Cole Realty Associates has asked that their property at 2300 Beechmont Avenue be changed from CC-P Commercial Community-Pedestrian District to CC-M Commercial Community-Mixed District to allow for the construction of a drive-through.
Cole Realty Associates recently completed Corbly Station, a 10,000-square-foot multi-tenant retail building, but has had trouble attracting tenants since beginning to market the property in December 2006.
Jill and Stephen Cole say that they have received interest from a check cashing store, but add that businesses such as Starbucks, Donato's, Bruegger's Bagels, Skyline Chili, Widmer's and Little Caesar's have expressed interest in locating to the development if there were a drive-through.
Meanwhile, the property is sitting vacant and has begun to attract vandalism.
The City Planning Commission recommended the rezoning on September 5, reasoning that surrounding properties are either currently zoned CC-M, or soon will be rezoned to CC-M.
2300 Beechmont Avenue would be the only commercial property with CC-P zoning north of Corbly Avenue.
Additionally, four businesses in the area have drive-throughs, including U.S. Bank, National City Bank, Wendy's and Gold Star Chili.
"Clearly, this portion of the Mt. Washington Business District is a mix of pedestrian and auto-oriented development," says a staff report to the City Planning Commission. "The 2300 Beechmont building should be rezoned to CC-M to be consistent with the other businesses."
The Mount Washington Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation has offered a letter of support for the change, contingent upon Cole Realty Associates limiting the hours of operation of the drive-through.
In January, the Mt. Washington Community Council (MWCC) initiated a plan to reshape the City's zoning code to align better with the recommendations of the Mt. Washington Comprehensive Plan, which sought to create more pedestrian-friendly development along Beechmont Avenue and to stimulate economic development in the business districts.
City Council approved of several of those zoning changes in September, and the MWCC has initiated a survey on traffic calming for Beechmont Avenue.
Previous reading on BC:
Mount Washington rezonings seek compact, pedestrian-friendly development (9/18/08)
Beechmont and Roxbury photo update, 10/29/07 (10/31/07)
Retail space to begin soon at Beechmont and Roxbury (7/26/07)
Mount Washington: 2312-2316 Beechmont Ave (4/8/07)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Rezoning for drive-through could bring tenants to Corbly Station
