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 step for the city’s community plan. Those changes could affect where the city will allow a wider range of housing types, how downtown and Old Town properties are regulated, and how corridor and transition areas are defined — all items that shape redevelopment, housing availability and neighborhood character.

Key details from the presentation and council discussion: - Project status and schedule: Consultants said they have finished the diagnostic report and calibration work and are drafting Module 1 (form standards, district maps, use tables and typologies). Staff and the consultants are building Module 2 (administrative procedures and communitywide regulations). A public draft is expected in winter 2026 after an administrative draft and internal staff review. - Hybrid code approach: The proposed code blends conventional use-based zoning with form-based elements so the code prescribes building placement, street frontage and massing before listing allowed uses. Littleton said this aims to increase predictability while preserving neighborhood character. - Online parcel integration: Littleton said the final code will be tied to the city’s online zoning map, allowing users to click a parcel and view applicable district standards and related planning history. - Variances and administrative approvals: Consultants and staff said one objective is to reduce routine variance requests by adjusting standards to reflect what the city frequently grants today. Littleton said the goal is to move more decisions to staff-level administrative review where appropriate and reserve hearings for larger, potentially neighborhood‑impacting exceptions. "We're trying to get to the point where you don't have them," Littleton said of variances. - Housing and "missing middle": Council members discussed provisions in the community plan and the draft code that would allow gentle density (duplexes, triplexes, accessory dwelling units) in some transition areas. Staff emphasized those changes are targeted and meant to match the plan's goals while respecting scale and context. - Historic/Old Town considerations: The consultants confirmed the draft creates or expands Old Town/landmark-focused districts and that the Landmarks Commission participates in stakeholder work; the proposal would apply tailored standards to preservation areas. - Notice and effective date: A staff speaker (city attorney/staff) explained that under Ohio practice described in the meeting, the city can set an effective date in an ordinance and that, absent a specified effective date, an amended code typically becomes effective at least 30 days after adoption. The listener should note the presentation described the city's notice process — for example, when 10 or more parcels are rezoned the city may satisfy notice by publication — but did not cite a specific statute.

Council members asked for examples of completed codes and communities that used similar hybrid approaches; Littleton pointed to recent Central Ohio efforts, including work with other suburbs and modular updates to Columbus's code, and recommended local examples such as Evans Farms/Lewis Center and recent work in Reynoldsburg as work products to review.

Next steps and engagement: Staff said they will complete the administrative draft, then publish a public draft for comment and hold workshops with council and the planning commission. The consultants and staff reiterated they will continue stakeholder and resident engagement during the public-draft phase.

Votes at a glance - Motion to excuse Mr. Fusker from the meeting: motion made by the chair, second by Mr. McLaughlin; roll call recorded as yes by Mr. Bennett, Mr. McLaughlin, Mr. Moore, Mr. Shea and Ms. Samek (motion approved). (Procedural motion recorded at start of meeting.) - Motion to adjourn: moved by Ms. Amos, seconded by Mr. Moore; roll call recorded as yes by those called (motion approved). (Recorded at the end of the meeting.)

The committee meeting lasted about an hour and focused solely on the zoning-code check‑in; council members asked for additional examples and welcomed a public‑draft phase so residents can review illustrations and standards before adoption.