Columbus zoning changes could mean big changes for Morse Road, Northland areas
To Joseph Baker, one of the most interesting aspects of the city of Columbus' proposed zoning code rewrite isn't what it does along High or Broad streets, but how it stands to potentially transform Morse Road on the Northeast Side.
The affected Morse Road parcels stand out citywide due to their sheer size, particularly the heavily commercial areas between Karl and Westerville roads, with their numerous big-box and strip shopping centers that come with massive parking lots.
"This area on Morse, and like seeing it here, you can kind of see the scale of it. This area is very, very dense, Black and indigenous populations," Baker said of Northland as he stared at a large map of the proposed zoning changes at the city's "Zone In Gallery" on the City Hall campus.
The gallery is kind of like a museum to the effort, with colorful displays and interactive graphics, dealing with details including historical statistics.
The Morse Road area is planned to become zoned with new districts called "Regional Activity Center," with no required off-street parking and up to 10-story buildings, or "Community Activity Center," with no mandated parking and structures up to seven stories.
"Hopefully the community doesn't get pushed out," said Baker, a Columbus resident and an outreach representative for the National Organization of Minority Architects. "Hopefully that same density of minority population is there in the next 50 years.
"And you can actually see the scale of it," Baker said of the large Morse Road parcels being reclassified. "...It's actually pretty big. ... Check out the width of that."
Baker and about 70 other people came to the Zone In Gallery on Wednesday evening to learn more about the massive zoning change, and to ask questions of city officials, including City Council President Shannon Hardin.
Hardin told The Dispatch that his greatest fear is that the average city resident isn't paying close enough attention to know that right now is the time to give any feedback or concerns to the city — which is on track to change the entire zoning code by mid-July.
Under the proposal unveiled by Mayor Andrew Ginther in early April, roughly 12,300 city parcels along major transportation corridors would have no zoning requirement to provide parking spaces, even for commercial projects, and building heights could increase dramatically. Buildings of 12 stories would be permitted in core urban areas, up to 16 stories if affordable housing units are included in the project.
The city projects the change, involving just about 4% of the city's parcels that are situated on main streets served by COTA public bus transportation, would create 88,000 new housing units over a decade, or 15 times what would be expected without the change.
Asked if he thought average citizens were following the debate, Baker laughed: "No, nobody will know," he said of the new zoning, continuing laughing. "No. Of course not. What are you saying?"
Translation: the average citizen doesn't really follow zoning issues — until something happens next door.
But a group of German Village residents showed up and spoke to officials Wednesday about their concerns that the historic brick-house neighborhood will be ringed with new districts calling for 7-16 story buildings along East Livingston and Parsons avenues, as well as along High Street.
Greg Lee recently moved to Westerville, but he came to the event just to find out more about the changes. He used to sit on Columbus' Mid-East Area Commission.
"Zoning was a huge part of every meeting that we had, so getting an inside look at what the city's trying to do to improve that process really brought me out," Lee said, standing among the colorful, large displays and graphics.
The nuances of zoning seem technical and abstract, "until you live at the end of a parking lot that doesn't have a hedge covering, and there are headlights shining in your front window," Lee said. "Then you understand that zoning is a big issue.
"I absolutely understand a change is needed," Lee added. "... I just hope that the residents' input carries more weight than what a developer's input would be."
"I think it's a step in the right direction," said Vincent Coleman, government affairs director at Columbus Realtors, who was chatting with Lee. "We talk about the need for more housing and more units. This is definitely something we should have done a long time ago.
"It's timely. It needs to happen quickly," Coleman said.
There will be seven additional educational events about the city's proposed zoning changes held at the Zone In Gallery, 141 North Front St. They will be: From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 11 and May 18, and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on May 14, 15, 16 and 21, and June 5.
The City Council has also scheduled three public hearings: May 7 at the Douglas Recreation Center, 1250 Windsor Ave.; June 6 at the Scioto Southland Community Center, 3901 Parsons Ave.; and June 27 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 90 West Broad St. All of the public hearings will run from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.
@ReporterBush
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: City Council courts public at "Zone In Gallery" to explain new zoning
