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Mid-Ohio regional planning official urges housing, transit, rail and water collaboration
Summary
A Mid-Ohio regional planning representative described regional priorities including housing, passenger rail planning, regional water collaboration and transit services that may benefit Hocking County.
A representative of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission visited the Hocking County commissioners on April 17 to outline regional planning priorities that could affect housing, transportation and water in Hocking County.
Eileen Luby, a Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission official, told commissioners the regional body covers a multi-county area and can provide technical assistance, grant-finding services and workforce and transit supports.
Luby highlighted housing as a central concern, noting population projections showing concentrated growth in the Central Ohio core and a need to preserve farmland while helping smaller communities add housing stock. "If you go to the slide of the Hocking County, you're showing a little bit of flat growth. That means you're losing people," she said, and said the region will host a May 8 discussion with housing experts.
She also described ongoing efforts on passenger rail planning, saying the region is studying routes and station locations and that officials want to bring passenger service back to Ohio. Luby said site selection would prioritize a small number of stations to keep service fast while adding regional connectivity.
On mobility and transit, Luby noted MORPC-run services including a van that connects Logan to the VA clinic and programs to support employer-based rides and career connections. She said MORPC offers a "go high" (van) program, emergency rides and employer-based travel supports and can help communities secure second vans or transit options.
Luby described a recently completed regional water study and an online dashboard that indicates site developability and infrastructure availability. She said the tool and a new governance approach will help resolve disputes and provide planning support where water or sewer service is absent or incomplete.
Why it matters: Regional planning and technical assistance can increase Hocking County's capacity to apply for funding, plan for housing and transportation investments and coordinate water and sewer development across county lines.
Luby said MORPC provides member services including an intern program, grant finder and a series of short webinars on funding programs, and that Hocking County has two representatives on MORPC's commission.
