Powell just closed the book on an eighteen-month zoning rewrite, Whitehall is weighing two ordinances that could touch construction and tenant activity, and a Franklin zoning board meets tonight. Here is what Central Ohio landlords need to track this week.
TL;DR
Powell City Council approved an updated zoning code and new permitting software on August 4 and introduced a companion fee schedule the same night, closing out an eighteen month rewrite effort. Whitehall is discussing a zoning amendment that could limit construction citywide and a separate ordinance on peddlers and vendors that could touch tenant activity, neither with a vote scheduled yet. Worthington is reviewing its own building and zoning amendments, also with no vote date set. Four more items, including a Franklin zoning board hearing happening tonight, are tracked in the “Also on the Radar” section below.
Key Takeaways
- Powell finalized its zoning code and permitting software update on August 4 and introduced the fee schedule that goes with it the same night. Anyone doing permitted work in Powell should watch for the new numbers before public hearings close.
- Whitehall is discussing a zoning amendment that could limit construction citywide, with no vote scheduled yet. This is the highest stakes item still open for input this week.
- Whitehall’s peddlers and vendors ordinance is a smaller item but worth flagging: it could reach tenant run sales activity on rental properties, not just downtown vendors.
- Worthington is reviewing building and zoning amendments with no vote date set, giving property managers in one of Central Ohio’s denser rental markets a real window to weigh in.
- Also moving this week: a Franklin zoning board hearing tonight, a Granville zoning ordinance that just passed, a repealed ordinance in Grove City, and new economic development ordinances in Canal Winchester.
In This Article
Powell: Zoning Code and Permitting Software Approved
Status: Recently passed. The new process is effectively already running, so treat this as active, not pending.
Powell City Council approved updates to the zoning code and rolled out new permitting software on August 4, 2026. The vote caps roughly eighteen months of work city staff have put into modernizing Powell’s development regulations, according to the city’s own announcement of the rewrite.
The permitting software change is the part landlords will notice first. New software usually means a different workflow for filing and tracking applications, at least for a transition period. If you have work planned in Powell (a renovation, an accessory structure, anything that touches a permit) budget a little extra time to learn the new system rather than assume the old process still applies.
Powell: New Zoning Code and Fee Schedule Introduced
Status: Introduced, public hearings pending. Hearings have not happened yet, so there is a real window to comment before fees are locked in.
The same night Council approved the zoning and permitting update above, it also introduced a companion ordinance to formally repeal the old zoning code and adopt the new one, attached to a revised fee schedule.
This is the piece that sets actual dollar figures for permits and development review in Powell. The rewrite has been underway for a year and a half, so the numbers in this fee schedule are the product of a long process, not a quick change. Property managers and owners doing any permitted work in Powell should watch for the public hearing dates and see where the fees land before the ordinance takes effect.
View Source Document (Note: the specific agenda item link in the source alert was corrupted by character encoding loss; this links to Powell’s general AgendaViewer portal. Verify the exact hearing date directly with the city before publishing anything time sensitive.)
Whitehall: Zoning Amendment Could Limit Construction
Status: Under discussion, no vote scheduled. Nothing is final, but this is the item worth watching most closely this week.
Before Whitehall City Council votes on anything, they are still talking about a proposed amendment to the planning and zoning code that could place new limits on construction citywide. Council discussed the amendment on August 4, 2026, with no vote date announced.
If adopted, this could restrict what property owners are allowed to build or renovate in Whitehall going forward. There is no vote scheduled yet, which means there is still time to understand exactly what is being proposed and, if it affects your properties, to make that known before it moves to a vote.
Whitehall: Peddlers and Vendors Ordinance Introduced
Status: Introduced, public hearings pending. A smaller item than the zoning amendment above, but worth a look for tenant impact.
Whitehall City Council introduced an ordinance on July 28, 2026 to amend the rules governing peddlers, vendors, and solicitors within the city.
It is easy to assume an ordinance like this only affects downtown storefronts, but the language covers activity broadly enough that it could reach tenant run sales on rental properties too (yard sales, home based selling, and door to door activity originating from a rental unit). Worth a quick review before it advances toward a hearing.
Worthington: Building and Zoning Amendments Proposed
Status: Under discussion, no vote scheduled. Early stage, but Worthington’s rental density makes it worth tracking now.
Worthington City Council reviewed proposed amendments to local building and zoning regulations on August 6, 2026. No vote has been scheduled.
Worthington carries above average rental housing density for a Central Ohio suburb, so a zoning shift here tends to ripple further through the local rental market than a similar change in a smaller municipality would. This item is early stage (a review, not a hearing or a vote), but it is worth flagging now rather than waiting until a vote date appears on the calendar.
Also on the Radar This Week
Four more items moved this week that did not make the featured list above, but are worth a quick scan if you hold property in these municipalities.
Franklin, OH Upcoming meeting (scheduled for August 10, 2026). Franklin’s Board of Zoning Appeals meets tonight to discuss a variance request tied to the Unified Development Ordinance. It could affect zoning regulations governing property use and development in the township. View Source Document
Granville, OH Recently passed. Council approved an ordinance establishing binding conditions for zoning tied to a new development plan on August 5. It sets future land use and development standards for the affected parcel. View Source Document
Grove City, OH Recently passed. Council voted on August 3 to repeal Ordinance C-22-25. Property managers with holdings in Grove City should confirm what standard replaces it. View Source Document (Note: the specific meeting file link in the source alert was corrupted by character encoding loss; this links to Grove City’s CivicClerk portal.)
Canal Winchester, OH Recently passed. Council adopted two economic development ordinances on August 3 aimed at improving local business conditions, which could have secondary effects on commercial rental demand. View Source Document
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Sources & Suggested External Links
- Powell City Council Agenda, August 4, 2026 (zoning and permitting approval), the source packet for the zoning code and permitting software vote.
- Powell City Council AgendaViewer Portal, general portal covering the fee schedule introduction (specific item link was corrupted in the source alert).
- City of Powell: City Council approves comprehensive zoning code rewrite, the city’s own summary of the eighteen month rewrite process.
- Whitehall City Council Agenda, August 4, 2026, covers the planning and zoning code amendment discussion.
- Whitehall City Council Agenda, July 28, 2026, covers the peddlers and vendors ordinance introduction.
- Worthington Archive Center, Item 6782, the building and zoning amendments under review.
- Franklin Township Board of Zoning Appeals Agenda Packet, August 10, 2026, tonight’s variance hearing.
- Granville Village Council Packet, August 5, 2026, the binding zoning condition ordinance.
- Grove City CivicClerk Portal, general portal covering the repeal of Ordinance C-22-25.
- Canal Winchester Agenda, August 3, 2026, the two economic development ordinances.