Columbus officials on Tuesday night approved a conditional use request to convert an existing structure on property in Columbus Township into an accessory dwelling unit. The applicant said they plan to build another structure on the property which will serve as a dual income rental.
The Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously agreed to allow the applicant, Jamal-Rashad Cooper, to convert the existing 624 square-foot single-family home at 92 N. County Road 350W. Cooper said the future primary structure is expected to built within three years.
Neighbors who attended the meeting said they were concerned about the potential appearance of the to-be-built structure and the idea of having two residences on the 1.06 acre lot.
The property was previously owned by Envision OC Enterprises, where Cooper is part-owner. Cooper said his father, who is majority owner of Envision OC, gifted him 92 N. County Road 350W — the county GIS system indicates ownership was transferred on July 8. Envision also owns four surrounding parcels, including one home to Faith Ministries, a church founded by his father, Jarvis Cooper, who currently serves as an affiliate pastor.
Cooper said in 2020, “the church kind of fell on hard times” so his family purchased the property the church sits on.
They then went ahead and decreased the rent “so that they can continue worshipping in that particular area,” Cooper said, noting that “really all of the funds go back into maintaining the property and putting on events and that type of thing.”
In response to a letter from a concerned neighbor, Cooper said he is still working through what the new primary structure would look like but he would “certainly want it to be complimentary to the broader area.”
The area is primarily made up of single-family homes on medium to large lots, according to planning staff. Significant portions of the property are also located in both the 100- and 500-year floodplains.
“This is really part of a longer term strategy of providing further housing for Columbus and providing additional aspects for the adjacent church,” Cooper told the board over WebEx.
Planning staff’s preliminary recommendation was approval, finding that the four criteria for conditional use they look at were satisfied. The motion members passed included a condition recommended by staff that prior to the issuance of a building permit for the construction of the new primary structure, that adequate waste disposal be demonstrated.
