Columbus
Harlem Road Site Rezoned from Manufacturing to Apartments — Third Zoning Change in 18 Months
A 4.4-acre parcel near Westerville that was rural land, then manufacturing, is now headed for 84 apartment units. Preferred Living’s “Maison” Phase III marks the third rezoning in under two years.
The 4.4-acre site at 6955–6999 Harlem Road has had three zoning identities in barely 18 months — and the latest one is apartments.
Columbus City Council advanced Ordinance 1136-2026 to second reading on April 15, rezoning the parcel from L-M (Limited Manufacturing) to AR-1 (Apartment Residential). The applicant is Preferred Living, a Columbus-area developer, represented by attorney David Hodge.
The whiplash
The two undeveloped parcels sit on the west side of Harlem Road, about 880 feet north of Central College Road in the Rocky Fork-Blacklick Accord planning area. They were rezoned from Rural to Limited Manufacturing in January 2025. Now, just over a year later, the developer is pivoting to multi-unit residential — Phase III of its “Maison” apartment project.
What the staff report says
The Development Commission’s January 8, 2026 staff report gave the project conditional approval. Key details from the review: the H-35 height district limits buildings to 35 feet, the site is flanked by existing residential to the west, and traffic management along Harlem Road — particularly shared-use path connections — was flagged as a concern. A companion variance (CV25-099) reduces setbacks and adjusts lot-size requirements for the apartment layout.
What it signals
The rezoning pattern — rural to industrial to residential in rapid succession — reflects shifting demand in Columbus’s northern suburbs. Manufacturing zoning that looked attractive 18 months ago is now less competitive than housing in a market where apartment vacancy remains tight. Preferred Living is betting that Westerville-adjacent renters will pay for new construction near the Harlem Road corridor.