City officials approved two variance requests asked sought by an applicant who is taking advantage of a new city program that encourages infill development of homes that are less than $300,000.
The Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday approved two development standards variance requests from John Counceller of Orinoco Acquisitions LLC that will make way for the applicant to demolish an existing home at 1117 Lafayette Ave. and construct a new one on the same property.
These are the variances that were sought and granted:
- A development standards variances from Zoning Ordinance Section 3.12(C) to allow the side setback along the north property line to be 3 feet, 2 feet less than the 5 foot minimum setback for a primary structure.
- A development standards variance from Zoning Ordinance Section 3.12(C) to allow the side setback along the south property line to be 4 feet, 1 foot less than the 5 foot minimum setback for a primary structure.
The property is about 4,800 square feet and located in the Residential:Established (RE) zoning district. It’s mostly surrounded by single family residential uses, according to a report by planning staff, and was purchased by Orinoco in January 2017 for $70,000, according to property records.
The plan is to demolish the existing structure on the property and construct a new 1,625 square foot single-family dwelling in its place.
Counceller mentioned that he plans to apply for the city’s recently launched Affordable Construction and Transformation (PACT) program as part of the development of the property.
PACT offers subsidies to encourage new home builders to demolish substandard or dilapidated buildings while creating fresh housing stock.
Designed to provide “a short-term boost” for those interested in building single-family homes on infill lots in the city, the program provides incentive payments to builders if the home has a final selling price below $300,000, among other requirements.
The city has $460,000 to be used to award qualified builders. The program ends on Dec. 15, 2026.
More information can be found at columbus.in.gov/community-development/pact-program.
Notably, there is a 10-foot-wide private sanitary sewer easement on the property to protect the route of the sewer line for 1121 Lafayette Ave. The new structure as proposed would encroach into that easement, Columbus City Utilities representatives pointed out, but the applicant owns the adjacent home as well and indicated they would re-locate the sewer line as part of the new home construction.
In addition, because of how close the new house will be to those next to it, Columbus Fire Department officials requested that the home be built with non-combustible siding.
The board looks to the following criteria when deciding upon a request for variances from development standards:
- The property will not be injurious to the public health, safety, and general welfare of the community.
- The development of the property will be consistent with the intent of the development standards establishing by the zoning ordinance for similar uses.
- Granting the conditional use will not be contrary to the general purposes served by the zoning ordinance, and will not permanently injure other property or uses in the same zoning district and vicinity.
- The proposed use will be consistent with the character of the zoning district in which it is located and the recommendation of the comprehensive plan.
