What Changes in Zone In Phase 2?

1. Summary of changes
2. Structure of this blog post
3. A: General Provisions
   1. A.10.030: Purpose
   2. A.10.050 Applicability of Title 33 - Zoning Code
   3. A.10.060 Applicability of Title 43 – Platting and Engineering Code
4. B: Definitions and Rules of Measurement
   1. B.20
   2. B.30.020 Facade Zone Defined by Principal Building/Frontage
   3. B.30.030 Measuring Building and Site Features
   4. B.30.040 Identifying Parcel Lines
   5. B.30.050 Measuring Facade Transparency
   6. B.30.070 Measuring Adjacency Based Stepbacks and Setbacks.
   7. B.30.080 Measuring Distance Separation
   8. B.40
5. C: Administration and Procedures
6. D: Boards and Commissions
7. E: District Regulations
   1. E.10: Purpose of District Regulations
   2. E.20: Mixed-Use Zoning Districts
   3. E.30: Office and Institutional Zoning Districts
   4. E.40: Industrial Zoning Districts
   5. E.50: Residential Zoning Districts (reserved)
   6. E.60: Downtown District
   7. E.70: Special Districts (reserved)
   8. E.80: Overlay Districts
8. F: Supplemental District Standards
   1. F.30: Frontage Type Standards
   2. F.40: Large Site Standards
   3. F.50: Building Type Standards
   4. Chapter F.60: Use-Specific Regulations
9. G: Citywide Standards
   1. G.20.010 Purpose and Applicability
   2. G.20.020 Lighting
   3. G.20.030 Landscaping
   4. G.20.040 Screening
   5. G.20.060 Graphic Standards
   6. G.30 Height Bonus Program

The City of Columbus is planning significant revisions to the new "Zone In" zoning code. These changes involve significant rearrangement of sections of the code, which has led City staff to say that they won't create a "redline" or "changes-tracked" version comparing the old to the new.

So I did it myself.

Summary of changes

This set of changes introduces 9 new zoning districts, but there's more to it than that.

Before we get into the details of all the changes, I do want to highlight some good stuff:

• Solar panels are allowed basically everywhere, as an accessory to another use on the property.
• Accessory Dwelling Units continue to be allowed in all districts that allow residential uses.
• Data centers are limited to the new Industrial Heavy (IH) districts as a primary use, and as an accessory use in the new Campus (CMP) districts. When you look at what that land is used for now, it's very little land that could be used for data centers in the City of Columbus.
• All the new industrial zones have increased setbacks on sides facing residential uses, compared to lower-intensity zones.
• All the new zones have setbacks which increase as the building gets taller, so that instead of a single slab of a building you get more sky from taller buildings.
• More trees are required per dwelling unit, increased from Phase 1.
• New visual screening requirements for gas stations, car sales, and car repair.
• Visual screening requirements between residential uses and other uses have intensified: more greenery, taller, more opaque, deeper on the lot.

The bad:

• Private behind-the-meter and grid-scale power generation is not limited by these new districts.
• Parking-lot shade trees still have to be deciduous.
• No requirement for water access to roots of parking-lot shade trees.
• Uplighting is still permitted.

The ugly:

• They're still calling this "the 2024 zoning code" instead of "Title 34". It's 2026, soon to be 2027.

And the status-quo:

• The Airport Environs Overlay is copied over, basically the same.
• The Downtown District is copied over, but with some changes to allowed uses, and some changes around the details of the existing lack of parking minimums.
• The building design standards don't apply to areas within the authority of the German Village Commission, Historic Resources Commission, Italian Village Commission, Victorian Village Commission, the East Franklinton Review Board, or the University District Impact Review Board: they keep their authority. (F.20.020, F.30.020, F.50.020)
• The citywide graphics standards do now apply to those areas, but those authorities can modify the standards as appropriate for their area. (G.20.010)
• The Certificate of Appropriateness process, which is those authorities' reason for existence, continues to exist. (A.10.040)

Structure of this blog post

Columbus' City Code already has a Title 34, containing the "Phase 1" zoning code from 2024. The current Phase 2 proposal significantly rewrites it.

I went through the entire proposed update, with the current Title 34 open beside it, and made a note of everything that changed. I did this before the City released their overview of the draft proposal, and I emphasize different things.

In this article, you may see some formatted text:

Text like this is a quote. This text was removed. This text was added.

• In bulleted lists, the text before a long dash is generally from the proposed changes. ⸻ In which case, after the long dash, the text is my comment.

If you want to follow along, you can find copies of the documents here:

• Current Title 33 zoning code, which is the zoning code that has grown and modified with Columbus through the decades. It's a mess, and the "Zone In" process is about replacing it with something clear and easy to read.
• Current Title 34 zoning code, copied from Municode on September 2, 2026.
• Proposed updated Title 34 zoning code, copied from the "Current Proposal" page on September 6, 2026.

These aren't necessary, but maybe you want them:

• Current zoning map of the City
• Proposed updated zoning map

On to Title 34!

A: General Provisions

This chapter establishes the legal authorities under which Columbus issues a zoning code, and then says why it's establishing a zoning code.

A.10.030: Purpose

New purposes are added:

This 2024 Zoning Code is enacted to preserve and promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, to enable appropriate and orderly development, and to ensure social and economic stability within the various zones established by the provisions of this Title. More specifically this Title is adopted to achieve the following objectives:
A. Provide standards for orderly growth and development, and guide and control the use of land to provide safe, harmonious, attractive, and sustainable communities;
B. Enhance the appearance of the City and promote high-quality design;
C. Preserve and enhance the character and vitality of the mixed-use corridors and centers, and preserve the quality of life in adjacent residential neighborhoods;
D. Incorporate sustainability practices and ensure climate resiliency;
E. Promote economic growth and the creation of jobs;
F. Facilitate the appropriate location of community facilities, institutions, transportation, and parks and recreation areas;
G. Promote the safe and responsible operation of the City's manufacturing and industrial areas by applying performance standards that minimize off-site impacts, protect public health and safety, and ensure compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods; and
H. Protect and reinforce the unique physical character of the City by applying context-specific standards in certain locations that respond to their distinct conditions.

A.10.050 Applicability of Title 33 - Zoning Code

C. Chapter 3387 (Prohibited Uses), and Chapter 3390 (Temporary Uses), and Chapter 3392 (Junk, Impound, and Salvage Yards) will apply, as necessary, to prohibit or regulate certain uses on parcels zoned to zoning districts in the 2024 Zoning Code.

Junk, impound, and salvage yard uses are now covered by Title 34 for Title 34 properties.

F. For certain requirements related to pedestrian access and circulation, the Department of Public Service, may waive these requirements.

Which requirements?

A.10.060 Applicability of Title 43 – Platting and Engineering Code

No minimum vehicular parking requirements are in place for those zoning districts outlined in Chapter E.20 (Mixed-Use Zoning Districts) this Title. However, dDevelopment proposals, including changes of use, for parcels located within these districts are, however, subject to the requirements of Division E.20.030.E. and Chapter 4310 (Parking Impact Study) Division E.20.030.H (Parking), Division E.30.030.H (Parking), Division E.40.030.H (Parking) and Chapter 4310 (Parking Impact Study), including potential mitigation requirements.

Which is to say: sure, you can propose a development that only has the bare legal minimum of ADA parking spots and loading zones. We'll make you do a lot of paperwork about it, if it's a big development.

B: Definitions and Rules of Measurement

B.20

Chapter B.20: Renamed from "General Definitions" to "General and Land Use Definitions", incorporating the former section B.40.

A list of definitions newly added to this section follows. If you want the actual definitions of the terms, check the draft. Some terms were removed.

• Accessory Use
  • Accessory Dwelling Unit
  • Family Child Care Home (Type A)
  • Family Child Care Home (Type B)
  • Helipad, Private
  • Helipad, Public
  • Home Occupations
  • Portable buildings
  • Solar energy collection and storage
• Adult Entertainment Establishment/Store
  • Adult Booth
  • Adult Store
• Airport / Airport Terminal
• Airport Environs
• Airport Hazard
• Airport Hazard Area
• Amusement Park
• Animal Daycare
• Animal Kennel or Animal Shelter
• Artisan Food and Beverage Production
• Artisan Manufacturing
• Artist Work or Sales Space
• Automobile Fuel Station and Accessory Uses
• Automobile Service and Repair, Major
• Automobile Service and Repair, Minor
• Automobile, Vehicle, and Equipment Storage
• Automobile/Vehicle Parts Sales
• Automobile/Vehicle Rental and Sales, Major
• Automobile/Vehicle Rental and Sales, Minor
• Bed and Breakfast
• Billboard
• Brewery/Distillery
• Building Materials, Sales, and/or Storage
• Building Materials, Sales and/or Storage with Outside Storage
• Canopy ⸻ No longer a reference to "Awning", since Canopies can be detached
  • Canopy, Service Station
  • Canopy, Ordering/Pickup Window
  • Canopy, Pedestrian Cover
• Car Wash
• Cemetery
• Colleges and universities
• Commercial Day Care Center
• Commercial Recreation Facility, Indoor
• Commercial Recreation Facility, OUtdoor
• Community Garden
• Compost Facility
• Condominium (syn. Condo)
• Correctional Facility
• Courtyard
• Crematorium
• Data Center
• Day-night sound level (Ldn) ⸻ A measurement unit only applicable within the Airport Environs Overlay District. General noise regulations are still in the Title 33 zoning code, or in other titles of the Columbus City Code.
• Detention Facility
• District (syn. Zoning District)
• Dormitory
• Dwelling Unit
• Eating and Drinking Establishment
• Eating and Drinking Establishment with Pickup Unit/Drive Thru
• Entry, Primary
• Equipment and Machinery, Sales and/or Storage
• Equipment and Machinery, Sales and/or Storage with Outside Storage
• Excavation and Quarrying ⸻ note that this would appear to include drilling, wells, and fracking as uses that can only happen in Industrial Heavy districts.
• Extended Stay Hotel
• Farmer's Market
• Food and Beverage Production ⸻ "Cooking […] for off-site sales" appears to include ghost kitchens
• Frontage, Building
• Frontage, Lot
• Frontage Type, Terrace ⸻ other frontage types were already present
• Funeral Home and Services
• General Commercial Services
• General Commercial Services with Outside Sales and Display
• General Commercial Services with Pickup Unit/Drive-Thru
• General Retail Business
• General Retail Business Drive Thru
• General Retail Business with Outside Sales and Display
• General Retail Business with Pickup Unit
• General Retail, Delivery-Only
• Grain Processing
• Halfway House/Community Residential Treatment Facility
• Heavy Industrial Uses
• Hospital
• Hotel/Motel ⸻ not clear whether this includes short-term rentals
• House-Scale
• Impound Lot
• Indoor Firing Range, Private
• Indoor Firing Range, Public
• Industrial Laundry
• Infill
• Institutional Vehicle Fleet Repair, Maintenance, and Storage
• Junkyard, Wrecking, Salvage
• Ldn Contour
• Library or Museum
• Live/Work
• Loading Yard
• Maintenance Facilities, Materials, and Equipment Storage
• Manufactured Home
• Manufacturing, Atomic Energy
• Manufacturing, General
• Manufacturing, Heavy
• Manufacturing, Light
• Meeting or Gathering Facility, Public and Private
• Micro-Brewery/Micro-Distillery
• Mini-Storage Facility (exterior access)
• Mini-Storage Facility (interior access)
• Multiple Unit Dwelling
• Nonconforming
  • Nonconforming Graphic
  • Nonconforming Use
• Nursing Home
• Offices
• Ohio Division of Cannabis Control Cultivator
• Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (ODCC) Dispensary
• Ohio Division of Cannabis Control Processor
• Operating Authority ⸻ the entity that manages an airport
• Parking Garage (non-accessory)
• Parking Lot (non-accessory, public)
• Parking Lot (non-accessory, private)
• Personal Services
• Porch
• Public Parks and Facilities
• Public Services, Emergency Services
• Public Transit Center
• Public Utilities, Major
• Public Utilities, Minor
• Railroad Repair, Roundhouse, and Overhaul
• Recession
• Recycling Collection or Processing Facility
• Research, Development, and Testing Laboratory
• Research and Development, Industrial
• Residential Care Facility
• Rooming House
• Schools, Public and Private
• Schools, Specialized or Studios
• Senior Housing
• Shared Living Facility
• Signs
  • Changeable Copy
    • Automatic Changeable Copy
    • Manual Changeable Copy
  • Gateway Area
  • Gateway Digital Graphic
  • Ground Sign
  • Menu Board
  • Monument Sign
  • Sign Area
  • Sign Face
• Single Room Occupancy (SRO)
• Single-Unit Dwelling
• Skywalk
• Story
• String Course
• Structure
• Sub-District
• Temporary Shelter
• Temporary Uses
• Theater and Auditorium
• Three-/Four-unit dwelling
• Townhouse Dwelling (syn.Rowhouse)
• Trade School
• Two-Unit Dwelling
• Underground Storage of Liquid Fuels, Petroleum Products, and Volatile Oils
• Urban Agriculture
• Veterinary Clinic/Hospital
• Warehouse, Bulk Storage, and Distribution
• Wholesaling
• Wireless Communication Facilities (not including rooftop).

One notable modification:

• Parcel Line, Rear. "The parcel line opposite the front parcel line unless that lot line is a side lot line of an abutting lot or that lot line is adjacent to a street."

B.30.020 Facade Zone Defined by Principal Building/Frontage

The methodology of calculating the facade zone is no longer for just one parcel, but can apply to an entire "development site", in case that spans multiple parcels.

B.30.030 Measuring Building and Site Features

New paragraph: Measuring Building Footprint.

B.30.040 Identifying Parcel Lines

New methodologies are added for identifying parcel lines in the cases of:

• Three-Frontage Parcel
• Interior Block Parcel
• Full Block Parcel

Additional graphics are added for assistance in measuring interior block parcels, full block parcels, and irregular (non-rectangular) full-block parcels.

B.30.050 Measuring Facade Transparency

B.2.a: Areas counted towards transparency measurement must use clear, untinted glass. Exception: Buildings within Industrial Districts may use tinted and frosted glass to count towards transparency measurement.

An additional example graphic has been added for measuring facade transparency, using a detached house.

B.30.070 Measuring Adjacency Based Stepbacks and Setbacks.

Renamed from "Measuring Adjacency Requirements".

B.30.080 Measuring Distance Separation

New section.

When distance separation is required between a use and another site, the distance is measured:

• from the distanced use, not from the parcel line of the site containing the distanced use. If you've got a generator on your property, the distance is measured from the generator, not from your property line.
• to the parcel line of the property containing a use that triggers a separation requirement. This gives that use a little extra space.

I wonder why they didn't measure from property line to property line. Perhaps because certain uses are only allowed in districts with already-considerable setbacks?

B.40

The former B.40 was a list of uses and their definitions. That list has been rolled into the list of definitions at B.20.

Changes in the definitions of specific uses:

• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). A secondary residential dwelling unit which provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons. It must include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation, and is located on the same lot as the principal building. An additional dwelling unit which has a separate and independent means of ingress and egress that is located on the same lot as and is subordinate to a principal dwelling or apartment house.
• Family Child Care Home (Type A):
  • Seven to 12 Eight to 14 children at one time; or
  • Four to 12 children at one time if four or more children at one time are under two years of age.
  • In counting children, any children under six years of age who are related to a licensee or employee and who are on the premises must be counted. The program's own children under six years of age must be included in the total count.
• Family Child Care Home (Type B) ⸻ no changes
• Single-Unit Residential. A single, self-contained dwelling unit providing independent living facilities for one or more individuals containing eating, living, sanitary, and sleeping areas, and cooking facilities all for exclusive use by the occupants. This use does not apply to units in group homes, fraternities and sororities, temporary shelters, hotels, motels, or other buildings designed for transients. Single-Unit Dwelling. A residential building, other than a manufactured or mobile home, consisting of one dwelling unit.
• Commercial Recreation Facility, Outdoor: No longer includes theme parks or amusements parks.
• Correctional Facility: now includes facilities operated by the federal government. Does not appear to include detention facilities.
• Schools, Specialized or Studios. Small-scale facilities that offer specialized programs in personal growth, the arts, and health for students of any age group, including, but not limited to, individual and group instruction and training in the visual and performing arts, production rehearsal, photography, martial arts training, yoga/pilates, indoor cycling, boxing, and gymnastics instruction. This may also include student tutoring, language centers, and production studios for individual musicians, painters, sculptors, photographers, and other artists.
• Eating and Drinking Establishment. Means a restaurant, bar, tavern, cabaret, fast-food business, nightclub, pub, dining room, dinner theater, on-site dining halls for offices, schools, and universities, and similar uses preparing and serving food and beverages for on-site consumption
• Animal Kennel or Animal Shelter. Any building, structure, or premises which is used, arranged, intended or designed to be used for the boarding and/or breeding of animals for more than a consecutive 24-hour period and not located or operated in conjunction with the practice of a licensed veterinarian on the same parcel. Does not include "Animal Daycare", pet grooming facilities, or pet stores and pet supply stores with no outside runs.
• Animal Daycare. Any building, structure, or premises which is used, arranged, intended, or designed to be used for the boarding of animals for less than a consecutive 24-hour period and not located or operated in conjunction with the practice of a licensed veterinarian on the same parcel. Does not include pet grooming facilities, pet stores, and pet supply stores with no outside runs.
• Bed and Breakfast ⸻ now a type of hotel.
• Hotel/Motel. "Hotel" or "Motel" means a building or part of a building, guest rooms, or suites offering short-term and temporary residence for compensation, primarily for transient guests. Hotels and motels may include a manager's unit, and incidental amenities and services customarily provided by hotels and motels. Incidental services may include: cooking facilities within units; furnishings; linen service; maid service; food service; banquet, reception, meeting and recreational facilities; and ancillary internal retail sales and services provided for the convenience of hotel and motel guests.
• Research, Development, and Testing Laboratory ⸻ now includes Ohio Division of Cannabis Control testing labs.
• Automobile Service Station and Convenience Store ⸻ renamed to "Automobile Fuel Station and Accessory Uses"
• Automobile and Large Vehicle and Equipment Storage. Facilities for the storage of large transportation vehicles and related equipment, including, but not limited to, trucks, trailers, and other equipment used for construction, moving, or landscape or gardening activities.
• Automobile Service and Repair, Major. All activities involving automobile repair, including all Automobile Service and Repair, Minor uses, as well as body repair and body painting. This classification includes auto repair, body and fender, transmission, tire repair, muffler, wheel and brake shops, and private fueling facilities, as well as auto glass services, but excludes vehicle dismantling or salvaging and tire re-treading or recapping.
• Automobile Service and Repair, Minor. Automobile repair or vehicle repair garages, including automotive top or upholstery shops. This does not include body or paint shops. This also can include quick-service oil, tune-up, smog testing; and tire sales, changes, and installation, where minor repairs are made or service is provided in enclosed bays and vehicles are not typically stored overnight. This classification excludes establishments providing engine repair, transmission, body and fender work, vehicle painting, and repair of heavy trucks or construction vehicles.
• Public Utilities, Minor. Services and utilities for the public that include utility and electrical substations, natural gas, pumping stations, and other transmission and distribution facilities.
• Artisan Food and Beverage Production. On-site production of food and beverage products, involving small batch processing. Typical uses include coffee roasting, ice cream, bakery, candy, and other food stuffs. This may include on-site sales and consumption. The area dedicated to production is no more than 10,000 square feet.
• Mini-Storage Facility/Personal Storage⸻ split into the following:
  • Mini-Storage Facility (exterior access). An establishment used for renting or leasing storage spaces that are accessed from the exterior of the building in which the occupants themselves customarily store and remove their own personal property on a self-service basis. May include storage units with direct drive-up access.
  • Mini-Storage Facility (interior access). An establishment used for renting or leasing storage spaces that are located entirely within an enclosed building in which the occupants themselves customarily store and remove their own personal property on a self-service basis.
• Accessory Use. A subordinate use on the same lot with and of a nature incidental to the principal use and is on the same lot or for multiple parcels under the same ownership, is adjacent to or associated with a principal use on a larger campus development in the Campus District. The accessory use, and which does not alter the essential characteristics of said principal use and is in keeping with other uses allowed in the same district. Does not include storage or shipping containers. Examples include, but are not limited to: ⸻ Storage is now called out as a separate distinct use; maybe shipping containers fall under that.

C: Administration and Procedures

Reserved for future use. You can tell that they're laying the groundwork to move all of the process and procedures from Title 33 into Title 34.

D: Boards and Commissions

Reserved for future use.

E: District Regulations

This is where all the different types of zoning district are defined.

E.10: Purpose of District Regulations

New, or moved from E.20:

• E.10.020 Zones Established ⸻ updated with the full list of districts including the new districts, but Table E.20.020.A contrasting height and density has been removed.
• E.10.030 Zoning Map ⸻ copied over from E.10.010 verbatim
• E.10.040 Pre-Existing Use ⸻ copied over from E.20.110 with an added reference to the new E.10.050
• E.10.050 Pre-Existing Building ⸻ copied over from E.20.120 with one change:
  • "Pre-existing buildings may be expanded up to 25 percent of the floor space in existence at the time of the property's initial rezoning to a zoning district under this Title, subject to the design and development standards of the previous applied zoning district in Title 33."
• E.10.060 Abandonment of Pre-Existing Use or Pre-Existing Building ⸻ copied over verbatim from E.20.130
• E.10.070 Authority to Continue – Amendments to Title 34 ⸻ copied over verbatim from E.20.140
• E.10.080 Prohibition on Illegal Uses or Buildings ⸻ copied over verbatim from E.20.150

E.20: Mixed-Use Zoning Districts

This section was renumbered as follows:

Added:

• E.20.040 Emerging Mixed-Use (EMX)
  • Intended for residential areas gaining mixed uses
  • Up to 3 stories tall, no height bonuses for affordable housing
  • No minimum parking
  • Residential uses
  • Some retail, commercial, and office uses allowed, detailed in E.20.130
• E.20.080 Industrial Mixed-Use (IMX)
  • Intended for industrial areas transitioning to mixed-use
  • Up to 5 stories tall, up to 7 stories with affordability bonus
  • No minimum parking
  • Residential uses allowed
  • More commercial uses allowed than in EMX, including theaters and auditoriums, medium retail with outdoor sales and display, some pickup units and drive-thrus, cannabis dispensaries, larger restaurants, micro-breweries and micro-distilleries, animal kennels and shelters, veterinarians, R&D labs, car part sales (but not installation or repair), some gas stations, some car sales and rentals, parking garages.
  • Some industrial uses allowed, including private indoor firing ranges (with special permit), building material and equipment sales and storage (indoor), some light manufacturing, some interior-access storage facilities, warehouses, wholesaling.
• E.20.100 Neighborhood Activity Center (NAC)
  • Auto-oriented existing mixed-use transitioning to a more-walkable format
  • 4 stories max, no bonus

Significant changes:

• E.20.020 Districts Established ⸻ adds the general concept of "Open" subdistricts
• E.20.030 General Requirements
  • A.1 adds: a. In a townhouse dwelling use, units that have units on either side are considered interior and are exempt from side setbacks.
  • A.2.b is made into a complete sentence: Side and Rear Setbacks (Division C), Footprint (Division C), Open Space (Division C), Height (Division D), Adjacency Requirements (Division D), Encroachment (Division E), and On-Site Parking (Division G). The following standards apply to all secondary buildings: Side and Rear Setbacks (District Regulation Table, Division C), Footprint (District Regulation Table, Division C), Open Space (District Regulation Table, Division C), Height (District Regulation Table, Division D), Adjacency Requirements (District Regulation Table, Division D), Encroachments (District Regulation Table, Division E), and On-Site Parking (District Regulation Table, Division G).
  • A.3.a is made into a complete sentence: Side and Rear Setbacks (Division C), Footprint (Division C), Height (Division D), Encroachments (Division E), and On-Site Parking (Division G). The following district regulations apply to accessory buildings: Side and Rear Setbacks (District Regulation Table, Division C), Building Coverage (District Regulation Table, Division C), Height (District Regulation Table, Division D), Encroachments (District Regulation Table, Division E), and On-Site Parking (District Regulation Table, Division G).
  • A.3.c: The total area of all accessory buildings on a site may not exceed 720 square feet. Exception: Accessory Dwelling Units may exceed this maximum and are instead subject to the requirements of Section F.50.030 (Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)).
  • Added figures:
    • Figure E.20.030.1: Multiple Buildings per Site - Small Development Site Example
    • Figure E.20.030.2: Multiple Buildings per Site - Townhouse Development Site Example
    • Figure E.20.030.3: Multiple Buildings per Site - Medium Development Site Example
  • New section B. Land use: makes explicit certain implied references to other chapters.
  • B. C. Facade Zone is renumbered.
  • New section D. Facade Massing and Articulation makes explicit certain implied references to other chapters.
  • C. E. Ground Floor Design
    • New requirements for entries for secondary buildings
    • New Figure E.20.030.4: Ground Floor Depth
    • Revised paragraph 3: "Any pickup unit or canopy must be attached to the principal or secondary building and cannot be located adjacent to a front street frontage. A pedestrian cover canopy is allowed to be located at a front street frontage per front setback standards."
  • D. F. Open Space
    • Revised paragraph 1: "On-site open space requirement may be distributed across multiple open space areas, for example, a combination of balconies/terraces, common open space, and/or private yards. The minimum dimensions of any required open space is five feet in any horizontal direction."
  • H. Pedestrian G. Access and Circulation
    • Minimum sidewalk width 4 feet
    • Sidewalk requirements for commercial and other buildings, waivable in certain cases.
  • E. H. Parking
    • New requirement within subparagraph 2 On-Site Vehicular parking: "b. Landscaping requirements of Divisions G.20.030.D (Parking Area Landscape Buffer) and G.20.030.E (Parking Lot Shade Trees)"
  • Removed F. Land Use
  • J. Miscellaneous ⸻ split into the following two paragraphs:
  • New J. Fences and Walls material and height restrictions
  • New K. Rooftop Telecommunications Allows for certain telecommunications equipment shorter than 20 feet on buildings taller than 50 feet.
  • G. L. Open Space ⸻ unchaged
  • K. M. Historic Preservation ⸻ Added exemption from Title 34 setback standards for sites within historic preservation districts.
  • L. N. East Franklinton District Overlay ⸻ Added exemption from Title 34 setback standards for sites within this overlay.
  • M. O. University District Zoning Overlay ⸻ Added exemption from Title 34 setback standards for sites within this overlay.
• E.20.050 Urban General 1 (UGN-1)
  • Adds language describing role of ADUs
• E.20.060 Urban General 1 (UGN-2)
  • Adds language describing role of ADUs
• E.20.070 Urban Center (UCT)
  • Adds language describing role of ADUs
• E.20.090 Urban Core (UCR and UCR-R)
  • Adds the "UCR-R" subdistrict with restrictions on allowed uses, compared to unrestricted UCR
  • Adds language describing role of ADUs
• E.20.100 Community Activity Center (CAC)
  • Adds language describing role of ADUs
• E.20.120 Regional Activity Center (RAC and RAC-O)
  • Adds the "RAC-O" subdistrict which increases the by-right allowed height from 7 stories to 12 stories, but keeps the affordability bonus height at 10 stories.
• E.20.130 Uses ⸻
  • Replaces symbols with letters indicating what is allowed, what is not allowed, and what requires a special permit.
  • Adds references to where specific uses are limited by code in other portions of Title 34.
  • Reorganizes the groupings under which certain uses are found.
  • Adds columns for the new districts.

Moved to E.10:

• E.20.110 Pre-Existing Use
• E.20.120 Pre-Existing Building
• E.20.130 Abandonment of Pre-Existing Use or Pre-Existing Building
• E.20.140 Authority to Continue – Amendments to Title 34
• E.20.150 Prohibition on Illegal Uses or Buildings

E.30: Office and Institutional Zoning Districts

New chapter!

Honestly, just go read this entire chapter yourself.

Highlights:

• You can mix residential uses with office and/or service uses
• Retail uses are limits to less than 50% of the combined office and service uses.
• No parking minimums, but mitigation may be required.
• Rooftop telecommunications infrastructure is allowed on any existing building 50' or taller, but apparently not for new buildings?

New zoning districts:

• E.30.040 Community Office and Institutional (COI)
  • Think the JP Morgan Chase complex up by Polaris
  • Auto-oriented office, institutional, and light industrial
  • Low-rise detached buildings up to 5 stories tall
• E.30.050 Regional Office and Institutional (ROI)
  • Auto-oriented office and institutional located near primary corridors, transitioning to mixed uses
  • Up to 10 stories
• E.30.060 Campus (CMP)
  • Mixed collections of single-use buildings with a range of heights and scale.
  • Residential and commercial uses that support the primary office or service use, but also some light manufacturing, atomic energy manufacturing, and data centers. I'm pretty sure the "Manufacturing, Atomic Energy" use exists only because OSU has a nuclear reactor, and even then it requires a special permit from the City of Columbus.
  • Unlimited height
  • Basically: The Ohio State Fairgrounds, OSU, or anything that wants to be OSU.

E.40: Industrial Zoning Districts

New chapter!

Highlights:

• Requirements for facade massing and articulation that are specific to this chapter, befitting larger buildings
• Industrial Urban requires public pedestrian facilities; Industrial Light and Industrial Heavy do not.
• Parking lots and required screening landscaping don't count towards open-space requirements.
• No parking minimum, but parking mitigation may be required.
• Chain link fencing is allowed, but only in certain cases, and generally not abutting residential districts

New zones:

• E.40.040 Industrial Urban (IU)
  • Industrial uses located near or within "intense, well-connected contexts", often near existing corridors.
  • Up to 5 stories tall
  • Only permitted residential use is a "Temporary Shelter"
• E.40.050 Industrial Light (IL)
  • Intended for suburban contexts on medium-to-large parcels with limited connectivity
  • Up to 60' tall
  • More allowed uses, compared to Industrial Urban
  • Only permitted residential use is a "Temporary Shelter"
• E.40.060 Industrial Heavy (IH)
  • Intended for suburban contexts on medium-to-large parcels without direct connectivity to adjacent parcels or sensensitive uses
  • Height limited to 60' tall within 100' of property line, otherwise unlimited
  • 600' setback from residential uses; 50' setback from other non-industrial uses; 50' setback from public street
  • No residential uses permitted
  • Many lower-impact commercial, office, service, and institutional uses are prohibited. This district is reserved for the high-impact uses, like quarries and data centers.

E.50: Residential Zoning Districts (reserved)

New placeholder chapter.

E.60: Downtown District

New chapter!

A special zoning district just for Downtown Columbus, supporting a variety of regional facilities in a walkable, transit-oriented context.

Notable things:

• The Downtown Commission is preserved. Its boundaries as laid out in Columbus City Code Title 33, chapter 3359.03 are copied into Title 34, and so too are the other parts of 3359.
• Historic Resources Commission authority over properties on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties is preserved.
• The parking code is updated from Title 33 references to Title 34 references. The parking overlay system is removed.
• Newly-prohibited uses:
  • Landing field Airports and Airport Terminals
  • Animal hide storage or processing
  • Automobile Fuel Station and Accessory Uses
  • Automobile Service and Repair, Major and Minor
  • Eating and Drinking Establishment with Pickup Unit/Drive-Thru
  • General Retail Business Drive Thru
  • General Retail Business with Pickup Unit
  • Indoor Firing Range, Private and Public
  • Salvage dealers and salvage yards (including automobile, but not including architectural salvage Junkyard, Wrecking, Salvage
  • Manufacturing facilities, specific nature, as identified in Section 3389.083
  • Manufacturing, Heavy uses that require a Special Permit per Section 3389.083 (Manufacturing Facilities, Specific Nature)
  • Material recycling Recycling Collection or Processing Facility
  • Free-standing communications towers, including but not limited to radio, television, and telephone Wireless Communication Facilities (not including rooftop)
  • Slaughterhouse or stockyard
• Revised list of uses allowed only with a Certificate of Appropriateness:
  • Animal kennel or Animal shelter
  • Pickup unit (drive-thru window)
  • Automobile sales Automobile/Vehicle Rental and Sales, Major
  • Retail filling station or service station
  • Automobile repair shop or installation facility
  • Manufacturing use permitted in M, M-1, or M-2 Manufacturing District Industrial and Manufacturing use allowed in IU, IL, or IH Industrial Zoning Districts - unless otherwise addressed in this chapter
  • Skywalk ⸻ unchanged
  • Helipad, Private
  • Portable building unless associated with an approved construction project Temporary use
  • Uses listed in Chapter 3389, Special Permit Uses, not otherwise addressed in this chapter. ⸻ unchanged

E.70: Special Districts (reserved)

New reserved chapter!

E.80: Overlay Districts

New chapter! Corresponds to the existing Title 33 chapter 3384 Airport Environs Overlay, and is defined in reference to the noise contour maps established by the operating authority of an airport. It applies to the John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Rickenbacker Field, Bolton Field, the Ohio State University Airport, and "any future airport as defined in this Section."

• E.80.010 Purpose and Applicability
• E.80.020 Airport Overlay (AO) District
• Table E.20.020.A Land Use Compatibility Standards ⸻ This table restricts allowed uses based on how loud the airport is at that distance from the airport. Restrictions start at 65 Ldn and increase at 70 Ldn and 75 Ldn; no residential uses are allowed within the 70 Ldn contour and most non-industrial uses aren't allowed within the 75 Ldn contour.

You can find maps of the 65 Ldn contours for three of Central Ohio's existing airports on this FAA webpage, but not OSU. Most residential areas either aren't bothered or aren't in the City of Columbus. I've reached out to OSU for a copy of their loudness contours.

Someone said to me that Columbus wasn't taking into account the effects of airplane noise when proposing upzoning along 161, Bethel, and Sawmill. This chapter says otherwise.

Development standards in the overlay include:

• Temporary structures and temporary uses require approval from the airport.
• New developments require submitting the development proposal to the airport authority for their review and recommendation. The airport operating authority can't veto the development.
• New uses must give "avigation" easements to the airport authority, granting the right to fly above the property.
• Buildings and structures must be oriented "to minimize exposure to the noise source", and openings in the building must be pointed away from the noise source. Outdoor activities must be located as far from the noise source as possible.

F: Supplemental District Standards

F.30: Frontage Type Standards

New frontage type added: F.30.140 Terrace: an elevated pedestrian walkway along a facade, separate from the at-grade sidewalk.

That brings the total list to:

• F.30.050 Shopfront
• F.30.060 Gallery
• F.30.070 Arcade
• F.30.080 Common Entry
• F.30.090 Stoop
• F.30.100 Dooryard
• F.30.110 Courtyard
• F.30.120 Porch
• F.30.130 Lightwell
• F.30.140 Terrace

F.40: Large Site Standards

This section governs how "large sites" are planned and developed. There are two ways of doing this: the Site Plan Review, or the Framework Plan. The Site Plan Review is a less-arduous, less-onerous amount of paperwork. The Framework Plan is something designed to make sure that a big development still fits in the context it will be built in.

• Revised applicability to account for new zoning districts introduced in Phase 2
• Changes to what requires the more-intense Framework Plan :
  • Developments greater than 10 acres without residential uses are only required to have Site Plan Review, like smaller sites.
  • Developments with any residential use requires a Framework Plan.
  • Redevelopment of a site less than 10 acres, but with an existing building equal or greater than 50,000 sq. ft., where >50% of the building is being redeveloped, requires a Framework Plan
  • Developments greater than 10 acres continue to require a Framework Plan
• Changes to the procedures for large sites ≥ 10 acres:
  • Step 1: "Identify the Development Site"
  • Step 2: "Extend the Public Realm to Create New Blocks"
  • Step 3: "Locate Open Space […] If development is occurring for only a portion of the larger project area, the minimum amount of common open space must be proportional to the size of the development site compared to the larger project area and depicted on the Framework Plan."
  • Step 4 is split into Steps 4 and 5, allowing for phased development:
  • Step 4: Place Buildings per District Standards
  • Step 5: Build-out of Entire Development Site

F.50: Building Type Standards

New section!

• F.50.010 Purpose
• F.50.020 Applicability ⸻ The Building Type Standards are applicable to:
  • All Mixed Use Zoning Districts, and Office and Institutional Zoning Districts
  • All new development
  • All buildings where ≥70% of the surface area of a street-facing building is modified, except routine maintenance and in-kind replacements and renovations
  • Excluding parcels under the German Village Commission, Historic Resources Commission, Italian Village Commission, or Victorian Village Commission, or the East Franklinton Review Board, or the University District Impact Review Board
• F.50.030 Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
  • Copies in the changes from 2025's Ordinance 2526-2025 allowing ADUs: describes their allowed placement, setbacks, sizing, and other characteristics.
• F.50.040 Townhouse Dwelling
  • Development standards for townhouses facing streets, or around common open spaces.

Chapter F.60: Use-Specific Regulations

New section!

• F.60.010 Purpose
• F.60.020 Applicability
• F.60.030 Residential Uses
  • Halfway Houses' requirements in 3389.11 continue.
• F.60.040 Civic, Recreation, Education, and Assembly Uses
  • Amusement parks requires a 50' setback from the property line for just about anything that can be the source of a noise.
  • Commercial Recreation Facility, Outdoor:
    • Screens and other visual displays not visible from the exterior don't count as graphics and don't require graphics approval.
    • Speakers or other audio amplification must be located at least 100' from the parcel line, and must comply with noise regulations.
• F.60.050 Retail Uses
  • Drive-thrus have specific requirements to make them look pretty and preserve car movement, without being too car-oriented. Minimum 4-car capacity in the drive-thru lane.
• F.60.060 Food and Beverage Establishment Uses
  • Drive-thrus have specific requirements to make them look pretty and preserve car movement, without being too car-oriented. Minimum 8-car capacity in the drive-thru lane.
• F.60.070 Office and Service Uses
  • Animal kennels and shelters with outdoor runs must comply with 3389.032.
  • Drive-thrus have specific requirements to make them look pretty and preserve car movement, without being too car-oriented. Minimum 3-car capacity in the drive-thru lane.
• F.60.080 Vehicle Sales and Service Uses
  • Automobile Fuel Station and Accessory Uses; Automobile Service and Repair (Major and Minor); and Car Wash:
    • 25' setback from adjacent residential district
    • 10% minimum landscaping
    • Perimeter landscaping along all parcel lines, including a planter at least 300 sq. ft. at the corner of intersecting streets.
    • No outdoor activities; no outdoor storage of parts, equipment, or inoperable vehicles.
  • Automobile Fuel Station and Accessory Uses
    • Service station canopies not allowed in the front or side-street setbacks, except pedestrian cover canopies.
    • Buffer fence or mound required, even when not abutting residential properties.
  • Abandoned Fuel Station and Accessory Uses
    • Lots of requirements to prevent the building and property from becoming a nuisance or hazard.
  • Automobile Service and Repair (Major/Minor)
    • Requirement that vehicles waiting for repair be fully visually screened from residential districts and the public right-of-way
    • Service bay doors may not directly face a residential district
  • Car Wash
    • Must be at least 30' from public street, 50' from a residential district
    • Screening requirements from public streets
    • Stacking lane requirement for 8 vehicles
  • Automobile/Vehicle Rental and Sales (Major and Minor)
    • Exempt from parking lot striping requirements
    • Exempt from parking lot shade tree requirements
    • Not exempt from parking-lot screening and buffering requirements
• F.60.090 Transportation and Infrastructure Uses
  • Wireless Communication Facilities (Not Including Rooftop)
    • Hardship requirement for establishing new use
    • Requirement to demonstrate willingness to allow other entities to rent or lease space on the new facility
    • Must be neutral gray without graphics, except as required by the FAA ⸻ the FAA can require something to have big horizontal red and white stripes, for visibility, of course.
    • Must be set back from residential districts a distance twice as wide as the tower is tall
    • Allowed height scales with number of providers using the tower
    • Abandonment and removal requirements, to make sure that derelict towers are taken down
• F.60.100 Agricultural Uses ⸻ placeholder
• F.60.110 Industrial and Manufacturing Uses
  • Junkyard, Wrecking, Salvage and Recycling Collection or Processing Facility: Compliance with 3392 required.
  • Mini-Storage Facility
    • Residential use prohibited
    • Circulation aisles and garage doors cannot be seen by residential uses
    • Indoor storage only
• F.60.120 Accessory Uses
  • Type A Family Day Care Homes (8-14 children)
    • Requires a transportation plan describing "the manner of child loading and unloading, parking, and traffic circulation" which, if unsatisfactory or unsafe, may result in the denial of an application.
  • Portable Buildings
    • Special Permits not required for certain specific uses
    • Portable Buildings may be located at the parking setback line instead of the building setback line
  • Solar Energy Collection and Storage
    • Exempt from screening requirements
    • "Electricity collected on-site may be distributed off-site for use or sale."
    • ⸻ Combined, these show that Columbus is trying to make it easier (cheaper) to build solar power.
  • Helipad: Compliance is still required with 3389.08
• F.60.130 Miscellaneous Uses
  • Adult Entertainment Establishment/Store ⸻ 250' setback from certain uses, unless a special permit is obtained ⸻ unchanged from Title 33.
  • Temporary Uses: Compliance required with 3390.

G: Citywide Standards

This section already existed, but it's been somewhat tweaked for the new districts, and to increase the amount of vegetation.

G.20.010 Purpose and Applicability

Regarding the following commissions and boards, there is a change for G.20.060 (Graphics Standards). Before, that section did not apply in these commissions and boards. Now, that section applies, but these commissions and boards may modify the requirements within their district:

• The German Village Commission
• The Historic Resources Commission
• The Italian Village Commission
• The Victorian Village Commission
• The East Franklinton Review Board
• The University Impact District Review Board

G.20.020 Lighting

• "A. Light fixtures in all zoning districts except NAC, CAC, RAC, COI, ROI, CMP, IL, and IH Districts must not exceed 18 feet in height from grade."
• "B. Light fixtures within the NAC, CAC, RAC, COI, ROI, CMP, and IL Districts must not exceed a maximum height of 28 35 feet measured from grade, except those fixtures within 100 feet of a Residential District must not exceed 18 feet in height." ⸻ note the height change.
• "C. Light fixtures within the IH District must not exceed a maximum height of 40 feet measured from grade, except those fixtures within 100 feet of a Residential District must not exceed 18 feet in height."
• G.2. "String lighting may be used to illuminate patios, porches frontage types, and walkways."

The good is that the shielding requirements for lighting in paragraph D are now extended to institutional uses.

The weird is that this section doesn't take into account sport field lighting, which is usually very tall. I wonder if they plan to allow exemptions for sports fields, or if they're going to require lower lights for sports fields.

H.1 Architectural Lighting
Accent lighting, down-lighting, and up-lighting may be used on buildings, so long as the lighting does not shine beyond the extents of the building walls, and the light source is concealed from view.

The bad is that Columbus hasn't banned up-lighting outright. It has the chance, and it should, but it hasn't. Yet.

If you want to see the stars in Columbus, keep pushing Columbus to be better.

G.20.030 Landscaping

In summary: the City wants you to plant more trees on your new developments.

• New landscaping requirements:
  • In COI and ROI zones: 10' deep, 100% landscaped buffer required along public front and side streets.
  • In Campus and industrial Urban zones: the same, but 15' deep. Also non-hardscaped areas in the facade zone must be at least 50% landscaped.
  • In Industrial Light and Industrial Heavy zones: the same, but 70% landscaped.
• Residential Landscape Buffer:
  • "Except in cases of required headlight screening and approved vehicular access, a landscaped buffer must be provided between the IMX, UGN-1, UGN-2, NAC,</in> CAC, RAC, ROI, and CMP districts and an abutting Residential District, or between an COI, IU, IL, and IH District and an abutting Residential District, UGN-1, UGN-2, or EMX District."
  • "In RAC, IU, IL, and IH, the landscape buffer must provide a minimum depth of 15 20 feet including eight evergreen trees for every 100 feet of length, spaced evenly in a single row. If a solid fence is provided at least six feet in height, the evergreens may be replaced with shade trees provided at a rate of six shade trees for every 100 feet of length. Chain link fencing is prohibited."
  • "Residential landscape buffers must be a minimum of 36 inchres five feet in height and have a minimum year round opacity of 75 percent. Along streets and open spaces, residential landscape buffers must not exceed a height of 48 inches six feet."
  • "Dwelling unit trees are required in the NAC, CAC, RAC, EMX, COI, and ROI Districts at a rate of one tree per 10 dwelling units one tree per five dwelling units for the first 50 dwelling units, then 1 per 10 dwelling units for any additional units or fraction thereof, and may be located anywhere on the site. Dwelling unit trees must be native species, deciduous or evergreen, with a minimum two-inch caliper at the time of planting."
• New parking area landscape buffer requirements: Minimum 8' buffer between parking area and any building facade including an entry, minimum 40% landscaped
• Industrial districts only have to provide shade trees for passenger vehicles.
• The requirement that 50% of parking-lot shade trees be located on islands distributed across the parking lot does not apply to Industrial Heavy districts.

G.20.040 Screening

• Screening of HVAC and other building mechanical systems is required everywhere, except in COI, ROI, and Industrial districts when those systems are located more than 100' from a right-of-way or residential district.
• Storage screening requirements decrease gradually:
  • COI, IU: storage must be indoors
  • IL: storage enclosed or screened within 100' of a Residential district, completely screened from view of right-of-way
  • IH: Storage within 100' of street frontage or 600' of residential district must be screened
  • IL and IH may use chain-link fencing with privacy slats for screening, as long as it's not visible from residential districts
• Loading screening requirements:
  • COI, IU, and IL: screen all loading within 100' of a residential district, and within view of ROW
  • IH: screen all loading within 600' of a residential district, and within 100' of ROW

G.20.060 Graphic Standards

• "A. Except as provided in this Section, graphics within the Mixed-Use, Office and Institutional, and Industrial Districts must comply with the standards provided in Chapter 3381 (Implementation), Chapter 3375 (General Provisions) and Chapter 3377 (On-Premises Signs in Institutional, Commercial, and Manufacturing Districts)."
• "B. In addition to signs prohibited in Chapter 3375 (General Provisions), and unless otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, the following types of signs are not allowed prohibited in Mixed-Use and Office and Institutional Districts: off-premises signs, billboards, signs with flashing lights or bare bulbs, rotating signs, pole signs, automatic changeable copy signs, and bench signs, and roof signs. In Mixed-Use Districts, roof signs are not allowed." ⸻ The removal of billboards is because "Billboard" is now a specific use, which is also prohibited in these districts.
• "C.4. The height of a ground sign must not exceed six feet above grade in the EMX, IMX, UGN-1, UGN-2, UCT, UCR, and IU Districts."
• "C.5. The height of a ground sign must not exceed 12 feet above grade in the NAC, CAC, RAC COI, ROI, CMP, IL, and IH Districts."
• One minor change regarding "Gateway Digital Graphics": Definitions have moved to the start of Title 34.

G.30 Height Bonus Program

Changes:

• The new zone of Industrial Mixed-Use (IMX) is allowed a height bonus of up to 2 stories.

It's weird that the definitions for the Height Bonus Program in G.30.020 weren't rolled up into the main definitions list in chapter B.

And that's it.

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