Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to waive the competitive procurement requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329 and to enter into a professional services contract with Futurety LLC, in an amount up to $100,000.00 for the purpose of web application development, digital marketing campaign management, analysis, and reporting. Approval is also requested for reimbursement of expenses incurred prior to execution of the purchase order, starting July 1, 2023.
In 2021, an independent assessment found that Columbus’ zoning code is a barrier to our city being the vibrant, equitable community we aspire to be. It found that the current code is inhibiting creation of additional housing and transit-supportive development, and a modernization of the code can help to unlock development potential. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and Columbus City Council have prioritized revising the code, which has not been comprehensively updated in 70 years, in order to guide equitable growth in our city. This initiative, called “Zone In” is being led collaboratively by the Department of Building and Zoning Services and the Department of Development.
While modernized zoning is needed throughout Columbus, the Zone In team has overlaid multiple criteria - including current and future bus routes, land use recommendations and current zoning - to identify 62 corridors and commercial nodes that are most suited to be re-zoned first. The Zone In team needs input from the people who live, work, shop and enjoy these corridors to determine how they should look and feel, and how they should be developed with housing, offices, retail and other amenities to address the neighborhood’s current and future needs, values and aspirations. We especially need to hear from people whose voices previously haven’t been represented in these conversations.
The Zone In team needs public input to calibrate its new zoning districts. Our concept is to create a ...
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