Council holds public hearing on annexation of 85.669 acres for planned-unit development

The Washington Court House City Council held a public hearing Feb. 12 on a proposed annexation of 85.669 acres located across the road from the YMCA and introduced an ordinance to accept the annexation and establish original zoning.

City Manager Joseph J. Dennon explained that the annexation request is paired with a planned-unit development (PUD) approach, which gives the planning commission flexibility on layout and design, allowing trade-offs such as higher density in exchange for committed open space. "Planned unit development . . . gives the planning commission a lot more flexibility when you come to the layout and design of the eventual development of the property," Dennon said during the hearing.

The council introduced Ordinance No. 1-2025, described in the meeting as "an ordinance accepting annexation on application of owners and establishing original zoning districts of 85.669 acres," and placed it on first reading. No final vote adopting zoning or approving development terms occurred at the meeting.

During public comment at the hearing, a speaker recommended that Civic Drive be aligned to form a standard intersection with Hickory Lane to remove a dogleg and simplify traffic patterns; that suggestion was not attributed to a named speaker in the hearing record. Council members did not take final action on design or alignment at the meeting.

The public hearing was closed the same evening and the ordinance was read for first consideration; subsequent procedural steps (planning commission review, additional readings or votes) remain to be scheduled.

The matter will return to council for further legislative action before annexation and any specific PUD site plan or zoning changes take effect.