An amended version of Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's proposed new "Zone In" zoning code overhaul will still allow new building heights of up to 16 stories in some locations with no required off-street parking.
But changes have been proposed to the plan to better protect the city's historic districts.
Ordinances posted on the city's website Friday show that City Council has not changed the parking or height requirements in six new zoning categories proposed for some 12,300 parcels along major corridors like High and Broad streets, and others. The categories range in density from "Urban General," which allows buildings of up to four stories, to "Urban Core," in which heights can reach 16 stories, pre-approved with no need for any city code variance, so long as other conditions are met.
However, Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans told The Dispatch that Council plans to introduce legislation requiring a "parking mitigation study" on any project with fewer parking spaces than the number of residential units. If the study finds the project will severely impact parking in the neighborhood, the developer would have to offer mitigation resources, but those would not require providing any off-street parking.
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.
Mitigation wouldn't be required on new buildings deemed 100% affordable housing units, Dorans said, as the city is trying to encourage more of that type of construction over mandating more off-street parking.
City officials have previously said they expect most developers to provide parking because people looking to rent apartments or buy condominiums would expect to have that.
On the historic preservation front, amendments were presented to offer some protections.
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.
"The process for obtaining a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for parcels located within the jurisdictional authority of these commissions remains as provided for" in the existing code, the new zoning code states.
"We're taking those very seriously," Dorans said. "This makes it very, very clear that those historic district requirements are the very first thing that the development has to meet."
At a series of public meetings over the summer, historic preservation officials voiced concern that the new code will encourage the demolition of historic buildings to build high-rises, and no protections are in place to do anything about it. That concern would remain in the vast majority of the city that is not officially in a historic district, which are typically small and scattered and don't intersect with the vast majority of the Zone In parcels.
Up next is a press conference Monday featuring Ginther, who is expected to provide more details and answer questions on the final Zone In proposal. Dorans will join him.
Two days later, on Wednesday, July 24, a final public hearing will be held on the plan, putting the rezoning overhaul on course for a July 29 vote by City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting, the last one before councilmembers recess for August.
wbush@gannett.com
@ReporterBush
Most Popular
Comments / 0