Photo by Heath Scofield
January 1, 2025
By Rachel Scofield
Development around Refugee Road/Pickerington Road is inevitable, but the creation of an “Overlay District” would empower Violet Township to set higher standards for prospective developers.
Holly Mattei of Crossroads Community Planning, which serves the township as zoning consultants, held a public information session at the Wigwam on December 17 to explain.
“Violet Township really wants to set the stage for what Violet Township should be,” Mattei said.
Property owners can develop their land however they wish if the plans follow the requirements for their zoning designation. If the intended land use is not allowed under the property’s existing zoning, then the owner can ask for the zoning to be changed.
Once utilities are extended into an area, the land becomes attractive to developers, Mattei said. Individual property owners sell to these developers, and if the zoning codes are followed, the township has little control over the nature of what gets built. If a city such as Pickerington or Canal Winchester annexes the property, then Violet Township no longer has any say in the development.
Vision for Violet
In 2022, the township created a comprehensive plan for future land use entitled “Vision for Violet.”
“A comprehensive plan is a document that sets the vision for a community,” Mattei said. “It sets guidelines for a community and establishes its goals.”
Vision for Violet designates approximately 500 acres along the Pickerington Road/Refugee Road corridor as an ideal location for a mixed-use district.
Aesthetic
The district would feature a uniform style reflecting the community’s personality. For instance, a similar district in New Albany features stately Georgian architecture, while the brick shops and houses in downtown Dublin harken to the city’s Irish roots.
The character that the Refugee Road district could adopt has yet to be decided, Mattei said. However, the township has been drawing inspiration from the area’s historic structures, including covered bridges, as well as local wildflowers such as the namesake violets. Signage, landscaping, and architecture would adhere to the district’s mandated aesthetics across all the district’s subsections.
Mixed Uses
No developers are currently involved with the project, but Mattei said that similar districts in other cities share design concepts.
Around the edges of the district would be buffering that fits the aesthetic, such as small hills topped with trees or perhaps a strip of woodland. Inside the buffering would be single-family homes, then senior living accommodations. The heart of the district would feature shops and restaurants underneath apartments. Multiuse paths would connect all areas to amenities, including a large park and possibly even a neighborhood school.
The Comprehensive Plan is Not Law
“A comprehensive plan is a tool in a community’s tool bucket, but it is not something that actually sets regulations,” Mattei said. “So, in order to implement any of the recommendations in the comprehensive plan, the community would have to do zoning legislation.”
Thus, the creation of the overlay district.
What is an Overlay District?
The Ohio Revised Code allows townships to place a planned use district (PUD) over existing zoning in areas of potential growth. Township officials assign a second zoning designation to the district based on the comprehensive plan’s vision for the area – neighborhoods around the perimeter, one large water feature rather than scattered retaining ponds, boutiques, and cafes.
“We work with the communities to identify what the vision overlay area may be, and then we help them write the standards for the development they want to speak,” Mattei said. “It creates consistency within corridors, and it can include a number of different elements in addition to the typical ones we see.”
Landowners continue to use their property under the existing zoning but can switch to the overlay zoning at any time.
Townships Have Little Control Over Development
A property owner can develop their land for whatever purpose they choose, as long as that purpose complies with the rules governing the property’s zoning designation. However, if the intended use does not comply, the property owner can ask the township to change the zoning to a designation that would allow the proposed development.
Mattei said that without the overlay district, the owners of the farms along Refugee Road will want their properties rezoned to the designation of standard commercial districts to attract developers.
“If someone rezoned to that, it would allow any type of commercial development to go in without any type of review of aesthetics, architecture, parking, or landscaping,” Mattei said.
Without the overlay district, the comprehensive plan’s vision of a cohesive district with unified design standards is not possible. As individual landowners sell their parcels to different developers, the township becomes a patchwork of mixed uses and design styles.
Photo by Heath Scofield
With Ohio law favoring landowners, townships face litigation if they deny a rezoning request. In addition, if at least five percent of a property abuts a municipality, then the landowner can request that the land be annexed into a village or city.
With overlay districts townships have the opportunity to proactively work with landowners throughout this process resulting in a project that the community can be proud of.
“We are hoping that we will write an enticing zoning district that will implement the vision of the comprehensive plan,” Mattei said. “What we are trying to do is set the standards higher than having a drive-thru fast-food restaurant in your backyard. We want to have quality development that will help improve the long-term value of your property. That’s an important reason why we move forward.”
Timeline for Creation of the Overlay
- Draft the Overlay Zoning District – January/February
- Second Public Meeting – Provides an opportunity for the public to learn about the proposed standards in the draft Overlay District. – February
- Zoning Commission Public Hearing – The Township Zoning Commission reviews the Overlay, holds a public hearing, and makes a recommendation to the Trustees. – TBD
- Township Trustees Public Hearing – Township Trustees host a public hearing and vote on the Overlay District. – TBD
Once the overlay district is in place, it may be years before the properties are developed.
“It is really market-driven,” Mattei said. “We don’t have control over what the market is doing.”
Photo by Rachel Scofield
New Meijer
Time is a concern for the township, as new developments have already been planned for the corridor, including a residential community slated for construction to the north.
Furthermore, the city of Pickerington recently announced plans to build a Meijer on approximately 25 acres in the center of the township’s proposed overlay district.
On January 7 at 7:15 pm, the Pickerington City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss the rezoning of the southern portion of the 25 acres to allow for the supermarket to set further back from Refugee Road.
The township’s overlay district proposal coinciding with the Meijer announcement was not planned.
“I have not had any conversations regarding the Meijer property,” Mattei said. “It came out of the blue and landed at the exact same time as us.”
