ThisWeek CW 05/17/2012
After more than a year’s worth of meetings and revisions, Canal Winchester City Council approved sweeping changes May 7 to the city’s downtown zoning code.
At the May 7 council meeting, members voted unanimously to accept the final amendments to five previously tabled ordinances.
Current council rules require an extra public hearing if an amendment is made during the final reading of an ordinance. However, council voted to suspend that rule last week and proceed with the vote. No residents provided testimony.
The new zoning laws will go into effect 30 days after the mayor signs off on them.
“I just want to say thank you (to council) for sticking with us through these Old Town ordinances and working with us to get them adopted,” Development Director Lucas Haire said. “I especially want to thank (Planning and Zoning Administrator Andrew Dutton) for putting in countless hours to get these done.”
Dutton said there were about 20 public meetings held on the proposed legislation prior to the final vote.
“We had a meeting first with downtown business owners, then public workshops and then several discussions in committees and with staff,” Dutton said. “(This legislation will) streamline the zoning code and process to make it easier in the downtown area to make changes.”
The legislation creates an Old Town Zoning District with 495 current properties.
Of those properties, 138 will be rezoned Old Town commercial from general commercial; six will be rezoned Old Town single-family from general commercial; seven will be rezoned Old Town multifamily residential from multifamily residential; and 344 will be rezoned Old Town single-family residential from low-density residential.
All property owners have been notified of the zoning change, Haire said.
Properties previously subject to Landmarks Commission review are the only ones affected by the change, Dutton said. Discussions about adding other areas were not pursued by council.
The new zoning code addresses issues specific to the downtown area, Dutton said. He said it is aimed at simplifying the approval process for redevelopment and changes to structures, minimizing the number of conditional uses being administered, encouraging a more pedestrian-oriented downtown and prohibiting certain uses.
“Geographically, we’re talking about a small section of town,” Haire said. “The idea is to protect the investment people have made down here and build off of that.”
Amendments to the current Preservation District guidelines also were adopted, creating separate sections for the Historic District and the Preservation District, both of which are within the Old Town zoning district.
The Landmarks Commission is in the process of reviewing all the Preservation District guidelines, said commission President Patrick Lynch. When all of the proposed edits to the guidelines have been made, they will have to be approved by council before taking effect.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, May 21, at Town Hall, 10 N. High St.