The City Council of Columbus granted a variance for the property located at 4000-4022 Westerville Road, which consists of five parcels totaling 4.32 acres. The variance allows multi-unit residential uses in an R-1, Residential District, where such uses are not typically permitted. The applicant, EREG Housing Preservation LLC, proposes to develop the site with 120 multi-unit residential units specifically for seniors. This variance is crucial for the applicant to pursue competitive funding from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA). The approval is conditioned upon a follow-up rezoning of the property to an appropriate zoning district within one year of project funding approval or three years of the ordinance's effective date, whichever comes first. A Certificate of Zoning Clearance will not be issued until the rezoning is complete. Despite inconsistency with the Northeast Area Plan's recommendation for "Open Space," city departments recommended approval, citing the existing residential use, lack of public ownership, and the institutional character of the proposed senior housing as mitigating factors, aligning with the city's goal of increasing housing supply.