Canal Winchester reviews draft approach to hybrid zoning code; public draft expected winter 2026

Canal Winchester City Council held a committee of the whole meeting Sept. 29 to review progress on a multi-stage update to the city's zoning code and map, with planning consultants saying the project is about halfway through drafting and a public draft slated for winter 2026.

The zoning consultant, Kim Littleton of OHM Advisors, told the council the project aims to align the zoning code with the recently adopted community plan by using a hybrid approach that blends conventional use-based standards with form- and typology-based rules. "We're about midway through the process," Littleton said, adding the team has completed a diagnostic audit, a calibration table and a first module that sets form standards, building typologies and use categories.

The update is intended to make the code more user-friendly and predictable for residents and developers, Littleton said. He described form-first rules that standardize building placement, massing and frontage types so multiple uses can occupy the same building types over time. "Form comes before use," Littleton said. He told council the code will be more heavily illustrated than traditional ordinances and will include use-specific standards so some approvals can be handled administratively rather than requiring conditional-use hearings.

Why it matters: Council members and staff described the zoning update as the principal implementation…