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Record of Proceedings

Powell City Council Meeting: Village Green Update and Shared-Use Parking Policy Adoption, May 6, 2026

City Council & Boards — Wednesday, May 6, 2026

BodyPowell, Ohio

SessionCity Council & Boards

DateWednesday, May 6, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 53:05

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:02

I will call the PAL City Council meeting to order for May 6, 2026.

0:13

Here.

0:13

Carlos Crapper.

0:14

Here.

0:15

Hi, LaFerman.

0:16

Here.

0:16

I think McCarl.

0:17

Here.

0:17

David Luster.

0:20

Here.

0:21

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:25

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:29

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:32

One nation, under God, indivisible.

0:35

Liberty and justice for all.

0:45

So in light of some of the discussion on social media, I would like to suggest we amend our agenda this evening for a report on the village green.

0:57

So moved.

0:58

Second second.

1:00

All those in favor?

1:06

All right.

1:06

With that, Andy, do you want to kick this up?

1:10

Yeah, I appreciate the opportunity.

1:16

Summary of the conversation we had at the development committee, because I think it's informative.

1:22

But for those of you don't know, the last couple of days there's been, I believe, a significant misunderstanding over the process that the city's engaged with specific reference to redevelopment in the downtown.

1:35

So we had that conversation.

1:37

I think it's set based on an advertisement for the third public outreach that we'll have tomorrow at the uh Delaware County Library Powell branch on home road.

1:50

Um is that at 9 30, I believe?

1:54

10 to 10 to 12 30.

1:55

10 to 2.

1:56

Um, and I there's been brought to my attention that there was concern over a vote that was being taken, um, which would be illegal on several counts.

2:06

Um, so that's really one of the things we wanted to address with you tonight before we got into the business.

2:12

We talked about it with the development committee.

2:14

Uh so in particular, I just provide a brief summary and then answer any questions you all may have.

2:19

Um, but out of the development committee, there was a good suggestion, uh, which I think this is going to be a good thing.

2:24

Um, but essentially this property was purchased by the city back in I think 1996.

2:32

It was an old trust company.

2:34

Most of the lots underneath the ground that we sit on right now are single family residential that have never been um consolidated.

2:42

It was never the intent that that would be the final product.

2:45

Um, but over the ensuing three decades, there wasn't a lot of resources available to develop the site.

2:51

There have been numerous studies talking about the redevelopment of this property, going back to the early 2000s.

2:57

Um 2021 with the income tax restructuring council finally had a sufficient means of resources to start to address a number of issues within the community.

3:09

I think most notably capital improvements within uh the infrastructure of the city.

3:13

As a result of that restructuring, we're now advancing over two and a half million dollars consistently per year in road maintenance programs.

3:21

At that same time, uh we started to take a look at a lot of the facilities we have throughout the city.

3:27

Um this building, this property is 30 years old.

3:31

Um the splash pad is 30 years old, the amphitheater is 30 years old, um, most of the facilities at Arbor Bridge are that age, so we're all trying to go through a process of better understanding how that could be perpetually available to the public in a high quality form.

3:48

Within alignment of that conversation, um city council endorsed a shared use master plan update that's been completed and is being worked on right now, parks master plan update, which was completed and is being worked on right now in the midst of a facilities master plan update, which is being worked on right now, and currently we're still in the middle of phase two of a three-phase program of village greens conceptual understanding of what it could be.

4:17

And I just think for the benefit of the public.

4:20

Phase one started now two years ago, uh, but phase one didn't start until a panel that was inclusive of citizenry, went through an interview process on third-party consultants with how we might be able to develop this site.

4:37

And I will not forget how Luzuti was selected because out of the three finalists, the question was posited.

4:45

What do you think this site should become?

4:48

What do you think would work for the city?

4:49

And the answer was pretty simple, but it was I don't know.

4:52

That's what I need to find out from you all.

5:00

So phase one of the duty-led consultancy was an investigation of the market conditions, the traffic patterns, the infrastructure availability or lack there availability, which was completed with public engagement throughout that entire year.

5:12

It was followed by phase two, which we're in the process of right now, which is to bring concepts to the site of a wide variety that could potentially become reality in the future with public input.

5:24

So we have secured a number of public sessions with input.

5:29

Many of you have attended them with staff that got to this position of where we're at right now with the current status of phase two.

5:37

Phase two is the capture of concepts that relate to that market.

5:44

And there's a ton of information available on the process on the website on all the information that's been collected.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement██████████████████████████████████34%

Planning And Zoning████████████████████████████28%

Procedural██████████████14%

Public Safety███████████11%

Real Estate Development███████7%

Parks and Recreation████4%

Historic Preservation██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Powell City Council Meeting: Village Green Update and Shared-Use Parking Policy Adoption, May 6, 2026

The Powell City Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers at 47 Hall Street, Powell, Ohio. The meeting was called to order by the Mayor, with all council members present. The agenda was amended to include a report on the Village Green following public concern on social media. Key actions included the adoption of Resolution 2026-25 authorizing a shared-use downtown parking policy and updates on valet parking and the Bennett Farms path.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the City Council meeting of April 21, 2026, were unanimously approved without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

Brooke Mori (415 Retreat Lane West) expressed that she and her family moved to Powell because of the green spaces. She stated her opposition to commercial or residential development on the Village Green and requested guidance on how residents who want to keep the area as a green field can make their voices heard. The Mayor responded that the “do nothing” option is being considered alongside other proposals.

Discussion Items

Village Green Report & Public Engagement Process

City Manager Andy delivered a detailed report on the Village Green redevelopment process, addressing misunderstandings spread via social media. Key points:

The property was purchased by the city in 1996 and has been the subject of studies since the early 2000s.
In 2021, income tax restructuring provided resources for capital improvements, enabling a three-phase planning effort:
- Phase 1: Market analysis, traffic studies, and infrastructure review with public engagement (completed).
- Phase 2: Conceptual development based on public input (currently underway). The third public outreach session is scheduled for May 7, 2026, at the Delaware County Library Powell Branch (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM).
- Phase 3: Financial analysis (expected to start late 2026, completed by end of 2027).
City Manager stated that no vote on development has occurred and that any future development would require multiple legislative steps (zoning, planning commission, council) and is unlikely before 2028.
A suggestion from the Development Committee (led by Councilmember Tyler Herman) to add a fourth public meeting in the evening was endorsed to accommodate residents unable to attend daytime sessions.
Council members provided supportive comments, noting the historical evolution of downtown, the value of public input, and the importance of balancing green space with infrastructure needs.

Resolution 2026-25 – Shared-Use Downtown Parking Policy

The City Manager presented Resolution 2026-25, authorizing staff to negotiate shared-use parking agreements with private property owners. Highlights:

The policy aims to quickly increase available downtown parking by formalizing agreements for underutilized private lots, with city investment in signage, lighting, and liability protection.
A parking structure would cost $55,000–$60,000 per space (approx. $15–20 million for 300 spaces), whereas shared-use agreements involve minimal costs.
Staff have identified 6-8 potential properties and are in conversations with owners. Immediate wins could include 16 spaces from a development at the church property across from City Hall.
Council Member Tom noted the policy addresses short-term parking pressure while preserving options for long-term decisions.
No outside consultants; work will be done in-house initially. Future council approval required for individual agreements.

Valet Parking Update (City Manager’s Report)

The Powell Development Corporation (PDC) endorsed a financial partnership with Premier Parking to expand valet services.
Two kiosks will operate: one at 80 East (Wednesday–Saturday) and one on Hall Street (Friday–Saturday). Cars will be parked at the PAL Center, City Hall lot, or other nearby areas. The service is text-based for retrieval.
The six-month contract covers summer through early fall, with evaluation at year-end.

Bennett Farms Path & Other Updates

Construction of a 10-foot-wide pedestrian/bike path from Arbor Ridge Park west toward downtown (approximately 2,000 feet) will begin this summer and be completed this year.
The path connects 32 acres of green space adjacent to downtown and includes clearing overgrowth along Route 750.
Councilmember [Yaz?] was congratulated on being named to a “40 under 40” list.

Committee Reports

Development Committee: Discussed Village Green, zoning code review, and a permit toolkit for homeowners. Next meeting: June 2, 2026.
Finance Committee: Next meeting: May 12, 2026.
Operations Committee: Next meeting: May 19, 2026.
Powell Development Corporation (PDC): Met two weeks ago; selected officers and discussed parking solutions, including valet. Next meeting: May 26, 2026.

Key Outcomes

Resolution 2026-25 was adopted unanimously (voice vote) to authorize the City Manager to develop a shared-use downtown parking policy.
Minutes from April 21, 2026, were approved.
Executive Session: Council voted unanimously to enter executive session under Ohio Revised Code Sections 121.22(G)(3) (imminent court action), (G)(2) (property purchase), and (G)(8) (economic development confidential information).
Next Steps: A fourth Village Green public meeting will be scheduled in the evening; valet operations will begin soon; Bennett Farms path construction starts summer 2026.

Meeting Transcript

I will call the PAL City Council meeting to order for May 6, 2026. Here. Carlos Crapper. Here. Hi, LaFerman. Here. I think McCarl. Here. David Luster. Here. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible. Liberty and justice for all. So in light of some of the discussion on social media, I would like to suggest we amend our agenda this evening for a report on the village green. So moved. Second second. All those in favor? All right. With that, Andy, do you want to kick this up? Yeah, I appreciate the opportunity. Summary of the conversation we had at the development committee, because I think it's informative. But for those of you don't know, the last couple of days there's been, I believe, a significant misunderstanding over the process that the city's engaged with specific reference to redevelopment in the downtown. So we had that conversation. I think it's set based on an advertisement for the third public outreach that we'll have tomorrow at the uh Delaware County Library Powell branch on home road. Um is that at 9 30, I believe? 10 to 10 to 12 30. 10 to 2. Um, and I there's been brought to my attention that there was concern over a vote that was being taken, um, which would be illegal on several counts. Um, so that's really one of the things we wanted to address with you tonight before we got into the business. We talked about it with the development committee. Uh so in particular, I just provide a brief summary and then answer any questions you all may have. Um, but out of the development committee, there was a good suggestion, uh, which I think this is going to be a good thing. Um, but essentially this property was purchased by the city back in I think 1996. It was an old trust company. Most of the lots underneath the ground that we sit on right now are single family residential that have never been um consolidated. It was never the intent that that would be the final product. Um, but over the ensuing three decades, there wasn't a lot of resources available to develop the site. There have been numerous studies talking about the redevelopment of this property, going back to the early 2000s. Um 2021 with the income tax restructuring council finally had a sufficient means of resources to start to address a number of issues within the community. I think most notably capital improvements within uh the infrastructure of the city. As a result of that restructuring, we're now advancing over two and a half million dollars consistently per year in road maintenance programs. At that same time, uh we started to take a look at a lot of the facilities we have throughout the city. Um this building, this property is 30 years old. Um the splash pad is 30 years old, the amphitheater is 30 years old, um, most of the facilities at Arbor Bridge are that age, so we're all trying to go through a process of better understanding how that could be perpetually available to the public in a high quality form. Within alignment of that conversation, um city council endorsed a shared use master plan update that's been completed and is being worked on right now, parks master plan update, which was completed and is being worked on right now in the midst of a facilities master plan update, which is being worked on right now, and currently we're still in the middle of phase two of a three-phase program of village greens conceptual understanding of what it could be. And I just think for the benefit of the public. Phase one started now two years ago, uh, but phase one didn't start until a panel that was inclusive of citizenry, went through an interview process on third-party consultants with how we might be able to develop this site. And I will not forget how Luzuti was selected because out of the three finalists, the question was posited.

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