Powell Joint Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council Meeting - March 11, 2026

The Powell Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council met jointly on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers, 47 Hall Street, Powell, Ohio. The meeting included the swearing-in of three new Planning & Zoning Commission members and a consultant-led overview of Case 2025-12ADM, the ongoing effort to update the city's zoning code. Councilmember John Simpson was not present at roll call.

Oath of Office

• Greg Spires, Mitchell Blackford, and Shaun Greer were sworn in as new members of the Planning & Zoning Commission, which serves as an advisory board to City Council on zoning map amendments, preliminary and final development plans, and platting of property.

Discussion Items

Zoning Code Update (Case 2025-12ADM)

• The consultant stated the current zoning code was written 40 years ago, and Powell is a very different place today. The city currently relies heavily on planned unit developments, variances, and other relief because the code is not calibrated to the development Powell now receives. The consultant characterized this as an unpredictable, one-off, patchwork approach and said the new code should be clear, consistent, user-friendly, and defensible.
• The rewrite aims to bake in regulations that reflect desired community outcomes so projects do not require a PUD process each time. Staff and the Planning Commission would still review and vet development to ensure the code does not create bigger challenges or issues.
• Proposed districts include two single-family residential districts and two additional residential districts providing a greater diversity of housing options. A downtown-focused district would allow flexibility in housing types without the volume of a larger mixed-residential district, preserving the feel and character of downtown Powell.
• The planned industrial district would be removed and replaced with clear rules, including for planned residential-to-residential district conversions. Parking requirements are being right-sized so businesses in some areas can use public lots to meet parking obligations rather than being forced to provide unused on-site spaces.
• Future iterations will include more graphics showing contextual development examples, new downtown design guidelines, community toolkits, and subdivision regulations governing lot shape and public roadway access.

Questions and Concerns

• A council member new to the dais asked whether the city plans to proactively communicate with property owners about how the new code could affect their property, noting that in their own experience an overlay was added to an area without broad awareness. The consultant responded that a website with interactive maps and targeted guides will be part of outreach.
• A Planning Commissioner expressed concern that their fence could not be rebuilt to its current height under the proposed code. The response indicated repair in small portions would be allowed to bring it into compliance.
• A commissioner asked how difficult it would be to convert a property to mixed use if a business closes; the answer was that a rezoning would require Planning Commission and City Council review and approval.
• Staff confirmed that adopting the new code would set an entirely new zoning map for the city; property owners could later petition to rezone. Lawful nonconforming uses would be grandfathered and could continue for another 20 years even if no longer permitted in the district.
• Asked about deed restrictions, the city stated it has no authority over private deed restrictions, so the new code would not override them.

Key Outcomes

• The zoning code update remains on track: a detailed, formatted draft code is being prepared for public feedback in May or June 2026, with continued Planning Commission and Council review through the summer and adoption consideration in the fall of 2026.
• The next phase of the public engagement will include complete tables (e.g., parking calculations) and context graphics showing how the regulations would translate to actual development.