Lane Avenue Planning Study

The Lane Avenue corridor is the City’s most rapidly evolving commercial district. This transformation has enhanced the area’s vibrancy and appeal, providing new dining, retail, housing and service options, along with the community’s first hotel. As the area has changed, the City has implemented measures to address parking and traffic concerns, provide transitional buffers from the commercial district into adjoining residential neighborhoods, and to enhance pedestrian and bicycle access where possible. A statistically valid survey on the corridor—conducted at the close of 2018—demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with recent developments, increased access to shops and amenities, and steps taken to mitigate traffic and access.

With new developments already underway and on the horizon—such as The Lane II and Arlington Gateway—combined with the pressures of a growing region, City Council retained OHM Advisors to take a detailed look at the district to better understand the impacts of future growth and put in place a framework to guide this growth in a way that best benefits the community. This resulted in an extensive public engagement process, study effort, and creation of the Lane Avenue Planning Study, which was approved by Council in September 2020.

The Lane Avenue Planning Study process included:

• A detailed review of pertinent guiding documents, such as the Master Plan, Unified Development Ordinance, past studies and survey data.
• Developing commercial streetscape standards to enhance the district, with a focus on pedestrian activity, bicycle access, transit use, outdoor dining, and opportunities for public art and public gathering spaces.
• Reviewing and making recommendations for modifying the City’s commercial design standards.
• A comprehensive traffic evaluation of Lane Avenue, from Riverside Drive to State Route 315—to include traffic counts and projecting maximum future development counts—to develop a phased approach to congestion mitigation and parking requirements.

The study process began in August 2019 and concluded in June of 2020. It included three phases of citizen engagement, providing opportunities for residents to learn about the significance of the business district for Upper Arlington’s future and to provide input on what they believe should be priority considerations. City Council voted to approve the Lane Avenue Study Report on September 14.

A revised and greatly enhanced Lane Avenue Planned Mixed Use District zoning document has been prepared to clearly set forth the City’s guidelines and requirements for future redevelopment within the district. The resulting proposed amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance have been under review by the Board of Zoning and Planning and the Board is expected to make a recommendation to Council at the November 17, 2021 BZAP meeting. Council is scheduled to review and take action on proposed Unified Development Ordinance amendments for the Lane Avenue Planned Mixed Use District on November 15, December 6 and December 13.