Votes at a glance: Middletown City Council approves development, code changes, infrastructure and grant-support items

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Middletown City Council handled a package of hearings, motions and legislation during its Jan. 21 meeting, approving changes to a planned development, two text amendments to the development code, several vendor contracts, support for a regional grant application, and multiple ordinances and resolutions. Key votes and outcomes are listed below.

Votes at a glance

- Planned development amendment — Market Avenue & Union Road (Atticus): Council gave an oral vote directing staff to draft legislation to amend an approved final development plan to remove commercial uses, reconfigure buildings, reduce building count from 10 to 9, and increase units to 314. Planning Commission previously approved the amendment (Dec. 11, 2024). Roll call: five council members voted yes; staff will prepare an ordinance for a future meeting.

- Text Amendment 1 (Fence height in residential districts): Council approved amendments to Chapter 120806 to remove residential districts from a provision that permitted up-to-10-foot fences; staff and Planning Commission noted variances remain available through the Board of Zoning Appeals. Planning Commission recommended approval (6–0). Council vote: unanimous yes.

- Text Amendment 2 (Planning Commission title consistency): Council approved the amendment to make the Planning Commission title uniform in the development code. Planning Commission recommended approval (6–0). Council vote: unanimous yes.

- Motion Agenda A — Water maintenance supplies (multiple vendor contracts): Council approved awarding contracts across eight sections for parts and supplies used by the Water Maintenance Division. Bidders and 12-month estimated amounts included: Ferguson Enterprises (several sections; totals shown in staff materials), Everett J. Prescott (repair clamps, valve boxes), EJ USA (gate valves), Core & Main (sewer rings and lids). Council noted some sections are subject to repricing at shipment; bids remain valid through Feb. 28, 2026. Council vote: unanimous yes.

- Motion Agenda B — Support for Franklin RAISE grant: Council approved a letter supporting the City of Franklin’s application to the U.S. DOT RAISE program for the Franklin Riverfront Revitalization Project (requesting $25,000,000 of a $37,000,000 project). Council vote: unanimous yes.

- Ordinance O2025-01 (MidPointe Library replacement tax levy): Council adopted emergency legislation to submit a replacement levy question for MidPointe Library District to the May ballot. Deadline for May ballot filing required emergency designation. Council vote: passed.

- Ordinance O2025-02 (Rezoning and preliminary plan — Towns of Lincoln Village): Council approved rezoning four parcels at 2402 Central Avenue from R-4 to PD (planned development) and approved a preliminary development plan for the Towns of Lincoln Village. The matter was a second reading; staff said the final development plan will return to Planning Commission for final review. Public comment included opposition that argued the project violated code and questioned use of incentives; council members asked legal clarifying questions before voting. Roll call produced recorded dissent from at least one council member during deliberation; the ordinance passed on the council vote.

- Ordinance O2025-03 (ODOT agreement — Carmody Boulevard culverts): Council approved entering an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation for rehabilitation of three large culverts under Carmody Boulevard and adjacent bike path; ODOT will cover costs, and the schedule runs April 1, 2026–Oct. 1, 2027. Council vote: passed.

- Ordinance O2025-04 (Ohio EPA Water Supply Revolving Loan application for raw water transmission main): Council authorized application for the Ohio EPA Water Supply Revolving Loan to construct a new raw water transmission main. Staff described the project as a high priority due to aging main and lack of redundancy; estimated project cost $7,400,000 with $2,000,000 anticipated from Ohio Public Works Commission and approximately $5,400,000 expected as loan amount. Emergency designation due to application deadline. Council vote: passed.

- Resolution R2025-1 (America 250 Ohio community designation): Council voted to support applying to be an America250-Ohio community and to seek the up-to-$5,000 planning grant; designated staff and advised that a community liaison and diverse planning committee would be named if selected. Council vote: passed.

- Resolution R2025-02 (TIF overlay notice for Christo Townhomes incentive district): Council held a second reading and approved notification steps required under Ohio Revised Code 5709.40(c) related to a proposed tax-increment financing (TIF) district for the Lincoln School site development; public hearing on the TIF is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2025. No final TIF approval was taken on Jan. 21.

Other council actions

- Consent agenda (minutes, appointments, personnel confirmations) approved. - Boards and commissions: appointments to Airport Commission, Building and Housing Appeals Board, Library Board were confirmed by council votes.

Context and notable discussion

Several items drew brief discussion in council. The Towns of Lincoln Village rezoning prompted extended public comment earlier in the meeting — a resident (Jennifer Chen) urged the council to halt the Lincoln project and asserted the planning process had been mishandled; she asked council to prioritize code compliance and alternative housing types. City staff and the law director replied during the council deliberation that a planned development (PD) gives council latitude within the development-code process and that voting to approve the PD does not, by itself, violate the city code.

On infrastructure, staff explained that the raw-water main project runs from wells to the water treatment plant and that construction is expected to be largely on airport property and unlikely to disrupt customers; completion was estimated by the end of 2025 subject to procurement and bidding.

The water maintenance supply awards were presented as a series of sections with 12-month estimated purchasing values; staff noted several vendor prices are subject to repricing at shipment.

What’s next

- Staff will draft the ordinance memorializing the Market–Union planned development amendment for a future council meeting. The Towns of Lincoln Village final plan will return to Planning Commission for review and subsequent council action. The TIF process requires a public hearing Feb. 18, 2025, before any final TIF approval. The water-supply loan and library levy submissions had immediate filing deadlines that prompted emergency designations.

Vote records and official minutes will be the controlling record for precise roll-call tallies and formal ordinance language.