Columbus Developers Use Council Variances for Corridor Housing Ahead of Phase 2 Hearing
Planning staff advised an applicant to utilize a council variance as City Council prepares for a public hearing on Zone In Phase 2.
In 2026, Columbus recorded 113 council variance requests and 45 rezoning applications, creating a ratio of 2.51 council variances for every rezoning.
In 2018, city development records logged 68 council variances and 47 rezonings.
By 2025, variance requests grew to 113 filings compared to 44 rezonings, reaching 2.57 council variances for each rezoning.
In 2021, the city recorded 120 council variances and 93 rezonings.
Planning Staff Direct Applications to Variances
In a zoning filing for 7575 Huntington Park Drive, the applicant proposed to redevelop a 9.934-acre site with a 288-unit multi-unit residential development.
Because the property sits within the modernization boundaries of Zone In Phase 2, staff advised the applicant to utilize a companion council variance to allow the proposed residential use in the commercial district.
In support of the variance request, the developer noted that Phase 2 of Zone In Columbus is expected to zone the property as a Regional Activity Center, an intended designation that allows residential outright, permits buildings up to seven stories and 85 feet, and sets no minimum vehicular parking requirement.
The application also stated that residential development on the site continues an established neighborhood pattern, as the applicant previously developed the multifamily community directly across Huntington Park Drive.
Multi-Unit Proposals in Commercial and Manufacturing Districts
At 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, an applicant requested a council variance to redevelop 16.59 acres with an apartment complex containing up to 420 dwelling units in limited manufacturing and commercial districts.
At 2424 W. Dublin-Granville Road, a council variance filing for 9.88 acres proposes a multi-unit residential development of 192 dwelling units with ground-floor residential uses in a commercial district.
At 4515 Winchester Pike, a council variance filing for 9.6 acres seeks to allow a multi-unit residential development of 180 dwelling units in the limited commercial district.
Further variance requests propose apartment complexes in manufacturing zones, including a 6.1-acre site at 966 Dublin Road and a 6.3-acre site at 2695 Parsons Avenue.
Zone In Phase 2 and Public Hearing
Planning division chief zoning official Shannon presented Zone In Phase 2 to the Board of Zoning Appeals, stating that the draft rezoning will affect roughly "40% of the city."
Shannon explained that Phase 2 translates the Columbus Growth Strategy into draft zoning districts and assignations intended to spur housing and economic investment along corridors and at business and institutional campuses.
According to a City Council public notice, the second phase of the initiative updates the city's 70-year-old zoning code by focusing on areas primed for enhanced mixed-use development, industrial and warehouse operations, and institutional campuses.
The city held a 60-day public comment period on the modernization proposal from Aug. 15 through Oct. 24 to collect public survey feedback.
Columbus City Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, chair of the Zoning Committee, is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Council Chambers at Columbus City Hall, 90 W. Broad St.
The hearing is set to present a summary of public survey comments, and members of the public can submit written testimony by emailing Kevin McCain at kbmccain@columbus.gov by 3 p.m. on the day of the hearing.
Members of the public can also sign up to speak in person at the hearing, where remarks are limited to three minutes.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Columbus Accela records (dataset query)
Supporting evidence (1)
In 2026, Columbus recorded 113 council variance requests and 45 rezoning applications, creating a ratio of 2.51 council variances for every rezoning.
Read supporting passage
filing_year,council_variances,rezonings,cv_to_z_ratio 2026,113,45,2.51
Central Ohio project events (seed) (dataset query)
Supporting evidence (3)
In 2018, city development records logged 68 council variances and 47 rezonings.
Read supporting passage
filing_year: 2018; council_variances: 68; rezonings: 47; cv_to_z_ratio: 1.45
By 2025, variance requests grew to 113 filings compared to 44 rezonings, reaching 2.57 council variances for each rezoning.
Read supporting passage
filing_year: 2025; council_variances: 113; rezonings: 44; cv_to_z_ratio: 2.57
In 2021, the city recorded 120 council variances and 93 rezonings.
Read supporting passage
filing_year: 2021; council_variances: 120; rezonings: 93; cv_to_z_ratio: 1.29
Z26-037 · Rezoning — 7575 HUNTINGTON PARK DR COLUMBUS OH
Supporting evidence (2)
In a zoning filing for 7575 Huntington Park Drive, the applicant proposed to redevelop a 9.934-acre site with a 288-unit multi-unit residential development.
Read supporting passage
The Applicant proposes to redevelop the 9.934 acre site at 7575 Huntington Park Drive with a 288-unit multi-unit residential development.
Because the property sits within the modernization boundaries of Zone In Phase 2, staff advised the applicant to utilize a companion council variance to allow the proposed residential use in the commercial district.
Read supporting passage
PROPERTY IN ZONE-IN PHASE 2; ADVISED APPLICANT TO UTILIZE THE CONCURRENT CV (CV26-086) TO ALLOW PROPOSED USE IN THE CPD DISTRICT 9.2.26
Supporting evidence (2)
In support of the variance request, the developer noted that Phase 2 of Zone In Columbus is expected to zone the property as a Regional Activity Center, an intended designation that allows residential outright, permits buildings up to seven stories and 85 feet, and sets no minimum vehicular parking requirement.
Read supporting passage
Phase 2 of Zone In Columbus is expected to zone the Property Regional Activity Center. That district is intended, by its own terms, to address large, auto-oriented sites made up of large footprint buildings and large parking areas, and to open them to gradual or transformative redevelopment into walkable environments mixing residential and non-residential uses. It allows residential outright, permits principal buildings up to seven stories and eighty-five (85) feet, and sets no minimum vehicular parking requirement.
The application also stated that residential development on the site continues an established neighborhood pattern, as the applicant previously developed the multifamily community directly across Huntington Park Drive.
Read supporting passage
The Applicant developed the multifamily community directly across Huntington Park Drive, and residential use is now an established part of this immediate area rather than a departure from it.
Columbus Accela records (dataset query)
Supporting evidence (5)
At 4560 Hilton Corporate Drive, an applicant requested a council variance to redevelop 16.59 acres with an apartment complex containing up to 420 dwelling units in limited manufacturing and commercial districts.
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record_no: CV26-113; address: 4560 HILTON CORPORATE DR COLUMBUS OH; status: Active; text: CV26-113 4560 Hilton Corporate Dr. (43232) 010-118862; 16.59 acres To allow redevelopment of the site with an apartment complex containing up to 420 dwelling units in the L-M, Limited Manufacturing and C-4, Commercial districts. Variances to increase building heights and reduced building setbacks are included in the request. Greater South East Area Commission Accelerate Staff Review Assigned Planner: Alyssa Saltzman, [email protected]
At 2424 W. Dublin-Granville Road, a council variance filing for 9.88 acres proposes a multi-unit residential development of 192 dwelling units with ground-floor residential uses in a commercial district.
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record_no: CV26-099; address: 2424 W DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD COLUMBUS OH; status: Active; text: CV26-099 2424 W. DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD. (43235) 610-213843, PART OF 610-213846 & 9 OTHERS; 9.88 ACRES TO ALLOW A MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT DEVIATES FROM THE APPROVED SITE PLANS FOR Z19-023 (L-AR-1), Z01-057 (PUD-4), AND TO ALLOW GROUND FLOOR RESIDENTIAL USES IN THE L-C-4 DISTRICT. FAR NORTHWEST COALITION 192 DWELLING UNITS ACCELERATED RESIDENTIAL REVIEW ASSIGNED PLANNER: JOE ROSE; [email protected]
At 4515 Winchester Pike, a council variance filing for 9.6 acres seeks to allow a multi-unit residential development of 180 dwelling units in the limited commercial district.
Read supporting passage
record_no: CV26-024; address: 4515 WINCHESTER PI COLUMBUS; status: Active; text: CV26-024 4515 WINCHESTER PIKE (43232) 530-156578; 9.6 ACRES TO ALLOW A MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE L-C-4, LIMITED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT WITH REDUCED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS 180 DWELLING UNITS GREATER SOUTHEAST AREA COMMISSION ACCELERATED STAFF REVIEW ASSIGNED PLANNER: JOE ROSE; [email protected]
Further variance requests propose apartment complexes in manufacturing zones, including a 6.1-acre site at 966 Dublin Road and a 6.3-acre site at 2695 Parsons Avenue.
Read supporting passage
record_no: CV26-050; address: 966 DUBLIN RD COLUMBUS OH; status: Active; text: GRANDVIEW CROSSING FCEO CV26-050 966 DUBLIN RD. (43215) 6.1 ACRES; PARTS OF 010-129643, 010-301419, AND 010-302757 TO ALLOW AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THE M, MANUFACTURING DISTRICT and CPD, COMMERCIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT WITH REDUCED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. ACCELERATED RESIDENTIAL REVIEW Alyssa Saltzman, [email protected]; 614-645-9625
Further variance requests propose apartment complexes in manufacturing zones, including a 6.1-acre site at 966 Dublin Road and a 6.3-acre site at 2695 Parsons Avenue.
Read supporting passage
record_no: CV26-070; address: 2695 Parsons AVE Columbus Oh; status: Active; text: Parsons Commons CV26-070 2695 PARSONS AVE. (43207) 6.3 ACRES; 010-112331 TO ALLOW AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THE L-M, LIMITED MANUFACTURING DISTRICT WITH REDUCED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. ACCELERATED RESIDENTIAL REVIEW Alyssa Saltzman, [email protected]; 614-645-9625
Supporting evidence (2)
Planning division chief zoning official Shannon presented Zone In Phase 2 to the Board of Zoning Appeals, stating that the draft rezoning will affect roughly "40% of the city."
Read supporting passage
Shannon, the planning division's chief zoning official, presented Phase 2 of the Zone In zoning update to the Board of Zoning Appeals, saying the work will affect roughly "40% of the city."
Shannon explained that Phase 2 translates the Columbus Growth Strategy into draft zoning districts and assignations intended to spur housing and economic investment along corridors and at business and institutional campuses.
Read supporting passage
She said Phase 2 translates the Columbus Growth Strategy into draft zoning districts and assignations intended to spur housing and economic investment along corridors and at institutional and business campuses.
Supporting evidence (6)
According to a City Council public notice, the second phase of the initiative updates the city's 70-year-old zoning code by focusing on areas primed for enhanced mixed-use development, industrial and warehouse operations, and institutional campuses.
Read supporting passage
The second phase of Zone In, the city’s ongoing initiative to modernize its 70-year-old zoning code, will focus on areas primed for enhanced mixed-use development, industrial and warehouse operations, and business and institutional campuses.
The city held a 60-day public comment period on the modernization proposal from Aug. 15 through Oct. 24 to collect public survey feedback.
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The third public hearing will present a summary of all the public comments received by the City through the Zone In public survey during the 60 day public comment period that ran from August 15 - October 24, 2026.
Columbus City Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, chair of the Zoning Committee, is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Council Chambers at Columbus City Hall, 90 W. Broad St.
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Columbus City Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, chair of the Zoning Committee, will hold four public hearings during the fall regarding the proposed Phase II of Zone In.
Columbus City Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, chair of the Zoning Committee, is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Council Chambers at Columbus City Hall, 90 W. Broad St.
Read supporting passage
Public Hearing 3: A Summary of the Public Comment • Thursday - November 5, 2026 • Columbus City Hall - Council Chambers • 90 West Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215 • 6:00pm-8:00pm
The hearing is set to present a summary of public survey comments, and members of the public can submit written testimony by emailing Kevin McCain at kbmccain@columbus.gov by 3 p.m. on the day of the hearing.
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If you would like to provide written or public testimony, including signing up to speak at the hearing, email Kevin McCain at kbmccain@columbus.gov. Written testimony must be received by 3:00pm on the day of the hearing - please include “written testimony” in the subject line of your email.
Members of the public can also sign up to speak in person at the hearing, where remarks are limited to three minutes.
Read supporting passage
Members of the public can also sign up to speak in person at the hearing. Each speaker will be asked to limit their remarks to no longer than three minutes.