Powell Development Corporation Meeting – June 23, 2026

The Powell Development Corporation (PDC) met on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at Council Chambers, 47 Hall Street, Powell, Ohio. Vice-Chairman Mark Goodwin called the meeting to order at 12:06 p.m. (the agenda listed 12:00 p.m.), and the meeting adjourned at 1:20 p.m. Members present included Philip Whitaker, Tim Wilson, Mark Goodwin, Ryan Jenkins (arrived at 12:09 p.m.), Mayor Heather Karr, and Shawn Keller. Absent were Megan Canavan, City Manager Andrew White, and Chairman Steve Flaherty. Staff present included Administrator Sean Hughes, Finance Director Samantha Borchers, Assistant Finance Director Tina Birch, Accounting Specialist Jodi Reid, and City Clerk Elaine McCloskey. Planning Director Logan Stang and the new Chamber of Commerce director also presented.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes (May 26, 2026): Vice-Chairman Goodwin noted a typo in the valet parking budget figure — it should read $26,000, not $16,000. The corrected minutes were approved by consensus.
• Treasurer's Report: Shawn Keller reported year-to-date revenue of $197,000, of which $150,000 came from the CIP in May. May expenses totaled $29,000, with $25,000 going to the Powell Festival sponsorship.

Discussion Items

• 55 East Olentangy Street – Facade Grant (Vincent Margello): Administrator Hughes reported that the property owner may be considering demolition rather than rehabilitation of the building. He asked the Board whether to collect a new application specifically for demolition or allow the existing grant to be used for either outcome. Staff noted the facade grant guidelines do permit demolition use, but a State/County demolition program would be more appropriate. Mayor Karr flagged a possible County funding announcement. The Board voted to rescind the previous grant application approval (motion by Shawn Keller, seconded by Mayor Karr; Y-6, N-0, AB-0) and will wait for a new application. Hughes noted the facade grant agreement had not been signed by any party, preserving flexibility, and that site conditions could potentially secure public right-of-way for a walking path to improve east–west pedestrian access to the four corners.
• Facade Grant Scoring Matrix: Hughes presented a two-step scoring rubric for downtown incentives, developed at the Board's request. The matrix assigns weighted values to criteria from the grant program guidelines, with 60% of the weight toward architectural review and appearance. Tier 1 projects would seek maximum available funds; Tier 2 allows more flexibility; Tier 3 is lower priority; scores below 50 points do not qualify at all. A sample score for the 55 East Olentangy project was 75 points, placing it in Tier 2. The Board adopted the scoring matrix (motion by Ryan Jenkins, seconded by Philip Whitaker; Y-6, N-0, AB-0). Hughes noted the scoring system can be integrated into the new Civic Serve software and can be included with program guidelines so applicants see the criteria before applying.
• Retreat Recommendations: Hughes proposed splitting the retreat into two sessions on August 25 and September 22, 2026, with a one-hour board meeting followed by a one-hour retreat session. He confirmed retreat sessions are subject to Ohio open meeting laws, except for executive sessions on proprietary economic development information. Ryan Jenkins asked to include a discussion of future monthly meeting structure (time, location, preparation, due diligence). Shawn Keller questioned whether one hour was long enough, and the Board agreed to schedule longer sessions. Tim Wilson requested moving the Convention and Tourism Committee session from September to August because the Delaware County Fair and Little Brown Jug occur that week; Hughes recommended switching it with the Business Retention and Expansion Committee goals.
• Village Green Master Planning (City Council update): Planning Director Logan Stang reported that four community open houses were completed about a month ago, with two redevelopment concepts shared. Staff and consultant Pizzuti Solutions will refine the concepts based on feedback, provide an update to City Council in early August, and return to the community with revised concepts sometime in the fall. Phase 2 was originally set for 12 months ending around October but may be extended through December; Phase 3 (funding and financing) could begin in the new year with possible overlap. Stang noted the community was not supportive of certain elements of the concepts, and staff will look for middle-ground consensus while considering focus groups and surveys. Mayor Karr said the City plans to hire an outside communications firm to respond quickly to misinformation, and her takeaway was that no Council member or staff should argue with residents in Facebook groups. The zoning code rewrite will go before the Planning Commission in July and then to City Council, and downtown design guidelines are also being updated. A shared-use path connecting Bennett Farm to downtown will address pedestrian connectivity, and the Shared Use Master Plan has been shared with Liberty Township for areas outside City jurisdiction.
• Economic Development Monthly Report (May 2026): Administrator Hughes reported 317 projects at the end of May — a 50% increase over the previous year — including 25 new businesses (a 78% increase) and 12 retained or expanded businesses (a 500% increase). These projects generated approximately $8.13 million in new payroll and about 114 new jobs. Hughes anticipates significant new payroll and payroll tax impacts next year from the OSU opening. New May openings included Cobb Indian Kitchen, Barn, and Chapala Mexican Grill. Staff are working on a potential user for the former LA Fitness building (53,000 square feet on five acres, currently empty with trespassing truck parking) and a possible tech flex park on 10 city-owned acres on Home Road.
• School Report: Ryan Jenkins reported the June 1 groundbreaking for High School 5 near Bunty Station at the southern limits of Delaware, expected to open in about two years. Deer Haven Elementary is under construction. The Olentangy Education Foundation presented annual grants to the district, and 1,860 students graduated on May 30. Enrollment projections peak around 2042–2043; no sixth high school is forecast, but 2–3 additional elementary schools and possibly a seventh middle school may be needed. Jenkins explained that preschool capacity is built into new elementary schools because federal law (Child Find) requires educational services for children with disabilities starting at age three.
• Downtown Merchants / Visit Powell: Administrator Hughes reported that an email to downtown businesses stated the current executive director will not be with the organization after the first of the year and that the organization may be absorbed by the PDC, which currently funds it. Hughes said staff are reviewing the budget to determine whether that is feasible and emphasized the importance of having a downtown organization.
• Convention and Tourism (Destination Delaware): Tim Wilson requested $2,000 for a Destination Delaware county tourism map advertisement that would include the City of Powell. Maps would be distributed to investing partners and displayed at key locations, including welcome centers, Polaris Fashion Place, Tanger Columbus, and the Columbus Zoo. Wilson reported Delaware County tourism revenue increased by $200 million over the previous report, totaling $2.4 billion in economic activity and supporting almost 14,000 jobs. Finance Director Samantha Borchers suggested using $2,000 from the current budget, with the remaining balance of the $25,000 Destination Delaware agreement discussed at the August meeting.
• Real Estate Committee: Shawn Keller reported the committee met June 18 and is targeting legal and real estate broker positions, with interviews scheduled for the week of July 13. Pizzuti will speak to the committee in August regarding the Village Green project. Discussions also covered the proposed tech flex park and future annexation.
• Valet Parking Pilot (first week): Hughes reported the first week of valet parking downtown ran Wednesday through Saturday with one station at 80 East (the Prohibition kiosk was closed due to Powell Festival). Thirty-three cars were valeted; 13 were members of 80 East, leaving 20 paying customers against a target of 30 per day. The weekly invoice was $964. Hughes expects the second kiosk to help reach higher volumes and recommended more marketing.

Key Outcomes

• Motion passed (Y-6, N-0, AB-0): Rescind the previous facade grant application approval for 55 East Olentangy Street; a new application for demolition (or revised scope) will be required (moved by Keller, seconded by Karr).
• Motion passed (Y-6, N-0, AB-0): Adopt the Facade Grant Scoring Matrix (moved by Jenkins, seconded by Whitaker).
• Retreat dates set: August 25 and September 22, 2026, with the Convention and Tourism Committee session moved to August and the Business Retention and Expansion Committee goals moved to September.
• Tourism map: Staff will use $2,000 from the current Destination Delaware budget; a formal agreement will be discussed at the August board meeting.
• Motion passed (Y-6, N-0, AB-0): Adjourn (moved by Karr, seconded by Keller) at 1:20 p.m.
• Next steps: Hughes will research State/County demolition grant availability before the next meeting; Pizzuti Solutions will present Village Green feedback to City Council in early August; the zoning code rewrite goes to the Planning Commission in July.

Note on Discrepancies

• The minutes identify the new Chamber of Commerce director as Anjali Dinghe, while the transcript spells the name Anjali De Gay.
• The agenda listed the meeting start time as 12:00 p.m.; the minutes record that the meeting was called to order at 12:06 p.m.