Lewis Hayes, zoning and project manager for the City of Columbus, told the German Village Commission that the city will open a public comment period on the Columbus Growth Strategy from Oct. 10 to Nov. 9 and will host an open house in this room on Oct. 22. "We are gonna be doing what we're calling public comment period on our website...That will go from October 10 to November 9," Hayes said.

Hayes said the strategy is the city’s first effort to create one citywide land-use map and to reduce the current number of land-use categories from about 200 to below 20. "We have 40 different area plans...We are working on doing is setting policy in place to allow the foundation for rezoning the city...one comprehensive land use plan," he said, adding the current effort will phase policy work in 2025–26 with zoning to follow in 2026.

Why it matters: the plan will expand the scope of the current phase to about 40% of the city, focused on economic and housing opportunity, mixed use, industrial/warehouse, and institutional/business campus categories. Hayes described extensive outreach this year: four workshops, two walking tours, more than 23 pop-up events, social media engagement, and a survey with more than 3,300 respondents.

Hayes said staff will return to area commissions during the comment period and expects to seek a Development Commission recommendation and then City Council policy approval in December. "After that, we hope to go to council...for the policy basis for zoning so we can continue to do zone in work in 2026," he said.

The presentation noted the existing patchwork of 40 area plans—some as old as 30 years—has led to inconsistent categories and reliance on variances and rezonings. Hayes asked commissioners and the public to review materials on Oct. 10 and to provide feedback during the comment window.

Questions from commissioners were allowed but extended deliberation was not taken during the public-forum portion. Hayes encouraged the commission to help explain the process to constituents who ask for details.