A Columbus homeowner accused of running an auto repair shop out of a home at 4717 Clairmont Drive is vowing to fight the city in court after code enforcement officer Fred Barnett cited violations of four municipal code and zoning ordinances.
Barnett notified homeowner Alicia Higgins of three violations via certified mail on May 4, 2018. The letter identified three violations of the City of Columbus municipal code and zoning ordinances, including operating an auto repair shop within an area zoned for only residential use, having inoperable vehicles parked on private and public property and blocking sidewalks with vehicles.
In the letter, Barnett said resolving these violations would require ceasing operation of the auto repair shop at the home or moving the shop to an area in Columbus that is zoned for this type of business, removing all inoperable vehicles from the property and placing the vehicles on private property in a legally-conforming garage, car port or other enclosure.
The letter also included four pages explaining the permitted primary uses of the zoning and the standards for a home-based business.
Barnett said the city received the letter back with a “refused” note written on the envelope. In a second attempt to notify Higgins via certified mail on July 18, 2018, Barnett noted this was the final notice of violation after finding the situation had not been remedied.
“We are not running an auto repair shop,” Higgins said. “All the vehicles are either owned by myself, my husband, my brother who resides with us as well, or Russell Woodhouse.”
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
