Spinnaker Property up for Re-Zoning
Applicants seek to have Office-Residential use for vacant land near the Great Miami River

Last month, this publication wondered aloud about what would become of two parcels on the city’s eastside; the Spinnaker Property on East Water Street and the eventually-to-be-torn-down Van Cleve School just south of that property on East Main Street.
With that context in mind, the City of Troy’s Planning Commission met last week to begin the re-zoning process of the Spinnaker Property located at 518 East Water Street from its current zoning of M-2, Light Industrial to OR-1, Office Residential.
The staff began by presenting a detailed report outlining the key aspects of the rezoning request. Most notably, the property was now vacant following the facility's demolition. Surrounding zoning districts were highlighted, including R-6 (Two-Family Residential) to the south and west, and the WO (Wellhead Operation) District to the north.
The staff noted that while the comprehensive plan’s future land use map did not provide specific recommendations for this property, this would be addressed in the forthcoming comprehensive plan update, by more than likely placing this property in a “Trail-Oriented Development District”.
The proposed OR-1 zoning was described as accommodating a mixture of residential and office uses, which fit the medium intensity intended for this zone. They emphasized that adequate utilities could be provided and that this rezoning would create a beneficial transitional district between high-intensity commercial areas and residential zones. Based on these factors, the staff recommended approving the rezoning application.
One commission member expressed concerns about losing manufacturing property, seeking clarification on the rationale behind favoring residential and office uses along the riverfront over manufacturing. In response, the City’s Top Bureaucrat (who is also a voting member of the Planning Commission) explained that the well-referenced MKSK Riverfront Study aimed to enhance the area by prioritizing residential and office developments, thereby creating a more vibrant and engaging community space. The same study recognized the historical manufacturing presence, but advocated for a transition to uses that would better utilize the riverfront's potential.
Further discussion focused on the compatibility of the rezoning with the comprehensive plan. It was emphasized that the rezoning aligned with the goals of the MKSK Riverfront Study, which seeks to maximize the riverfront’s potential by promoting residential and office uses. It was specualted that the new comprehensive plan, set to be presented in August, would further support this rezoning.
Finally, a motion was made to provide a positive recommendation to the Troy City Council for the rezoning application. This motion was seconded and unanimously approved by the commission, reflecting a consensus that the rezoning was consistent with the city's strategic goals and planning principles. In the Planning Commission’s 48-minute meeting; the panel recommended approval of the re-zoning of this pivotal piece of property in less than six minutes. By contrast, they spent nearly a half-hour discussing exterior alternations to a building in the historic district.
What Could Be Built in the OR-1 District?
The application for rezoning didn’t reveal what lies in store for the Spinnaker Property, and the fact that the property is being re-zoned now while the city’s comprehensive plan and zoning code will be re-written is a bit of an eye-raising move. Things on the city’s east side must be moving at a quicker pace to ensure that the current privileges granted by the OR-1 district are what the current or future property owners are looking to accomplish on this parcel.
Under our current zoning code, the OR-1 district offers a variety of residential and office uses that can be accommodated, either separately or within the same building. This district is designed to serve as a transitional zone between commercial and residential areas, often located along major thoroughfares, near hospitals, and adjacent to other commercial and residential zones. Having this zone in a fairly residential area on a rarely-used street is a bit of a change for a traditional OR-1 zoning use.
Permitted uses within this district include professional services such as offices for accountants, architects, attorneys, engineers, insurance agents, medical and dental laboratories and clinics, and real estate brokers. Residential uses are also allowed, encompassing single-family, two-family, and multiple-family dwellings, as well as adult family homes, adult group homes, foster family homes, intermediate care homes, nursing homes, halfway houses, and social care homes. Mixed-use buildings are encouraged, with residential units permitted on the second story or above of buildings that also house office or commercial uses.
In addition to professional and residential uses, the OR-1 district permits a range of retail and personal services. These include banks, barber and beauty shops, florists, gift shops, health studios, libraries, newsstands, photo studios, and seamstress and tailor shops. Institutional and community uses are also supported, such as churches, chapels, temples, synagogues, government buildings, public parks, playgrounds, community centers, schools, and day-care centers. Other permitted uses include art galleries, museums, artist studios, mortuaries, funeral parlors, automobile parking lots and garages, bed and breakfast establishments, and rooming houses.
Accessory uses allowed in the OR-1 district include private garages or carports, structures for storage incidental to a permitted use, guest houses, private swimming pools, bathhouses, tennis courts, playhouses, arbors, trellises, statuary, barbecue equipment, flagpoles, fences, play equipment, clothes lines, walls, hedges, fallout shelters, satellite earth stations, and antennas for amateur radio operators. Day-care centers and any other use customarily found in conjunction with the principal use are also permitted as accessory uses.
Regarding lot size and bulk regulations, each separate zoning lot in the OR-1 district must adhere to specific requirements. For single-family residences, the minimum lot area is 6,000 square feet. Two-family and multi-family residences require a minimum of 3,000 square feet per unit. Rooming houses, nursing homes, and boarding houses need at least 1,000 square feet per bed, while other permitted uses require a minimum of 6,000 square feet. The minimum lot width is set at 60 feet, with a minimum lot depth of 100 feet. The maximum lot depth to width ratio is 3:1, except for lots with unique topography or those located on cul-de-sacs.
Buffer strips must be established on lots being developed in the OR-1 district when they abut residential zoning districts, with a minimum width of 15 feet. These buffer strips should be developed in accordance with the standards outlined in the zoning code, involving a combination of shrubs, trees, and other landscape features.
The bulk regulations for construction on any zoning lot in the OR-1 district specify a maximum building lot coverage of 50 percent, with a maximum structure height of 40 feet. The minimum front yard setback is 25 feet, the minimum side yard setback is 10 feet or half the building height, and the minimum rear yard setback is 30 feet.
For example, a professional office building with residential units could be developed with a footprint covering up to 50 percent of a 10,000 square foot lot, translating to 5,000 square feet per floor, and could rise to a maximum height of 40 feet. The ground floor could house professional offices, while the upper floors could contain residential apartments. Each residential unit would require a minimum of 3,000 square feet of lot area, allowing for three residential units on a 10,000 square foot lot.
Alternatively, a single-family residence with a home office could be built on a 6,000 square foot lot. This home could include accessory structures like a private garage, playhouse, or garden features. Another possible development is a two-story building with a day-care center on the first floor and residential units on the upper floor, requiring a lot of at least 9,000 square feet to accommodate three 3,000 square foot residential units. All buildings must adhere to the district's bulk regulations, maintaining the required setbacks and maximum lot coverage.
These regulations try to ensure that development within the OR-1 district is compatible with both residential and office uses, facilitating a seamless transition between commercial and residential areas while maintaining the character and aesthetics of the neighborhood.
What Will Happen?
Will any of these uses actually end up being built at the Spinnaker Property? Maybe, or maybe not. This publication isn’t so much trying to speculate what will happen, but rather giving our readers a picture of what could happen given the current zoning code and other land use regulations that exist in the community. Zoning confers certain rights and responsibilities of property owners, including the ability to use the property within the permitted principal uses that are outlined in the code. This publication believes it is important for residents of the community to understand what those uses, along with the lot layout requirements are, as this property goes through the rezoning process.
And it is important to point out that this property is a pivotal piece of the puzzle. This property has the largest frontage along the south shore of the Great Miami River. As future shared-use paths get built near this parcel and the low-head dam gets removed, the Great Miami River will continue to be a physical asset that the city will want to pour investment. This parcel is a key part of any future riverfront development.
Furthermore, it’s not everyday that a large parcel of vacant land becomes open for development in a community. Most new development, is traditionally given to single-family housing on the western or northern sides of the community, allowing the community to sprawl out further and further, and possibly making housing less and less financially attainable for our residents. This development, just east of the city’s downtown core, could very well help define and shape the character of one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
The question that city leaders and residents will need to ask themselves is whether the OR-1, Office-Residential zoning will be the character that is warranted for the far end of East Water Street.
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When this gets REALLY interesting is with the changes forthcoming for the VanCleve site.
High five. Office/residential is an improvement over the present industrial zoning for the property values of all of us east of the tracks.