Columbus leaders propose changes to city’s zoning code

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus is one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest. In order to keep up with that growth, city leaders are proposing changes to the city’s zoning code.

This will be the first time changes are made to the code in 70 years. City leaders said these changes will help address the current housing crisis – specifically affordability and demand.

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Mayor Andrew Ginther said this proposal will change the trajectory of the city. He said if we keep on the track we are now, the city will only create 6,000 new homes in the next 10 years. This new plan will bring that number to 88,000.

“Growth is coming. We have to embrace it,” Ginther said.

The proposed changes would create six districts. It is starting 12,300 thousand parcels of land.

It gives developers clearer building guidelines for each district.

“These standards will make buildings more attractive, create more room for housing and businesses, and make neighborhoods more walkable and transit more accessible,” Ginther said.

Ginther said another priority is height. There will be housing incentives. For example, builders will be allowed to build two to four stories taller than the base code allows if 20 to 30 percent of their units are for low income qualified housing.

“We need more workforce housing. We need more market rate housing. This supply crisis is affecting everybody, but it’s affecting seniors, folks on fixed incomes and lower wage earners more. Now, it will continue to affect all of us in the future unless we act. And that’s why this is so important,” Ginther said.

City leaders said cities like Charlotte and Atlanta have been successful with this initiative.

They say not only does this help the developer but it is also giving equal opportunities to people who otherwise would not live in that area.

“We want our kids to be able to live in the communities that we’ve raised them in, and we want our elders to be able to retire in the communities that they helped build,” said Carly Boos, the Director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio.

There will also be less of a focus on parking. This is to promote more walkable neighborhoods as well as rid the cost of parking for residents.

“So we know that a big change is going to be eliminating parking minimums, you know, allowing a more market driven approach to parking. We think we need to prioritize people over parking in this situation to make more housing happen. As we know, parking is one of the biggest drivers of housing costs in central Ohio,” said Rob Dorans, the Columbus City Council President Pro Tempore.

Before this proposal moves any further, city leaders want to hear from residents. There will be options to do that in person or at the new “zone-in gallery” that is located at 141 N. Front Street in Downtown Columbus.

“The whole idea here is to make sure that this allows folks to have this conversation on the front end,” Dorans said. “We’re going have public hearings. You know, we’re going to have different events across town. This gallery here, you know, downtown is going to have the ability for sit down with the city planner and really understand the potential changes for their specific parcel that they own or that they live by.”

Monday city council is expected to adopt a resolution putting this into at least a 60 day discussion period.

The “zone in gallery” will open on Tuesday. It will be open six days a week. Residents can make an appointment to come in and talk with the city planner. They will also host events at the gallery. Once they’ve gathered all the knowledge they need, the council is hoping to vote on this plan in the summertime.

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