbus St.

The Canal Winchester Landmarks Commission on June 22 approved, in concept, a substantial renovation to 41–43 West Columbus Street and recommended that the Planning & Zoning Commission grant a variance to reduce the side‑yard setback from five feet to 1 foot 7 inches for a proposed two‑car garage.

The applicant, Kevin Illich, told the commission the project would remove a failing rear addition, return the building to a single‑family dwelling and add a compact two‑car garage at the rear accessed from Liberty Street. "This is gonna be a fun one — we've been working on this one for quite a bit," Illich said as he presented plans and photos of the existing structure and proposed elevations.

Why it matters: the house is historic and sits in a dense Old Town block where existing garage-to-garage conditions are common. Commission members said they wanted to balance preservation of visible historic fabric (stone foundation, window proportions and trim) with the applicant's goal of adding modern living space and parking.

What the commission approved and required: commissioners voted unanimously to (1) give conceptual approval to the project's massing and window/trim direction; (2) approve standing‑seam metal roofing on the main two‑story front gable in Tener's gray and require the remainder of the roof to transition to graphite asphalt shingles as shown; (3) allow removal of the foundation skirting solely for exploratory work to determine the condition of the underlying rubble limestone; and (4) forward a recommendation to Planning & Zoning supporting a variance that would reduce the side‑yard setback from 5 feet to 1 foot 7 inches, contingent on documentation described below.

Staff and procedural requirements: Andrew, the city staff reviewer, told commissioners that the current plan still required a boundary survey and an overlay that dimensionally confirms the proposed 1 ft 7 in setback. He noted the applicant’s original site plan had conflicting dimensions and that staff would need a survey and a written justification to forward to the zoning board. As Andrew summarized, the current proposal “does not meet setback requirements and a variance would be required.” The commission asked the applicant to provide a survey, material samples and a short justification for why the variance would be appropriate; staff will include the commission's recommendation and the supporting materials in the Planning & Zoning packet.

Materials and historic treatment: Illich and the design team discussed several preservation choices: exposing and repointing the original front limestone foundation where feasible, using LP SmartSide (4" x 12" exposure) to match uncovered siding beneath existing aluminum, and preserving or reproducing original window proportions. Commissioners also discussed whether some rafter tail and trim elements are structural; they asked that any repairs match existing tongue‑and‑groove dimensioning and be documented with samples and side‑by‑side photos before new roofing is applied.

Next steps: the commission conditioned its conceptual approval on receiving the boundary survey and clear material specifications. The landmarks vote to recommend the variance and the conditional approvals will be included in the Planning & Zoning review. The motion to approve application CA‑26‑023 passed on a voice/roll‑call vote with all members present voting yes.

A note on scope: the commission’s action was a conceptual approval and recommendation; detailed trim, window shop drawings, final material selections and construction‑level drawings will return to landmarks staff for review as required prior to issuance of permits.