Xenia planner wins state award; city begins residential zoning update after broad community input

City Planner Brian accepted the Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association’s 2025 comprehensive plan award on behalf of Xenia at the Oct. 9 council meeting, and he used the council platform to recap community engagement and next steps for zoning updates.

Mayor Will Urschel praised Brian’s work, noting the planning department’s small staff and the city’s progress tracking implementation of plan goals. "Brian led a community involvement process with multiple opportunities for the community to come and say this is what we would like to see occurring," Urschel said.

Brian told council that roughly 900 residents participated across outreach activities for the updated "Next Plan" and that the city is beginning a code‑update process after a residential zoning workshop that drew about 45 participants. The workshop covered how zoning regulates housing types and asked attendees to rate preferences for narrow single‑family homes, duplexes and multiplexes; staff also convened a roundtable with homebuilders for technical input.

Brian framed the zoning update as a response to changing demographics and market forces — aging households, smaller average household sizes and demand for lower‑maintenance and more affordable housing types — and said staff will draft code amendments that identify where alternative housing types make sense and where the community supports them.

Councilmembers commended engagement turnout and asked staff to continue public outreach as the zoning changes are drafted.