Rethinking Land Uses Around the Lima Sr. High School

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Re-thinking Land Uses Around the Lima Sr. High
School
Department of Community Development
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INTRODUCTION

• Construction and renovation of public schools in
  the City are almost complete
• There is a need to ensure a safe and positive
  learning environment in areas around schools
  --- all school areas must be assessed
• But the high school area warrants immediate
  attention, given its impact as center of activity
  along a major transportation corridor.

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PURPOSE

• Inform the community of the need to evaluate
  existing and emerging pattern of land uses around
  the high school
• Make zoning districts around the high school more
  supportive of school-based activities
• Forge consensus and develop a plan for this
  transition

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STUDY AREA

• Bounded by ConRail (north), Linden (south),
  Central (east), and Shawnee (west)
• About 2 3 blocks from edges of school site

PEARL

CONRAIL R/R
WAYNE
NORTH
Lima Sr. Hi-Sch Site
HIGH
MARKET
SPRING
ELM
LINDEN
PINE
SCOTT
I 0 R/R
CENTRAL
JACKSON
CSX R/R
HARRISON
PROSPECT
CALUMET
McPHERON
SHAWNEE ST.
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CURRENT ZONING

• Made sense, then, as it allows location of
  industrial and high-intensity commercial
  activities on major transportation routes.

• But with the High School, zoning is too
  permissive and needs to change if we are to
  promote safety and encourage school-supportive
  activities

• Mostly done in the 1940s -- allows a variety of
  economic and development opportunities

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Existing Land Uses

General Land Uses Residential
Residential Residential
Residential Institutional
Commercial Light Industrial
Heavy Industrial Office/Retail

• Study Area contains a variety of land uses (ie -
  single family homes to offices, retail,
  warehousing to manufacturing)
• Covers 771 parcels (65 residential, 23
  commercial, 4 each for industrial, institutional
  and charitable uses)
• Covers 226 acres (34 residential, 26
  industrial, 26 commercial, 11 institutional)

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COMPARING CURRENT ZONINGAND EXISTING LAND USES
Current Zoning (done in the 40s)
Existing Land Uses
While many parcels have been zoned Industrial (or
B-2, for instance), the actual use of those lands
have always been residential (or B-1 or lower)
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CURRENT ZONINGVersus EXISTING LAND USES
The expected transition did not happen. Reasons
may include.

• Insufficient acreage or very few large-sized
  parcels to support larger industrial or
  commercial concerns
• The Inter-state has become a better alternative
  over the railroad to ferry goods and materials
• Greenfield development was probably cheaper than
  buying-out, then demolishing, then building over
  used parcels in the area.

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VACANT
Legend Vacant parcels
Vacant commercial structures
Vacant residential
structures

• 166 parcels are vacant lots ie, no activity
  (BLUE)
• 43 parcels have vacant structures
• of which 28 are commercial (RED)
• of which 15 are residential (YELLOW)

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CONSIDERATIONS

• No lawful business would be asked to leave or
  shut down.
• The preferred methods of re-zoning will be
  least-disruptive to existing lawful land uses but
  discourage the location of new activities
  incompatible with school and residential uses.
• Rezoning will promote selected new economic
  activities.
• Zoning administration will remain receptive to
  future re-zoning petitions and expansion if
  proposed uses are not incompatible to school and
  corridor development.

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PROPOSED ZONING
ZONING DISTRICTS R-1
R-2 Office B-1
Park Park or Residential
Use

• Re-zone the school complex and lands north and
  south of it to R-2
• Re-zone stadium land and those around it to PARK
  (or R-1)
• Promote lands along Bellefontaine, Market and CSX
  R/R for neighborhood retail and office zones
  (Office and B-1)

• Eliminate industrial zones (I-1 and I-2) and
  high-intensity commercial zones (B-2)

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COMPARING EXISTING LAND USEAND PROPOSED ZONING
Existing Land Use
Proposed Zoning
By identifying consistencies between the existing
land uses and the proposed zoning, we can achieve
much of the proposed zoning arrangement thru the
least-disruptive re-zoning method (i.e.,
down-zoning).
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POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• Down-Zoning - is changing the zoning district for
  less-intensive development based on existing
  legal land uses
• Thru this method, almost 82 of the PROPOSED
  ZONING work will have been realized.

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POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• Non-Conforming Uses a zoning change to a more
  protected (higher) district that creates uses
  that do not conform to the new zoning but allowed
  to continue, except when any one of the following
  applies
• 6.b.1 There is a suspension, cessation or
  abandonment of the legal non-conforming use
  for a designated period of time (say 6, 12 or
  18 consecutive months)
• 6.b.2 There is the removal of substantially all
  of the equipment used in the non-conforming
  use
• 6.b.3 There is a change in the non-conforming
  use to a higher use.
• 6.b.4 There is a change in ownership of the
  property in that the new owner will now
  abide by the new zoning classification of the
  property, and only permitted uses in that new
  zoning class may be located therein
• The 1st 3 conditions are currently applied in
  Lima. The 4th is a proposed addition only for
  this area, to accelerate transition.

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AFFECTED PARCELS

• 142 parcels would become Non-Conforming Uses thru
  down-zoning.
• 114 of which have operating economic uses
  (itemized in next slide)
• 28 of which have vacant commercial structures
• 29 of the 114 are residential uses (10 singles,
  18 duplex, 1 triplex)

Legend Operating
businesses Vacant commercial
structures Residential
(singles duplex)
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NON-CONFORMING USES
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AFFECTED PARCELS

• City Planning Commission feels that Conditions
  6.b.1 to 6.b.3 may be applied to all 4 areas.
• BUT..
• Application of Condition 6.b.4 (ie change in
  ownership) be limited to Areas 2 and 3.

Legend Operating
businesses Vacant commercial
structures Residential
(singles duplex)
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NON-CONFORMING USES
Number of properties and land uses in Areas 2 and
3 that will be affected by 6.b.4
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RELATED ACTIONS???

• . other than zoning ----
• Off-site traffic management (traffic calming)
• Re-designation of street functions (speed limits,
  truck routing)
• Neighborhood policing
• Housing rehab, Code enforcement
• Community organizing
• Infrastructure repair and rehab
• Support recommendations of the Corridor Plan on
  this segment of Bellefontaine Market St.

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What to do Next

• Consider the emerging land uses and the future
  land uses based on current zoning
• Determine if such would be an acceptable pattern
  of development around the school
• Bearing in mind the need to make the school zone
  a safe and positive learning environment
• Bearing in mind that the school is a new focal
  point of community pride, seen and felt
• Bearing in mind that the current Zoning Code
  allows uses w/c may be detrimental to the schools
  and corridor.

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Why do this?

• Is there a need to restrict the location of new
  land uses around the school site that are
  detrimental to the health, safety and morals of
  the high school and its population?
• Is there a need to re-zone certain areas around
  the school site to encourage uses that are
  compatible and supportive to school-based
  activities?
• Does the concept of re-zoning presented in this
  paper help bring about a safe and positive school
  area environment and at the same time,
  least-disruptive to existing lawful land uses in
  the area?
• Is there a need to do a similar study on the
  other school sites within the City?

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Implementation Steps

• Designate the study area as Special School Zone
  (identify boundaries)
• Identify uses that would be allowed to locate
  within the Special School Zone (these uses and,
  perhaps, new requirements will comprise the
  zoning overlay)
• Implement the re-zoning in phases by designating
  areas (e.g., contiguous school properties
  first then parcels east of the school then
  parcels south of the school and so on)
• Make this effort consistent and supportive of the
  Market St-Bellefontaine Corridor Plan.

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Legislative Process

• DCD will prepare and file petition to CPC as
  city-initiative
• CPC considers petition then will endorse fully
  to Council (or endorse w/ reservations)
• City Council refers matter to BPZ Committee
• BPZ considers petition deliberates on merits
  then recommends appropriate action to City
  Council
• If petition goes to public hearing, DCD will
  proceed to study the other school areas.

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OTHER SCHOOL AREAS

• Unity
• Liberty
• Freedom
• Independence
• Heritage
• West Middle
• South Middle
• North Middle

• St. Charles
• LCC
• St. Rose
• St. Gerard
• Heir Force
• Quest

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Uses Allowed in R-1 (page 1)

• A single-family house, college fraternity,
  college sorority, college club house or other
  fraternal organizations on special permit
• A church, public or private school, day care
  center, nursery, college, public library and
  public museum
• A public park, public playground, public or
  governmental building or water supply reservoir,
  well, tower or treatment plant

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Uses Allowed in R-1 (page 2)

• A railway passenger station or railway right of
  way, not including railway yards or use for sale
  or storage for sale of products or materials
• A farming, nursery or truck gardening operation
• Home Occupations --- w/ conditions and exceptions
• Certain uses specified as permitted in R-3 (i.e.,
  Items 2 to 5) may be located in R-1 districts on
  special permit

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Uses Allowed in R-2

• All uses allowed in R-1
• Multi-family residences of not more than 4 units
• Certain uses specified as permitted in R-3 (i.e.,
  Items 2 to 5) may be located in R-2 districts on
  special permit

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Uses Allowed in R-3 (page 1)

• All uses allowed in R-1 and R-2
• An apartment house of 5 and more units
• A hotel, dormitory or rooming house
• A community center building, armory for
  dismounted organizations, boarding club and
  private club (not profit-oriented)
• A philanthropic or eleemosynary use or
  institution (other than a penal or correctional
  institution) or a hospital or sanitarium (other
  than for the insane, feeble-minded, epileptics or
  drug or drink addicts), w/ exceptions

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Uses Allowed in R-3 (page 2)

• A business office, financial institution or
  professional office, w/ conditions and exceptions

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Uses Allowed in OFFICE

• All uses allowed in R-1, R-2 and R-3
• An office
• A bank or financial institution
• A medical or dental clinic
• A day nursery
• A health study institution
• A nursing home
• A health-exercise facility or spa, provided
  however, this shall not include a massage parlor
• An accessory use customarily incidental to the
  foregoing uses

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Uses Allowed in B-1 (page 1)

• All uses allowed in R-1, R-2, R-3 and Office
• A bank, office building, private school, business
  school, radio or television studio, photographic
  or art studio or telephone exchange (together
  with a concealed electric substation)
• An assembly hall, theater or moving-picture house
• A jewelry store, shoe store, dry goods or notions
  store, furniture store, hardware or electrical
  appliance store, retail store, florist shop,
  tailor shop or shoe repair shop

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Uses Allowed in B-1 (page 2)

• A filling station, bicycle sales and repair,
  commercial parking lot or garage, motorbus
  terminal or new car sales room
• A delicatessen, drug store, grocery store, meat
  market, ice cream parlor, restaurant, bakery,
  frozen food locker or fish market
• A barber shop, beauty shop or dancing school
• A funeral parlor or sanitarium

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Uses Allowed in B-1 (page 3)

• An electric substation or ice house
• A billboard or advertising sign
• A bowling alley
• A dry cleaning establishment , w/ exceptions
• A self-service laundry
• An accessory use customarily incidental to the
  foregoing uses

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Uses Allowed in B-2 (page 1)

• All uses allowed in R-1 to R-3, Office and B-1
• A poolroom or skating rink
• A dance hall, cabaret or night club
• A book binding shop, upholstering shop, or
  laundry employing not more than three persons
• A garage repair shop, auto body or mechanical
  repair, secondhand car lot, storage garage or
  tire repair shop
• A bottling works, job printing shop, plumbing
  shop or tinsmith operation

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Uses Allowed in B-2 (page 2)

• A poultry establishment for killing and dressing
  for sale at retail on the premises or a stable
  for not more than five animals
• A wholesale distributor
• A veterinary clinic for small animals, w/
  conditions
• A dog kennel as defined by the Ohio-RC
• Certain uses specified as permitted in
  Industrial-1 (e.g., warehousing, bulk storage,
  including of liquid fuels, light manufacturing,
  wholesale business) may be located in B-2
  districts on special permit

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Special Use Permits (SUPs)
( not to be confused w/ Special Permits)
An authorization that allows any use first
allowed in a lower, less-protected zoning
district (say a nursing home facility, w/c is
first allowed under Office) may be permitted in
certain locations in the next higher,
more-protected district (w/c is R-3) with
exceptions and conditions. Such that
R-1 R-2 R-3 Office B-1 B-2
SUP does not cover uses allowed in Industrial
Zones, BUT.
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Special Permits
( not to be confused w/ Special Use Permits)
An authorization that allows certain uses first
allowed in a lower, less-protected zoning
district (say a hotel, w/c is first allowed
under R-3) may be permitted in certain locations
in the next higher, more-protected district (w/c
is R-2 and R-1) with conditions. Such that
R-1 R-2 R-3 Office B-1 B-2 I-1
Thru Spl. Permit process, industrial uses can
locate in B-2 areas