Planning commission recommends updated zoning code to city council after multi‑year rewrite

The Stow City Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the proposed zoning code update (PC2025‑032) to city council after a detailed presentation by consultant Hema of Hauser Levine and staff.

Planning staff Zach explained the multi‑year process that produced the draft: the city contracted with Hauser Levine on 2024‑03‑15, the effort followed a 2022 diagnostic that identified gaps in the existing code, and staff and the consultant held outreach including a community survey that yielded roughly 400 responses, multiple steering‑committee meetings, stakeholder sessions and open houses (including one on 2024‑06‑05 and a final open house noted on 2025‑09‑22).

Consultant Hema presented the draft code's structure and major changes. Key elements presented on the record included consolidation of overlapping commercial districts into three commercial districts (C1–C3), consolidation of two industrial districts into one, creation of a Public/Institutional (PI) district and a Major Planned Development (PD) process for sites 10 acres or larger. The draft also proposes a Mixed‑Use Overlay and a Minor Plan Development overlay, reorganizes dimensional tables for residential and nonresidential zones, and adds objective building design, parking, sign and landscape standards. Hema said the update aims to streamline review, support pedestrian‑oriented mixed use on corridors and align the code with the comprehensive plan and state/federal requirements.

Hema and Zach described specific changes on the record: residential lot and setback tables were consolidated, residential missing‑middle housing types (duplex, triplex, quadplex, townhome) were added with limits tied to corridors and proximity to bus routes, parking minimums were reduced compared with the existing code, and a new chapter for sign standards was drafted to consolidate existing sign rules and reduce visual clutter. The draft retains the existing floodplain chapter largely unchanged, clarifies nonconforming‑use rules and adds an explicit definitions chapter and administrative review procedures including administrative adjustments and review thresholds for planning commission and city council applications.

Zach described the project's steering committee by name on the record: Mario Fioka, Kyle Herman, Kyle Feldman (city council), Dan Basic and Jeff Wagner (planning commission), Greg Seifert (board of zoning appeals), Jason Gates (commission on inclusion), Patrick Crawford (parks board), Andy Boateng (urban forestry commission), Kay Arnold (business owner) and Mike Merle (Fogg Building Methods). He said staff logged roughly 200 hours of internal review and that the team has already held multiple meetings with other city boards.

Staff said the next step is for the planning commission recommendation to go to city council for three readings with a target adoption date of December 4; staff intends the code to become effective a couple months after adoption to allow updates to permits and fee schedules. After discussion the commission approved a motion to recommend the draft to council; roll call votes were yes from Mrs. Clancy, Mr. Wagner, Mrs. Treptow and Mr. Basic, and the motion carried.

The recommended draft now moves to the Stow City Council for the formal ordinance readings and adoption process.