Central Ohio Moratoriums

City of Columbus Moratorium (passed last fall)  This 24-month moratorium covers the Darby Creek Watershed area within the City of Columbus/Franklin County Planning Area passed last fall by the Columbus City Council.  Developers have been given some relief from the moratorium by a City of Columbus blanket administrative order which exempted existing projects, set-up a procedure for a “hardship variance”, and directed the development department to begin comprehensive planning in the area, to be completed in the next 20 months.

City of Hilliard Moratorium - Proposal This proposal comes from Mayor Tim Ward and appears to be patterned after the Hudson, Ohio moratorium.  At press time, REALTORS® were awaiting details of this proposal and expect to get involved should it proceed.

Pickerington City Council

This issue was addressed at length in the April 2003 issue of In Contract.  The proposed moratorium would permit the construction of only 100 homes over a 12 month period.  The moratorium was an effort to control additional development as Pickerington schools have been growing by 300 to 400 students a year, forcing the district to build new schools and rely on unpopular modular classrooms. A combined operating levy and bond issue was defeated last fall.

They have another levy – Issue 7 - on the May 6 ballot which REALTORS® are supporting. Issue 7, a five-year, 7.9-mill operating levy expected to raise $6 million annually. The school district has said it faces severe cuts if the levy does not pass. 

At press time, several potential amendments to the original proposed moratorium ordinance had been suggested.  However, the only proposal REALTOR® could be certain to support would exempt subdivisions covered by the Community Development Authority. 

The new Community Development Authority (NCDA) was a suggestion from the BIA.  Similar NCDA’s have been created successfully in New Albany and Granville.  A NCDA is a consensual mechanism voluntarily agreed to by the property owners (developers) and requires a minimum of 1,000 acres. Once the petition is signed by the property owners and agreed to by the city and school district, NCDA authorizes an annual assessment on each lot, paid by the buyer.   Proposed assessment would be (approximately) 6 mills which could mean an annual assessment of approx. $600, and produce an amount of $35–$40 Million over a 30 to 40 year period. Once agreed to, NCDA could immediately borrow the estimated funds.  Proceeds from the assessments would be used to build a new elementary school, middle school and upgrade the existing high school. Once the NCDA builds the schools, ownership would be transferred to school district.

Status:  The third reading of the original ordinance is scheduled for the next regular meeting of the Pickerington City Council on May 6, 2003 (Primary Election Day).  There is a real possibility that a vote could be taken at this meeting either on the original moratorium ordinance or an amended version.  If a vote is taken, it will occur prior to a known outcome of the school levy being voted on that same day.

Note:  A City of Pickerington resident is also circulating Moratorium Initiative Petition for November, 2003 General Election for a two-year moratorium allowing approximately 50 to 70 homes to be built each year of the proposed 2-year moratorium.  Details of this proposal were not known at press time.