On Columbus’ Northeast Side, a usually quiet stretch of Central College Road has turned into a full‑blown zoning battleground, as neighbors push back against a roughly 10‑acre apartment project that would bring close to 200 rental homes to the area. Residents say the planned three‑story buildings, tighter setbacks and extra traffic would crowd their backyards, upend the street’s low‑key feel and clog already stressed intersections.
The proposal appears in city records as rezoning application Z25‑019, which would convert about 10.1 acres on the south side of Central College Road into a limited apartment residential district, according to the City of Columbus. The city’s permit portal lists Preferred Living as the applicant and outlines the parcel and proposed multi‑unit residential use; the case is listed as active in the system, per the City of Columbus.
The Northland Community Council’s development committee notes that the original submission called for nine three‑story buildings with a total of 216 units, or about 21.6 dwelling units per acre. In a unanimous 16–0 vote, the committee recommended disapproval, citing the project’s height, density and setbacks. According to the council’s May 28, 2025 report, roughly 75 neighbors showed up for the committee hearing to air concerns over traffic and how the plan squares with the area’s Northland Plan II guidance.
Where the plan stands
The rezoning has been looping through public review since mid‑2025, surfacing on Development Commission agendas and City Council zoning calendars as the applicant revised plans and fielded questions from staff and community groups. City meeting records and public notices show the case appearing before the Development Commission and City Council through late 2025 and into 2026. Columbus Legistar lists the application and its docket history.
Neighbors say it’s out of scale
Residents speaking at neighborhood meetings told officials they worry the complex will loom over backyards, wipe out tree buffers and funnel hundreds of extra car trips into nearby intersections every day. That pushback has been visible in local coverage and in a video report that captured the mood in the room as the rezoning request drew criticism from the surrounding streets. The Columbus Dispatch documented neighbors’ comments and the tone of public testimony…