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Lebanon council approves rezoning of 313-acre Ray Rock property to PUD
Summary
On Dec. 9 the Lebanon City Council adopted Ordinance 2025-116 to rezone the 313-acre Ray Rock property from rural residential to a residential planned unit development (PUD), voting 5–1. Council members said approving the PUD preserves city control over future development.
The Lebanon City Council on Dec. 9 adopted Ordinance 2025-116 to rezone the 313-acre Ray Rock property from rural residential to a residential planned unit development (PUD), approving the measure by roll call vote (Sellers yes; Cope yes; Vice Mayor Norris yes; Eggers no; Lamoreaux yes; Mayor Messer yes).
Council members who supported the measure said rezoning to a PUD would allow the city to retain regulatory control over design and infrastructure conditions rather than cede jurisdiction to the township. The ordinance implements a development concept plan presented to the council and recommended by the planning commission.
Why it matters: The rezoning establishes the framework for a large residential project at the city’s edge and triggers related steps such as a petition to change township boundaries (Resolution 2025-125, also adopted at the Dec. 9 meeting) and future site- and subdivision-level approvals. Supporters said a PUD lets the city set standards for roads, utilities and lot layout; one council member expressed concern that declining to approve the PUD could have produced higher-density development under township rules.
Council debate and reasoning
Council comments during and after the vote focused on trade-offs between opposing growth outright and retaining local control over how growth occurs. “Do I want 518 houses out on Drake Road? No,” said Mister Wolf, describing his personal preference against that scale of development, “Do I want us to be in control of the 518 houses that are going to come whether we say yes or no? Yes.” He framed his yes vote as a choice to preserve the city’s ability to manage density and infrastructure.
Another member emphasized that earlier decisions (including the routing of a sewer line) limited options and that the development density had been reduced from the developer’s original proposal; the speaker noted a reduction from an earlier estimate to the 518 homes figure discussed in council remarks.
What the ordinance does and next steps
Ordinance 2025-116 rezones the Ray Rock property to PUD consistent with the developer’s concept plan. With adoption, the city will move forward with administration steps tied to annexation and boundary updates (the council adopted Resolution 2025-125 petitioning the Warren County Board of Commissioners to change township boundaries to reflect the annexation). Future approvals will address detailed engineering, infrastructure, and subdivision plats; none of those approvals were decided at the Dec. 9 meeting.
Quotes
“Do I want 518 houses out on Drake Road? No,” Mister Wolf said in explaining his vote. “I also had to use my brain and realize I had to go the route that was the best.”
“We don’t want to be in the business of running a train,” Vice Mayor Norris said while discussing separate agenda items, noting the city’s interest in leveraging the LMM excursion to benefit downtown businesses.
Closure
The ordinance was adopted at the Dec. 9 meeting. Council members and staff said they will continue coordinating annexation and project oversight steps and will discuss detailed implementation at future planning and staff sessions.
