Introduction | Summary | Master Plan Document | Annual Reports | Implementation Strategies
2005 Master Plan Annual Report
Land Use
2005 Annual Report | Land Use | Economy | Community Appearance | Community Facilities & Services | Housing | Transportation | Implementation
Click here to view/download a pdf version of the Land Use section.
Click here to view/download a pdf version of the Land Use Map.
Land Use Meeting Summary
From Meeting Dated Thursday, March 9, 2006
In Attendance
- Chad Gibson (Development Department), Moderator
- Robin Sowry, (City Attorney’s Office) Recorder
- Tim Moloney, Steve Cothrel (Parks & Recreation Department), Matt Davis, Bryan Wagner (Development Department), Paul Schaumberg (Police Division), Aaron Miller (City Manager’s Office).
Goal
Recognize the City’s residential character while enhancing community redevelopment and revitalization, including town centers, community focal points, mixed housing, open/green space and quality commercial development that serves the community’s needs.
Executive Summary
Land Use remains an important but complex component for realizing the overall goals of the Master Plan. In a sense, the objectives within it represent diametrically opposed goals, with constant deliberation required to find the most effective and beneficial balance. Upper Arlington is renowned as a superior residential community within the Central Ohio region. At issue is finding the means to preserve the community’s unique nature without risking it at the same time.
This represents a challenging area for our community leaders. They must work to balance the directives of the Master Plan with the wishes of the community, while weighing the overall good that any given project might represent over the long term for the community as a whole.
Oftentimes development or redevelopment projects being brought forward to the City by the private sector are causing extensive community discussion, present challenges in Master Plan interpretation, and can result in decisions that appear contradictory as they proceed from Staff consideration through to Board of Zoning & Planning, and (as required) City Council consideration and action.
As a built-out community with few options for progress other than changing some of the community’s existing attributes through redevelopment, this trend is sure to continue. The question then becomes how best to manage these issues, keeping Master Plan goals foremost in our minds for the greater good of the community, successfully selecting the “highest and best” use for a particular plot of land, satisfying the needs and desires of all interested parties, and ensuring an understanding of the City’s role in facilitating the consideration of these issues as they are brought forward by private developers.
In April of 2005, a retreat of City Council, Staff, the Board of Zoning & Planning and the Community Improvement Corporation was held to foster candid discussion on these issues. The roles and responsibilities of each entity were discussed in depth. Past examples were brought forward to highlight how they currently complement each other and work together, and how they can perhaps enhance these interrelations. Plans for a combined meeting in the spring of 2006 are in progress.
Some other key items emerging from Land Use that require continued City Council discussion and direction include:
- Creation of an annual Master Plan peer review process for those formal bodies involved with zoning issues (i.e. how the zoning board has applied the Master Plan in its decision-making).
- Increased awareness of the Master Plan as a document written by the residents, whose main objectives include the long-term fiscal health of the community, preservation of residential neighborhoods, and the establishment of a town center.
- Rezoning requests for small parcels of land.
- Appropriateness of significant deviations from the Unified Development Ordinance and/or the Master Plan.
The City can rightfully celebrate the framework that has been put in place through creation of the Unified Development Ordinance. It formalizes many key Master Plan wishes, provides for a streamlined development approval process, and allows for an intensified mixture of uses within the commercial districts while preserving the community’s residential neighborhoods.
Several Land Use objectives and strategies are considered completed or ongoing as part of routine City business. They have been marked as such and will only contain update information in future reports as projects or items of note occur. Likewise, several strategies were combined with others or deleted during the 2004 Master Plan Annual Report process, and the changes are reflected in the 2005 report.
Objective Highlights
Objective 1. Preserve residential neighborhoods.
- The City’s Unified Development Ordinance serves as the primary means for preserving residential neighborhoods through its Land Use zoning map and the related set of allowable uses within each district, and development and building standards.
- The general objectives of the Master Plan can give rise to differing viewpoints as redevelopment projects are brought forward by private developers, a situation likely to continue since Upper Arlington is essentially built-out. Interpretation can range from preserving land use exactly as it is today with no increases in density, to a desire for new “modern day” housing and more intense commercial redevelopment options that meet the needs of changing demographics.
- Likewise, instances continue to arise whereby developers/businesses bring forward requests for changes in use, with lively community discussion and differing opinions on the best way forward. In some cases, the overall improvement of the community must take precedence over the objections of a few. These issues are weighed in detail during the zoning process.
- As a built-out community, both trends are likely to continue. An April 2005 retreat of City Council, Staff, the Board of Zoning & Planning and the Community Improvement Corporation considered how best to facilitate community discussion of the more controversial redevelopment issues as they are brought before each entity.
- Primarily discussed under Housing, enforcement of property maintenance requirements has continued to improve following the addition of one staff person and implementation of the proactive Property Assessment Monitoring Program. The resulting workload continues to be high, and an increase in complaint-driven issues resulted in slower progress than anticipated [some ideas to better facilitate this process are discussed under Housing].
- As with residential zoning, the Unified Development Ordinance grandfathered existing commercial uses within the business districts. It also took the necessary step of increasing the allowable uses and requiring higher densities as redevelopment opportunities occur in the future, by rezoning these districts to Planned Mixed Use Districts. This intensification is critical for the City’s fiscal stability, given that the City is approximately 95 percent residential.
- While a great deal of flexibility exists within redevelopment options for the City’s commercial districts, a reality is emerging whereby property owners are seeking minor building modifications or upgrades, triggering zoning variances and building code compliance issues. Questions arise regarding the application of Unified Development Ordinance requirements, short-term market realities versus long-term Master Plan goals, and supporting existing commercial entities in their efforts to stay viable through incremental change, versus settling for nothing less than a complete redevelopment. These tough decisions will likely continue for the Board of Zoning & Planning.
- Obviously, Staff must remain focused on the code regulations, applying them fairly and consistently to all projects as they are brought forward. The ability to consider such issues more broadly and to deviate from the written code falls upon the shoulders of the Board of Zoning & Planning, and sometimes City Council.
Objective 2. Enhance redevelopment and revitalization that is appropriate to Upper Arlington.
- As previously mentioned, the framework to enhance appropriate redevelopment and revitalization is in place via the Unified Development Ordinance. The community can celebrate many positive, recent achievements to attract and retain revenue-generating businesses that contribute to the community’s quality of life.
- The zoning in place intensifies, but also provides proper transitions between land uses.
Objective 3. Establish a town center.
- The City has achieved success in implementing mixed-use developments with the approval of the Tremont Place and Arlington Pointe Plaza developments. Both projects incorporate office use on the second floor, which will generate new income for the City.
- This Master Plan directive is probably one of the most widely discussed issues within the community, since it pertains to the creation of a town center in and around the Kingsdale Shopping Center. The Kingsdale area is the most logical for facilitating redevelopment of a town center due to its size, location, and current market conditions. Residents, community leaders, staff and many business citizens all agree a positive change at Kingsdale is desired.
- From the City’s perspective, the necessary framework for facilitating change is in place, and a recent retail and office space market analysis supports the case for some form of mixed-use redevelopment occurring at the site.
- While discussions on the various options for realizing change continue with the property owner, reaching an achievable way forward has yet to occur. As/when such opportunities arise, many considerations will come into play regarding the City’s role in facilitating the change, as well as how market forces will affect what mixture and density of uses can ultimately be achieved.
- If/when a redevelopment proposal comes forward for Kingsdale, City Council will have to decide if and/or how much City participation (financially) is warranted based on the merits of the plan.
Objective 4. Facilitate mixed-use development.
- The framework is in place to be utilized as/when redevelopment projects in the study areas come forward.
Objective 5. Encourage neighborhood and community level retail.
- The framework is in place to discourage regional scale retail and encourage neighborhood and community level retail. This framework would be challenged should a regional retailer desire to proceed with a prototypical structure at Kingsdale, at which time a number of factors would need to be fully considered by leadership to determine the best way forward.
- Connectivity to commercial districts is improving with new developments, but the City still lacks pedestrian and bicycle friendly links with established, surrounding neighborhoods. Consideration of a Kenny Road multi-use path in 2005, which was delayed for further review in 2006, is a good example of the many considerations surrounding such projects, from cost to impact on surrounding property owners, counterbalanced with the goals for expanded connectivity across the community.
Objective 6. Expand the City physically where appropriate through annexation.
- As opportunities arise, the City has pursued annexation. The most recent success was the commercial properties at the southeast corner of Lane Avenue and North Star Road, which promise long-term financial benefits to the City.
- Opportunities for annexation are extremely limited as a landlocked community, and consideration must be given to the fiscal benefits of commercial property versus residential property annexation before proceeding with such efforts in the future.
Objective 7. Maximize the opportunities between the City and The Ohio State University relative to the development of west campus.
- Relations between the two entities remain strong, with recent mutually-beneficial projects emerging:
- A new, multi-story office building on Lane Avenue that houses the OSU Development Department.
- The City, OSU and other entities are cooperatively working on a stormwater study of developable west campus land, with the hopes of jointly solving existing issues to the benefit of all involved parties.
Objective 8. Improve land use management within City government.
- As already mentioned, the framework is in place for effective land use management through the development and adoption of the City’s Unified Development Ordinance.
- A positive and intended result of creating this streamlined document has been a significant increase in development approval process efficiency and enhanced customer service. Projects that fall within permitted land use and other regulations are typically processed and presented to the Board of Zoning & Planning within approximately four weeks. In other communities, this process can take much longer.
- The Unified Development Ordinance is a working document, continually under review, with minor adjustments made as necessary.
- Instances have recently arisen in which design standards set forth by the Unified Development Ordinance have been adjusted to be more attuned to public sentiment on a specific project yet potentially weakening the long-term intent of portions of the Master Plan.
- Staff recommends regular “Master Plan Peer Review” meetings among the members of leadership, keeping the document fresh in their minds and reflective of the community’s changing needs. The status/vehicle for this important yearly step is yet to be determined.
Land Use
Strategy Responsibilities / Recommended Amendments
Objective 1. Preserve residential neighborhoods.
a. Adopting residential conservation guidelines for unique neighborhoods.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning, City Attorney
| On hold
|
b. Continuing to enforce property maintenance requirements and related zoning codes.
| Development, City Attorney
| Ongoing / Routine
|
c. Focusing commercial redevelopment within the Study Areas.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Immediate and Ongoing / Further discussion and direction required
|
Objective 2. Enhance redevelopment and revitalization that is appropriate to Upper Arlington.
a. Supporting the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) in undertaking these projects.
| Economic Development, City Council, Community Improvement Corporation
| Ongoing / Routine
|
b. Updating the zoning code to implement the Study Area Plans.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning, Economic Development
| Complete
|
Objective 3. Establish a town center.
a. Facilitating the implementation of a town center as part of the Kingsdale Study Area Plan.
| Economic Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning, Community Improvement Corporation
| Ongoing
|
b. Proposing and implementing a program (of uses/densities) for the town center based on the Studay Area Plan recommendations.
| Economic Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning, Development Department, Community Improvement Corporation
| Ongoing, Discussion and direction will be required at the time of implementation
|
Objective 4. Facilitate mixed-use development.
a. Revising development regulations to permit and encourage mixed-used development comprised of appropriate levels of residential, office and retail uses.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Ongoing
|
Objective 5. Encourage neighborhood and community level retail.
a. Revising development regulations to discourage regional scale retail development.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Complete
|
b. Requiring street and walkway connectivity between retail and adjacent neighborhoods to encourage pedestrian access and better distribution of traffic.
| Public Services, City Council, Board of Zoning and Planning
| Immediate / Needs direction
|
Objective 6. Expand the City physically where appropriate through annexation.
a. Supporting annexation of unincorporated areas where it is in the best economic interests of the City.
| Economic Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning, City Attorney, Community Improvement Corporation
| Ongoing
|
Objective 7. Maximize the opportunities between the City and The Ohio State University relative to development of west campus.
a. Working with the University through a joint committee to co-plan development of the area.
| Economic Development, City Council, Development, Community Improvement Corporation
| Ongoing
|
Objective 8. Improve land use management within City government.
a. Adopting the Master Plan Update and Study Area Plans.
| Economic Development, City Manager, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Complete
|
b. Updating the zoning code in line with plan recommendations, including adopting overlay-zoning districts.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Ongoing
|
c. Adopting commercial design standards and guidelines.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Immediate / Further discussion required
|
d. Studying the efficiency of the development approval process.
| Development, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Ongoing / Routine
|
Updated 5/30/06
City Manager's Office
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5040
Fax: 614-457-6620
www.ua-ohio.net
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