Columbus city officials have been working on updating zoning codes for more than a year. In many cases, the codes haven’t been updated since the 1960s or earlier, when priorities were significantly different than they are now. Developers wanting to build more density in neighborhoods and even along high-traffic corridors are often forced to go through lengthy and expensive variance requests. This raises costs for projects- and ultimately rents- and prevents the necessary density to address the long-standing housing shortage. The zoning change code map link below shows the initial areas that could see updates.

The focus areas of the update- at least in the first phase, are detailed on the following map:
Zoning Code Change Focus Areas

The first phase largely looks at the city’s main corridors. Later phases will look at updates in all neighborhoods. Although no specific changes have been confirmed as of yet, it’s possible that the city may do away with single-family exclusionary zoning. What this means is that, outside of historic areas, neighborhoods won’t be limited to single-family housing restrictions. Higher density projects, including doubles and multi-family projects, would be allowed in places where they are not essentially off-limits. Other changes may include reducing or eliminating parking minimums and significantly raising height restrictions.