COLUMBIANA — The Garden of Eatin in downtown Columbiana is becoming closer to reality.

During Tuesday’s city planning commission meeting, Columbiana High School got approval for both their mural variance and a site plan review.

Students from the CHS Creative Entrepreneur Class were on hand to make their case for the site plan review and a 7:15 p.m. public hearing to obtain a variance as the mural is larger than the permissible size under city code.

The students provided Planning Commission members with plans that not only included a black and white sketch of the mural on an exterior wall of 15 S. Main St., but also details about Phase I of the project. Late last year, the students and city had teamed up to secure a $50,000 T-Mobile toward the completion of the Garden of Eatin space, which also would include a platform stage.

Mayor Rick Noel inquired about any planned lighting for the project.

A class representative told him they had no plans beyond the street lights for Phase I, but they were contemplating DMX lighting later in the project.

Noel confirmed there is electric access to that area.

Assistant city administrator Bryce Miner stated the class hopes to get the mural completed by the end of the school year.

The site plan review was approved but it was contingent on the State of Ohio okaying both the directional signage near the Marathon station and painting of crosswalks in the area as proposed by students.

In other action, commission members tabled a scheduled site plan review for Firestone Legacy and Visitors Center at 246 E. Park Ave. as the petitioner Patricia Tingle nor any one else on behalf of the project was in attendance.

The Planning Commission did approve a site plan review for Cozy Home by Silver Sage, which plans on relocating to 2 E. Park Ave. Petitioner Lisa Snyder explained that property owner currently is renovating the location, calling it her dream space. She had briefly been next door and elsewhere as a vendor.