Resident's dream: Bed and breakfast in Powell

By THOMAS GALLICK Wednesday July 30, 2014 1:29 PM

A Powell man hopes to transform a home near the city's downtown into a 10-room bed and breakfast.

Gene Rodriguez brought initial plans for the Day Dream Inn to Powell's Planning and Zoning Commission at its July 23 meeting. Rodriguez plans to build a 10-room addition to the early 20th-century home at 80 E. Olentangy St., just west of its intersection with Grace Drive.

Rodriguez said the closest hotels to downtown Powell are located about five miles away in Dublin. He said many visitors to Powell would continue to use those facilities, but he thought the city could easily support a small bed and breakfast.

"Overnight guests would include ... corporate travelers, golf and recreational users, holiday and festival revelers, visiting relatives, shoppers and diners," he said.

City officials said they liked the use for the 0.46-acre site, but questioned how 10 units and 10 parking spaces could fit on the property without creating problems.

The commission took no action on the proposal at the meeting, which served as the board's introduction to the project.

Rocky Kambo, a planner with the city's development department, said some parking spaces as shown on the site's initial plans encroach on the public right of way. Other spaces could obstruct the views of motorists turning right onto Olentangy Street from Grace Drive, he said.

Kambo also questioned whether the 10-unit addition would work on the site. He suggested reducing both the number of units and parking spots could solve potential problems.

"It's a great use. We think it's perfectly in line with what we have here in Powell," he said. "It's just the intensity of what we're seeing on the site may be more than the site can handle."

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Resident's dream: Bed and breakfast in Powell