April 7, 20241 yr The collective panic and utter car dependent and parking bias of the media about the zoning changes kills me. Every article is basically uproar about parking. Developers will barely build a structure downtown without too much parking, where there are no parking requirements. Do people really think developers are angling to build en masse outside of downtown with no parking when they understand that they still have to attract tenants? It's not just the comments melting brains. It's the authors melting brains too.
April 7, 20241 yr This graphic identifying LinkUS corridors is contained in the zoning report. I don't think I've seen it before, what stood out to me is that it identifies the mode for each including North High and Downtown-CMH-Easton light rail lines
April 7, 20241 yr 7 hours ago, DTCL11 said: The collective panic and utter car dependent and parking bias of the media about the zoning changes kills me. Every article is basically uproar about parking. Developers will barely build a structure downtown without too much parking, where there are no parking requirements. Do people really think developers are angling to build en masse outside of downtown with no parking when they understand that they still have to attract tenants? It's not just the comments melting brains. It's the authors melting brains too. Bill Bush is a forever complainer. I don’t think he has ever written an article that wasn’t whining about something.
April 8, 20241 yr Interview: City Leaders Ginther, Hardin & Dorans Weigh in on Zoning Updates Columbus residents got their first look at the proposed updates to the city’s zoning code last week, which would allow for default development density along major corridors. The changes mark the first time the code has been comprehensively revised in 70 years, and local leaders want to stress the importance of the project. Columbus Underground sat down last Tuesday with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, City Council President Shannon Hardin, and City Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans for a conversation about the zoning code changes. “I do think this is one of the most important and consequential times for our city,” stated Ginther. “I do believe that the next 10 to 15 years will determine the quality of life in this community for the next 50 to 100 years. We’ve grown pretty gradually and consistently, but what we have started seeing and what we’re going to continue to see in the next 30 years is dramatically different.” Ginther pointed out that the city has more than doubled in population since the last time the zoning code was overhauled. “80 percent of the city is zoned for single family homes, which might have worked 70 years ago, but that doesn’t really work for a city of a million people,” he stated. “We want this growth that we know is coming to be dynamic and inclusive, and we want to make sure that everybody that works in our region can afford to live here too — regardless what they do for a living — so these things are absolutely critically important.” More below: https://columbusunderground.com/city-leaders-ginther-hardin-dorans-weigh-in-on-zoning-updates-we1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 8, 20241 yr How Columbus' new zoning code could impact the development process Columbus City Council Monday will consider legislation that will kick off a public review period of newly unveiled zoning code, which encourages more height, increased density and fewer parking spaces in future developments. In this week's Punch List, our weekly analysis of the region's commercial real estate trends, we'll take a look at what the new zoning code could mean for the development process in Columbus. What's in the proposed zoning code? Changes proposed in the new zoning code include: Six new mixed-use districts, with allowances for more height. (In many of these corridors today, the maximum height allowed is 35 feet, or about three stories. No mixed-use zoning districts exist today.) No parking requirements in the mixed-use districts. (Fifty-six cities in the U.S. have eliminated all parking requirements, including Austin, Minneapolis, Raleigh and Toronto. Columbus city officials say that parking can be a barrier to more affordable housing.) Objective design standards, including regulations about how a building should interact with the street and pedestrians. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/04/08/zoning-code-overhaul-columbus-development-impact.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 8, 20241 yr Also takes power away from the neighborhood commissions that insist buildings be shorter than proposed. When the building is over 35 feet it doesn't trigger an automatic review by the commissions.
April 9, 20241 yr 13 hours ago, GCrites said: Also takes power away from the neighborhood commissions that insist buildings be shorter than proposed. When the building is over 35 feet it doesn't trigger an automatic review by the commissions. In certain areas the 35' height was the max allowed by current zoning so those projects went to a commission. I believe this will still happen if a project wants to exceed the new allowable height.
April 9, 20241 yr I haven't seen a map on where the 6 new districts will go yet, so I am curious to see if some major corridors still have rather limited height regulations. Some of the new standards won't exactly allow significantly higher buildings than the current 35'- basically from 3-story max to 4-5-story max. If anything, I think the overall maximum heights are still too low across the board. A lot of projects will still likely go to neighborhood commissions. Fewer yes, but we're still going to be dealing with the same NIMBY and anti-urban influence we always have in more neighborhoods than we really should have to. I can totally see Clintonville, for example, getting the lowest of the new standards in part to ruffle the fewest feathers rather than what should truly be the new zoning standards there. It makes me a little concerned that the 2nd phase of the new zoning rollout, which includes all the actual neighborhoods and not just main corridors, will not offer the necessary changes to truly allow more density. For example, I'm not convinced that we see parking eliminations in those areas, or the end of exclusionary zoning for single-family housing. None of this is to say that the new codes won't help, because they absolutely will. But I definitely think they won't go far enough in many areas.
April 9, 20241 yr According to info posted up-thread, the blue areas on this map have a 48' max hgt. Orange (or maybe red?) have a 60' max, 85' if the building contains affordable housing. In Clintonville, this appears to be at Broadway and High and Henderson and High. That said, the proposed building at Weber and High is taller than 48' so it would have needed to appear in front of the commission regardless.
April 9, 20241 yr 3 hours ago, Pablo said: According to info posted up-thread, the blue areas on this map have a 48' max hgt. Orange (or maybe red?) have a 60' max, 85' if the building contains affordable housing. In Clintonville, this appears to be at Broadway and High and Henderson and High. That said, the proposed building at Weber and High is taller than 48' so it would have needed to appear in front of the commission regardless. Thanks, and that's kind of confirming my worry. Nowhere on High Street should there be a 4-story max, IMO.
April 9, 20241 yr Milwaukee Ave through Wicker Park in Chicago is mostly 4 stories with taller buildings near L stations. There are a few one and two story buildings mixed in. Looks pretty good to me!
April 9, 20241 yr 38 minutes ago, Pablo said: Milwaukee Ave through Wicker Park in Chicago is mostly 4 stories with taller buildings near L stations. There are a few one and two story buildings mixed in. Looks pretty good to me! Yeah I agree. Not everything needs to be 10+ and if done properly 4 stories looks great! Short north has a bunch of 2-5 story buildings and it looks great as well.
April 10, 20241 yr 3 hours ago, Pablo said: Milwaukee Ave through Wicker Park in Chicago is mostly 4 stories with taller buildings near L stations. There are a few one and two story buildings mixed in. Looks pretty good to me! A preserved historic neighborhood built a century ago is not really a good comparison or what I'm talking about. I am also not advocating we demolish German Village or the houses on Neil for highrises. My criticism is more about the limitations of the maximum in areas that look like this: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wHmag9H46PtvzkMP9 or this https://maps.app.goo.gl/nGBtz6C8Fj516Bmw6 or this https://maps.app.goo.gl/PrZ2SmMW4xyNuCGZ6 etc. We're essentially talking about a lot of blank slates on major corridors through the city. I am not saying that 4 story buildings can't lead to a vibrant neighborhood, but vibrant neighborhoods do not suddenly cease to be possible at 5, 6, 10, etc. stories. 4 stories really feels like a compromise with the NIMBYs rather than a true push for density and housing. Just my opinion, people can agree or not, but I would've doubled the height maximums across the board. Edited April 10, 20241 yr by jonoh81
April 10, 20241 yr I wasn’t necessarily looking at the historic nature of that neighborhood, just at the physical form. Milwaukee Ave (roughly 4 lanes) is narrower than High south of Torrence (7 lanes!!). To achieve the same sense of enclosure perhaps you’re right that new buildings need to be taller.
April 10, 20241 yr Well, well, well, the plan calls for 4 to 7 story buildings along the entire north side of German Village. Livingston Ave from Front to Parsons.
April 10, 20241 yr On 4/4/2024 at 7:12 PM, CbusOrBust said: Also- you can go in person to the Zone In Gallery... "The City of Columbus is launching the “Zone In Gallery” on April 9th as a hub for information, questions and feedback on the process. “This gallery will be the focus of community engagement for the 60 day comment period,” stated Jennifer Fening, Deputy Director of the Department of Development with the City of Columbus. “It will be open to the public six days a week where residents can come in, learn about the process we’ve been through, learn why the code is broken, and learn about the proposal in front of them. They can have their questions answered and give their comments for consideration as we look to refine the code it and get it right.” Located at 141 North Front Street, the Zone In Gallery is on the ground floor of the city’s employee parking garage, where visitors to the Gallery space can park for free, making accessibility easy for all. Fening added that city planners will be available for one-on-one sessions with residents who are impacted directly or adjacent to the parcels that will be impacted by the changes." https://columbusunderground.com/the-zone-in-gallery-is-open-for-business-we1/ Anybody been to the Zone in Gallery yet? I have an appointment for tomorrow afternoon! Can't wait to hear what they have to say.
April 11, 20241 yr On 4/8/2024 at 4:58 PM, ColDayMan said: How Columbus' new zoning code could impact the development process Columbus City Council Monday will consider legislation that will kick off a public review period of newly unveiled zoning code, which encourages more height, increased density and fewer parking spaces in future developments. In this week's Punch List, our weekly analysis of the region's commercial real estate trends, we'll take a look at what the new zoning code could mean for the development process in Columbus. What's in the proposed zoning code? Changes proposed in the new zoning code include: Six new mixed-use districts, with allowances for more height. (In many of these corridors today, the maximum height allowed is 35 feet, or about three stories. No mixed-use zoning districts exist today.) No parking requirements in the mixed-use districts. (Fifty-six cities in the U.S. have eliminated all parking requirements, including Austin, Minneapolis, Raleigh and Toronto. Columbus city officials say that parking can be a barrier to more affordable housing.) Objective design standards, including regulations about how a building should interact with the street and pedestrians. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/04/08/zoning-code-overhaul-columbus-development-impact.html Good! Now lets start doing something about getting rid of the numerous surface lots downtown. C'mon City Council.
April 11, 20241 yr Steady stream of people today at the Zone In Gallery on Front St. Stop in if you have a chance. It's open for the next 60 days. https://zone-in-columbus.hub.arcgis.com/
April 24, 20241 yr Well written article on the new zoning code. I didn't know this was in the new code - I like it! Quote The code also includes illustrated design guidelines that require, in many cases, architectural flourishes such as cornices, parapets or other details on larger buildings; murals, plantings or other treatments on any street-level blank walls; and distinctive entrances to large-scale apartment buildings. https://www.matternews.org/voices/on-development-bold-new-zoning-code-would-make-dinosaur-extinct
April 24, 20241 yr Huh yeah, can't just do those corner pieces of EIFS that have another piece of EIFS glued onto them but in a different color.
May 7, 20241 yr We Asked for Responses to the City’s Zoning Proposal – Here’s What We Heard The City of Columbus recently unveiled a series of significant changes to its 70-year-old zoning code, and the release of the new proposal has elicited a wide range of responses. The changes call for establishing new zoning districts along many of the city’s high-traffic urban corridors and in several of its aging retail centers. Collectively, the changes aim to spur the development of much more housing in those areas, by allowing taller buildings with a mix of uses (including residential on the first floor) and by removing rules that can serve as barriers to construction and drive up costs, like parking requirements. Some Columbus residents are concerned about the proposed changes, especially the potential for neighbors to lose their ability to weigh in on development proposals through their local area commissions. Although the role of the neighborhood commissions would technically not change, the number of development proposals that would go before them would likely be reduced – right now almost any development proposal on a main corridor requires several zoning variances to be built, which triggers a meeting with the local commission. The new code is more permissive, and also more aligned with the type of buildings that are typically proposed for these corridors, so more proposals would likely be allowed by right (another way of saying they would not require a variance). The city first hired a consultant to look into its zoning code in the fall of 2020, and an assessment of the code was released about a year later. That assessment found that the current code is complex and confusing, and tends to apply standards for new development that are more appropriate for a suburban development pattern than an urban one. In early 2023, the city announced that the first phase of the reform effort would tackle mixed-use districts along major corridors, with residential and business districts to follow in subsequent updates. The public outreach phase of the zoning reform process launched in November 2022 and included 15 public events and workshops as well as over a hundred updates and presentations to area commissions and other neighborhood groups. The city also launched a Zone In website where it encouraged residents to fill out an online survey, and sent out 78,000 postcards to property owners and renters who could be affected by the proposed changes. According to the Department of Development, that outreach resulted in over 27,400 visits to the website, 5,000 written comments received, and 6,602 completed surveys. City officials also have emphasized throughout the process their intention to reach people who don’t typically take part in these kind of discussions. Of all the participants who opted to share demographic information, the city says 35% were people of color, and 27% were renters. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/we-asked-for-responses-to-the-citys-zoning-proposal-heres-what-we-heard-bw1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 8, 20241 yr I want to know what they're cooking with this big chunk of 'Urban Core' at Alum Creek and Main. It's pretty much all industrial/commercial at the moment with a bunch of different owners. Are they expecting demand for 12-16 story buildings out here? Seems pretty interesting if so. I like the idea.
May 9, 20241 yr 7 hours ago, Imwalle said: I want to know what they're cooking with this big chunk of 'Urban Core' at Alum Creek and Main. It's pretty much all industrial/commercial at the moment with a bunch of different owners. Are they expecting demand for 12-16 story buildings out here? Seems pretty interesting if so. I like the idea. That’s also just outside of the old grain bins that Rapid 5 had used in their videos. I’m some of those renderings you can see that there are outlines for decent sized buildings in that urban core area. Would be great for all of that to happen in that area. It is very much needed and would be a great area for it. Edited May 9, 20241 yr by VintageLife
June 10, 20241 yr Columbus City Council continues to gather feedback on zoning overhaul As the public comment period wraps up on Columbus' newly proposed zoning code, the city held a public hearing on parking and housing to continue to gather feedback. Columbus' zoning code hasn't been comprehensively updated since 1950. This proposal is the first phase of what will likely be several updates to the code. This first phase encourages more height, increased density and fewer parking spaces in future developments. Columbus City Council and city staff held the hearing at the Scioto Southland Community Center. Councilman Rob Dorans said that the goal for the first phase of this zoning code update is to create a more efficient and equitable process. And although this is the first large update of the code in decades, the city plans on monitoring the code closely, he said. "It's been 74 years years since we've updated the code like this, I don't expect it to be another 74 before we make more change," Dorans said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/06/10/zoning-public-hearing.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 13, 20241 yr COLUMBUS REZONED For the first time in more than 70 years, the city is planning to overhaul its zoning codes to allow for denser, taller development along key corridors. When Georgia developer Landmark Properties wanted to build student-focused housing near the Ohio State University campus, the firm reached out to a local architecture firm to lead the project through the process. And what a process it’s been. Bhakti Bania, CEO of BBCO, presented almost a dozen versions of the multifamily project over the course of about two years to the University Area Commission and the University Impact District Review Board before it was ultimately tabled and Landmark decided to pause the project. “As architects, we have to follow the rules, but it sometimes seems like boards don’t have to,” Bania said. “It can be frustrating for us.” And that holds true for many people. But that could change. Columbus’ proposed zoning update would make city development processes clearer and allow more dense development along key corridors. If approved, it could go into effect later this summer. The changes have been a long time coming. The city’s zoning code hasn’t undergone a comprehensive update since 1950. Kevin Wheeler, who is leading the zoning overhaul for the city, said zoning touches every facet of life in our growing region. “We’re at an important time for Columbus’ growth, where we don’t really have the luxury of not acting,” he said. “Cities change, they evolve. They are not static.” More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/06/13/cover-story-zoning.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 19, 2024Jun 19 I hope the zoning change encourages this type of development. 6 units, retail below, parking off the alley for the units. This would be great infill in the proposed Urban General 1 & 2 where 4 story is the max. I could see this popping up on High in Clintonville or on Parsons. The amazing thing is the construction cost of this is $1.68m - that doesn't include soft costs like professional fees or property acquisition. https://chicagoyimby.com/2024/06/six-unit-residential-building-nears-completion-at-1218-w-belmont-avenue-in-lake-view.html
June 19, 2024Jun 19 11 minutes ago, Pablo said: I hope the zoning change encourages this type of development. 6 units, retail below, parking off the alley for the units. This would be great infill in the proposed Urban General 1 & 2 where 4 story is the max. I could see this popping up on High in Clintonville or on Parsons. The amazing thing is the construction cost of this is $1.68m - that doesn't include soft costs like professional fees or property acquisition. https://chicagoyimby.com/2024/06/six-unit-residential-building-nears-completion-at-1218-w-belmont-avenue-in-lake-view.html Would love to see this stuff pop up all over. I haven’t looked at the zoning map closely, what did they classify Indianola around Weber?? This could also be great in that little section.
June 19, 2024Jun 19 1 hour ago, VintageLife said: Would love to see this stuff pop up all over. I haven’t looked at the zoning map closely, what did they classify Indianola around Weber?? This could also be great in that little section. That strip was not part of the commercial zone-in. Indianola north of Broadway to Cooke on the east side will be zoned for 5 story up to 7 with affordable housing. I don't see the Marzetti plant and warehouse and the two schools going anywhere soon.
June 19, 2024Jun 19 23 minutes ago, Pablo said: That strip was not part of the commercial zone-in. Indianola north of Broadway to Cooke on the east side will be zoned for 5 story up to 7 with affordable housing. I don't see the Marzetti plant and warehouse and the two schools going anywhere soon. Yeah I think it will fill in around those, which is fine. It’s good to have a work place around housing. I can see a lot of those businesses on the west side of the road becoming some mixed used stuff.
June 29, 2024Jun 29 City of Columbus presents feedback on proposed zoning code New zoning code in Columbus is one step closer to becoming a reality. Feedback on Columbus’ proposed zoning code update was presented at a public hearing on Thursday. Proponents of the new code say it would make city development processes clearer and allow denser development along key corridors. If approved by Columbus City Council, it could go into effect this summer. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/06/28/zoning-meeting-feedback.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 16, 2024Jul 16 Zoning into the Future: Overhaul of Columbus Zoning Code Will Bring Big Changes Peering out at a packed crowd at the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s forum, Mark Ferenchik couldn’t help but smile. “Usually, zoning is an issue that people don’t talk about,” said Ferenchik, WOSU Public Media’s News Director and for many years a reporter whose beat focused on zoning and city development. “But now,” he said, “the city is embarking on something that will really change the look and feel of the city.” Ferenchik was referring to a proposed major overhaul of Columbus’ 70-year-old zoning code, a proposal that is currently in a 60-day public review period. The changes are prompted, of course, by the city’s recent explosive growth, which has strained the ability of developers to build enough housing — particularly affordable housing — for the rapidly expanding population. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/zoning-into-the-future-overhaul-of-columbus-zoning-code-will-bring-big-changes-tf2/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 17, 2024Jul 17 Author Fourth Zone In Public Hearing The Zone In Initiative is a multi-phase effort to comprehensively update the City’s Zoning Code and map for the first time in more than 70 years. Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, chair of the Zoning Committee, and Council President Shannon Hardin are hosting a fourth public hearing regarding the proposed new Zoning Code and map. This hearing will cover the final proposed Zone In legislation, including changes to the proposal based on public feedback. Wednesday, July 24 5:30 PM Council Chambers City Hall - 2nd Floor 90 W. Broad St
July 17, 2024Jul 17 Author On 6/19/2024 at 9:31 AM, VintageLife said: Would love to see this stuff pop up all over. I haven’t looked at the zoning map closely, what did they classify Indianola around Weber?? This could also be great in that little section. There's a interactive map in here if you want to take a closer look at any other areas: https://zone-in-columbus.hub.arcgis.com/
July 18, 2024Jul 18 Details coming together on when Columbus' vacant, foreclosure registries go into effect; how they'll work The City of Columbus' multi-pronged effort to address the region's housing shortage just grew another branch. Columbus City Council Monday passed legislation to create vacant and foreclosure registries. Columbus Business First spoke with the city to learn more about how these registries will work. "This is just one more way for us to tackle the housing crisis at every angle," said Councilman Rob Dorans. The Department of Building and Zoning Services will hire a staff member to operate that section of the code. The department also is in discussions on how best to put these registries together – for instance, using a third-party vendor or software provider that has a web crawler to pull addresses or foreclosure proceedings from various databases. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/07/18/vacant-foreclosure-registries-columbus.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 19, 2024Jul 19 Author Columbus City Council will officially vote on new zoning code this month "Columbus City Council will officially take a vote on a new zoning code on July 29. City council will consider several pieces of legislation around the zoning code as a first reading on July 22 and vote the following week. The new zoning code recommends six new mixed-use districts, all along busy corridors. In the most dense of the newly proposed districts, developers could put up buildings as tall as 16 stories. The new code would reduce the need for variances because more types of developments would be allowed within the districts. Increasing housing stock and streamlining the building process is something the city has said will be the most important result of updating the zoning code. This new code would allow for about 14 times more housing to be built in these areas, the city said." https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/07/19/columbus-zoning-code.html
July 19, 2024Jul 19 Those 10 days can't come soon enough. Assuming it passes, hopefully we see a bump in proposals as a result - especially of height over 5 floors.
July 19, 2024Jul 19 10 minutes ago, CMHOhio said: Those 10 days can't come soon enough. Assuming it passes, hopefully we see a bump in proposals as a result - especially of height over 5 floors. I’m sure it will pass, basically exactly how it was originally laid out.
July 22, 2024Jul 22 Council is amending Zone-In, watering it down a bit. Building height and parking requirements have not changed. I heard on WOSU this morning that street trees are a new requirement (an excellent change) but that's not mentioned in the Dispatch article. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2024/07/19/columbus-council-offers-preservation-changes-to-zone-in-zoning-overhaul/74468433007/ German Village wins again: Quote Answering the concerns of residents who live in neighborhoods officially designated by the city as "historic districts," such as German Village, Victorian Village and Italian Village, the new language clarifies that historic-design review and height limitation rules that are currently in place to regulate what types of new buildings can be constructed there will trump the new zoning code wherever the two overlap, Dorans said. If a developer proposes less than 1 parking space per unit it will trigger a "parking mitigation study". It's sort of vague - it won't require additional on-site parking and affordable housing is except. Quote Those mitigation efforts could include "permit parking" requirements on adjacent streets, which typically allow only neighborhood residents to park during certain hours, increased parking enforcement, and things such as COTA bus passes, bike-share programs, ride-share services, scooters and other transportation offerings. "If you're not providing one space per unit, it will trigger a parking mitigation study," with the mitigation depending on the size of the parking deficit, Dorans said. If the deficit is five parking spaces, the mitigation will be less intense than if it is 50 spaces and "trigger different things," he added.
July 22, 2024Jul 22 52 minutes ago, Pablo said: If a developer proposes less than 1 parking space per unit it will trigger a "parking mitigation study". It's sort of vague - it won't require additional on-site parking and affordable housing is except. This is almost 100% what the new change was supposed to stop. Having this at all is idiotic and will make projects take just as long as they currently do. Unless I am not understanding that completely.
July 22, 2024Jul 22 33 minutes ago, VintageLife said: This is almost 100% what the new change was supposed to stop. Having this at all is idiotic and will make projects take just as long as they currently do. Unless I am not understanding that completely. It's not exactly clear, it seems it was added to placate neighborhood concerns. The proposal at Weber and High as I recall has less parking spots than units.
July 22, 2024Jul 22 A little more here: https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2024-07-22/columbus-officials-discuss-changes-to-proposed-zoning-code
July 23, 2024Jul 23 Columbus City Council to consider zoning code with a few minor changes Columbus City Council Monday will consider six pieces of legislation that would overhaul the city's zoning code along major thoroughfares. The legislation will be considered as a first reading tonight. There will be a public hearing on the legislation Wednesday, and then an official vote will take place on July 29. The new zoning code, which was proposed in April, would create six new mixed-use districts with allowances for more density and height; eliminate parking requirements in the mixed-use districts; and establish objective design standards, including regulations about how a building should interact with the street and pedestrians. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2024/07/22/zoning-amendments-columbus.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 23, 2024Jul 23 City Makes Changes to Zoning Code Proposal, Final Vote Scheduled The finish line is in sight for the years-long effort to fundamentally change the way development is regulated within the City of Columbus. After introducing the first phase of its zoning reform legislation in April – and sharing that plan during a series of public hearings – city officials held a press conference yesterday to unveil the final version of the legislation, which features some minor changes but keeps the zoning map and its height districts (ranging from four to 16 stories) intact. “After two years of engagement and analysis, and 70 years of enduring the impact of [the existing zoning] code, we are about one week away from a final vote on Zone In,” said City Council President Shannon Hardin. The changes include new language addressing how the code will interact with existing guidelines in historic and design review districts – a response to concerns from advocates that the new code would incentivize developers to tear down historic buildings in favor of new development that could be much taller. More below: https://columbusunderground.com/city-makes-changes-to-zoning-code-proposal-final-vote-scheduled-bw1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 24, 2024Jul 24 Author Columbus City Council is making some last-minute tweaks to its new zoning code before a scheduled vote on the code next week "Changes include more parking guidelines and clearer protections for historic buildings. The revisions, described in The Dispatch on Friday and outlined at a news conference Monday, are expected to be the final changes in a two-year process, called “Zone In,” to overhaul the city’s more than 70-year-old zoning code. City officials said the changes are in response to nearly 1,600 comments submitted on the code, along with multiple hearings and meetings at a special Zone In meeting space Downtown. The proposed changes: • Require parking impact studies of every development proposal that has fewer than one parking spot for each residence. The city will still not require on-site parking, but depending on the findings, the studies may require developers to make parking arrangements such as permit parking on adjacent streets or lots, or additional bike or scooter parking. An exception will remain for affordable housing, which will have no parking requirements in an effort to keep down costs. • Clarify that protections will remain for buildings in historic districts and buildings individually protected. The original zoning proposal did not remove such protections, but some local preservationists feared the new rules could weaken protections for historic properties. • Increase setbacks by 5 feet between mixed-use buildings and adjacent homes, and require street trees for larger developments, part of increased “aesthetic and design standards to ensure a proper fit within established neighborhoods” with buildings in mixed-use zoning districts. • Add landscape buffering requirements. No parcels or designations were changed in the proposed new zoning map with one exception that was a clerical error, said Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans." https://www.dispatch.com/
July 24, 2024Jul 24 2 hours ago, Luvcbus said: • Require parking impact studies of every development proposal that has fewer than one parking spot for each residence. The city will still not require on-site parking, but depending on the findings, the studies may require developers to make parking arrangements such as permit parking on adjacent streets or lots, or additional bike or scooter parking. An exception will remain for affordable housing, which will have no parking requirements in an effort to keep down costs. This is annoying and I feel like this will just be used by the commission to draw out projects.
July 24, 2024Jul 24 11 minutes ago, VintageLife said: This is annoying and I feel like this will just be used by the commission to draw out projects. I'm sure all of these last minute addendums will be used as loop holes to keep things status quo by the commission. What a disappointment.
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