May 30, 2025
By Rachel Scofield

On May 28, the Violet Township Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) recommended that the trustees approve a 700-acre overlay district along Pickerington and Refugee Roads. But what led to this? What is an “overlay district”? What happens next?

What led to this?

In 2022, the Violet Township Trustees, recognizing that the community’s remaining farms would inevitably be developed, approved a comprehensive plan (titled “Vision for Violet”) as a guide for future construction. In that plan, the Pickerington Road/Refugee corridor was designated to become a mixed-use district.

However, Vision for Violet is a set of guidelines rather than law, and its designs cannot be implemented without the trustees approving zoning changes. Furthermore, the township loses any control on developments once municipalities like Canal Winchester or the city of Pickerington annex the land.

Landowners request to be annexed by cities to take advantage of utility services and possible zoning changes. Such accommodations make the properties more attractive to prospective developers thus enabling the landowners to sell their properties at higher values.

In fact, the city of Pickerington had already annexed a portion of the proposed overlay district in July 2015 and announced in December plans for 25 acres to be developed into a Meijer. See: Pickerington Considers New Meijer

Violet Township officials tasked Crossroads Community Planning, a zoning consultant firm under their employ, to devise their own incentives to encourage property owners to remain unincorporated. In addition, Crossroads needed to design a land use plan for the corridor that would align with Vision for Violet.

What is an “Overlay District”?

To this end, Crossroads proposed a “Community Gathering Place Overlay District” (CGPOD) which would assign properties a second zoning option in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. The overlay would also promote cohesive design through material standards and landscaping requirements.

Holly Mattei, Owner/President of Crossroads and Interim Director of the Fairfield County Regional Planning, describes the overlay as a cloud that floats above a property until an owner chooses to pull down the cloud to allow for a new development.

“This district is intended to implement Violet Township’s vision for the Refugee corridor by encouraging innovative planning and design that balances residential, commercial and residential uses while maintaining the township’s identity,” Mattei said. “I am excited to see the CGPOD moving to the Township Trustees with a positive recommendation from the Zoning Commission.”

The district’s design

The CGPOD would be divided into three subareas: estate residential, suburban residential and mixed use. A bicycle/walking path will run along the perimeter and connect to inner paths connecting neighborhoods with shopping and open areas. The plan is to create a walkable community with shared park areas and a 40-acre central space that could be developed into recreational facilities or a school.  

Subareas would be separated from other developments by mounded buffers. These buffers would be a minimum 25 feet wide as the landscape would incorporate existing natural features such as mature trees.

Not permitted within the district would be warehouses, automobile-related businesses, mobile homes and stores catering to building contractors.

Estate Residential

The portion of the CGPOD adjacent to the Hampton Ridge neighborhood would be the estate residential subarea. Crossroads describes this zone as “large estate-style homes…within the natural landscape, preserving mature trees to create a secluded, picturesque setting.”

These houses would be set within the existing woods.

Suburban Residential

Along the southern and eastern edges of the CGPOD will be subdivisions similar in density and amenities to proximate neighborhoods like Heron Crossing which adjoins the district on the northeast side.

Mixed-Use

The 268-acre mixed-use area would be a “vibrant, sustainable community that seamlessly integrates residential, commercial, and recreational spaces into a single location.”

This community designed to encourage walking would accommodate a variety of housing types interspersed with small businesses, park space, restaurants and entertainment. A possible design could feature upscale apartments set above boutiques and cafes.  The quantity of residential spaces would not exceed a ratio of two homes for every one business.

What happens next?

On May 29, the Violet Township trustees held a special meeting in which they reviewed the P&Z Commission’s recommendation. A public hearing will be held on June 18 at 7:00 pm in the Township Administrative Office at Wigwam (10190 Blacklick Eastern Road) at which time community members can express their support or concerns to the trustees themselves. Following the public hearing, the trustees will hold their regularly scheduled meeting during which they will vote whether to follow the commission’s recommendation and adopt the plan.

With the overlay district in place, the property owners can still ask Pickerington to annex their properties, however representatives from the two families owning the most land in the corridor (Cheryl Ricketts and Olga Hesch) participated in the work group which developed the initial draft of the proposal. This group also included residents from adjacent neighborhoods and other community officials.

Previous articles:

• Violet Township Plans New District – Pickerington Online
• The Community Speaks: Pick./Violet Development Series Pt. 1 – Pickerington Online