Columbus council opens 60-day comment period to extend 'ZonEIN' rezoning to U.S. 161/Northland corridor

Columbus City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution initiating a 60-day public comment period to extend the first phase of the city’s ZonEIN rezoning work to include roughly 2.5 miles of the U.S. 161 (Northland) corridor.

The resolution, adopted by the council, asks staff to begin outreach and hold two public hearings — April 2 and May 28 — and to mail notices to affected property owners and occupants before any final vote.

City planning staff said the extension responds to community and council requests and to changes on the ground since Phase 1 passed last year. Luis Teva, the newly named ZonEIN project manager in the Department of Development, told council the team documented recent transit and infrastructure changes — improved COTA service, a proposed LinkUS corridor study, planned shared-use paths and roundabouts — and received letters and repeated requests from Northland-area groups to study 161.

"We are very excited to talk about ZonEIN and to finally give you a project update," Teva said. He said staff will mail more than 1,800 notices, run an online interactive parcel map, attend Northland Community Council meetings and continue direct community engagement during the 60-day period.

Pat Hamill, vice chair of the Northland Community Council and chair of its zoning subcommittee, told council the rezoning would "enable walkable, mixed-use development along the East 161 Corridor" and establish design standards for redevelopment as transit and road improvements move forward.

Alice Fuller, president of the Northland Area Business Association, said the designation would help small businesses that now sit behind wide, high-speed roadways, and allow more housing and pedestrian-friendly connections where acres of parking now exist.

City building and zoning Director Scott Messer told council that the first phase has already spurred nearly 100 proposed projects and more than 1,000 proposed housing units along the Phase 1 corridors in the months since implementation. Messer said staff plan additional technical tweaks to Phase 1 language — for example, provisions that allow combining parcels connected to corridor parcels or adjusting setback rules — before final legislation returns to council.

If the resolution proceeds, affected parcels would be proposed for Community Activity Center (five-to-seven stories by right, with affordability bonus options) or Urban General 2 (up to four stories, fewer allowed uses, and additional setbacks when adjacent to residential lots).

The council adopted the resolution unanimously. Two public hearings and ongoing community engagement are scheduled before any final rezoning ordinance is considered.