Portage County launches 18‑month rewrite of zoning and subdivision codes, invites public input

Portage County and a hired planning consultancy formally kicked off an 18‑month effort to rewrite the county’s zoning and subdivision ordinances, the consultant told the advisory committee at its first meeting.

“My name is Oren Subwaltz. I’m a planner by trade,” the consultant said, introducing the firm and its role in leading data gathering, a diagnostic of the existing code and a series of public engagement events. He told the group the process will include town charrettes, stakeholder interviews and public open houses and hearings, with a target adoption of a recommended ordinance in December 2026.

The rewrite will begin with a diagnostic review of the existing ordinance and related documents, Oren said. Consultants plan a field study of county locations, GIS mapping, and an annotated solutions outline to be shared with the advisory committee for feedback and revision. “It is overall going to be a bit of a journey,” he said, summarizing the multi‑step process.

Mark Lyons, introduced as a colleague on the project team, described the advisory committee’s intended role: to act as a sounding board, review draft sections, and help publicly represent the project at community events. Committee members will be invited to serve on smaller subcommittees that will meet between full advisory sessions to work through portions of the zoning and subdivision code.

To support public review, the team launched a project website, www.portagecountycodeupdate.com, intended to host draft materials, meeting schedules and stakeholder interview summaries. The project team also said they will post electronic and printed copies of proposed amendments as they are drafted and will conduct one‑on‑one stakeholder interviews (via Microsoft Teams or phone where needed).

Why it matters: zoning and subdivision code changes can affect where and how homes, farms and businesses develop across the county and will set standards for issues residents raised at the meeting, including property division rules, screening for large projects and standards for short‑term rentals and event venues.

The advisory committee will meet generally every other month, with subcommittee meetings in alternating months; the team said the next full advisory meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 3. Members were told a separate legal review by a land‑use attorney will follow drafting to confirm consistency with recent state statutes before any formal adoption process begins.