Hilliard council hears public push to return conditional‑use approvals to planning commission

At the March 23 Hilliard City Council meeting, a member of the public urged the council not to transfer conditional‑use approval authority to unelected staff, and staff presented background and next steps on ordinance 26‑09, which would return conditional‑use approvals to the city planning commission.

Anna Canalongo, a resident who signed up to speak during public comment, told the council she is concerned about “giving up your power and accountability to the city staff,” saying she had observed staff recommendations and site reviews that she believes did not fully protect neighborhood interests. Canalongo cited recent debates over fuel‑cell and generator siting as examples and asked council to retain final authority.

City planning staff summarized the recent history: prior to January 2022 the planning commission made final conditional‑use rulings; a 2022 code change required those decisions to be forwarded to council. Staff told council that, since 2022, planning commission recommendations and council outcomes have been aligned in 32 cases and that the staff/commission recommended restoring final decision authority to the planning commission while keeping the 400‑foot notification radius that was adopted in 2022.

Staff also emphasized that conditional‑use reviews are quasi‑judicial: testimony is taken under oath, evidence is admitted, and decisions are appealable to the court of common pleas. Staff noted that some topics mentioned in public comment (for example, fuel cells and diesel‑generator permits) are processed through separate site‑plan or permitting systems rather than conditional‑use review.

Council members asked how much extra time the current two‑step process adds for small businesses; staff said most conditional‑use matters take roughly a month under the present process, with a few cases taking six weeks or longer depending on exhibit preparation and scheduling. Council also asked if other central Ohio municipalities routinely delegate conditional‑use approval; staff said the council’s two‑step role had been unusual in their experience and that other communities often vest final action in their planning boards.

Council scheduled the ordinance’s second reading and public hearing for April 13, 2026. The question before the council is whether to keep the extra council review step that vendors and some council members say can slow small businesses or to return those decisions to planning commissioners because of their land‑use expertise and the quasi‑judicial nature of the process.