Following several decisions that were contentious among residents and others that were appealed by developers, Plain City Council may choose to eliminate the village’s Design Review Board – and possibly the Historic District – entirely.
“Do we want a historic district and how strict do we want it?” Zoning Inspector Derek Hutchinson asked council.
During a joint work session between council, the Planning and Zoning Commission and Design Review Board, Hutchinson laid out the challenges DRB faces.
DRB members are tasked with reviewing applicant projects and plans for the Uptown Historic District to ensure they comply with standards included in the village’s codified ordinances.
While the board holds the power to approve or reject proposed plans, Hutchinson said they often face difficulties even having the quorum needed to host meetings.
Hutchinson noted that DRB is a seven-member board – compared to five members on the village’s other committees – that consists of volunteers. He said the past two consecutive meetings were canceled because they could not meet the minimum of four members needed to be present.
He said that creates delays for developers and business owners who are waiting for approval to begin their projects.
Beyond that, Hutchinson said DRB is inconsistent when it comes to enforcement.
“I feel that applicants are judged for who they are, not the projects, sometimes,” he said.
To alleviate the issues, Hutchinson presented council with four options, ranging from keeping DRB and the Historic District in tact to eliminating both.
The Zoning Inspector said he is in favor of an option in between the two extremes, which would remove DRB completely but keep some historic requirements in place.
Taking this route would mean removing the Historic District overlay and instead updating the B3 Zoning District (of which the Historic District comprises about 90%) to include “historical” guidelines that are dictated by village code.
From there, any minor or non-structural items will be reviewed administratively by planning staff, while major structural changes will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
He said he feels those proposed changes would eliminate subjectivity and streamline the process for business owners.
“Right now, our Uptown is not business friendly,” Hutchinson said.
Several council and board members, though, leaned toward an option that would keep DRB and the Historic District in place but include a “complete overhaul” of both.
DRB Chair Todd Boyer said he prefers that option but understands that “it would require a much stricter code.”
“A lot of people get a lot of leniency today,” Boyer said.
He added, “We do sit in a weird middle ground… DRB is always going to be subjective.”
However, he said a level of subjectivity is good because it requires members to be well-versed in the code and consider the nuance of each application.
Council member Jim Eudaily, who also sits on DRB, shared a similar sentiment, noting that the board provides another level of review beyond a simple checklist.
“You can’t take away their opinions,” he said.
While the DRB process can add extra time for applicants’ projects, Boyer said it’s not a major concern to him because the benefits of locating in the Uptown outweigh any potential delays.
“You want to be there for a reason, so those are the rules of the game,” he said.
Several council members said they ideally share Boyer’s preference, but worry the village cannot realistically complete the updates to keep DRB and the Historic District.
Eudaily noted that the zoning code rewrite has taken over a year and is still underway, so he worries it would “take forever” to update the code that governs historical buildings in the Uptown.
Still, he said eliminating DRB would give businesses “free rein.”
Council President Michael Terry said he also favors Boyer’s recommendation but does not think “it’s practical to do.”
Terry said shifting approval to planning staff and giving them “more power” would create more consistency in reviews and decision-making.
While Council member Frank Reed shared the same preference but emphasized that, if DRB were eliminated, he feels applications should require an administrative approval based on code, followed by council approval.
Terry, however, said council does not have the same expertise that planning staff, or even DRB members, have.
“Isn’t the risk of us being inconsistent just as strong as the board?” he asked.
In light of the resources required to update the code in order to keep DRB and the Historic District, Terry asked Hutchinson if the village could budget additional funding to move the process along.
Hutchinson said, to complete an overhaul of the code, “we would need more staff.”
Aside from having larger staffs, Hutchinson said many towns with successful DRBs are boards that “have been around for a long time.”
“Honestly, I think we’re too late,” he said, noting that there are very few historic buildings Uptown that have not been modified from their original state.
Development Manager Jason Stanford told council that the path forward comes down to whether they are pursuing true preservation or aiming to maintain the “historic character” of the Uptown.
“I just want the best Historic District for the village,” Reed replied, adding that he wants it to be a “happy place” for residents and economic development alike.
Village Administrator Haley Lupton said she will work with Hutchinson to create a proposal based on council member’s opinions, which would then go before council for a vote.