Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC)

Responsibilities

The principal responsibility of the PZC is to review certain applications for land development approvals as determined by the City of Dublin Zoning Code and Subdivision Regulations. For most applications, the Commission is a recommending body for City Council.

The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) consists of seven members who are residents of the City of Dublin and appointed by City Council.

Members

• Rebecca Call – Chair
  Term Expiration: 03/31/2023 
• Mark Supelak  – Vice Chair
  Term Expiration: 03/31/2025 
• Jamey Chinnock
  Term Expiration: 03/31/2026 
• Warren Fishman
  Term Expiration: 03/31/2024 
• Kathy Harter
  Term Expiration: 03/31/2026 
• Lance Schneier
  Term Expiration: 03/31/2024 
• Kim Way
  Term Expiration: 03/31/2025 

FAQs

How Do I Obtain Information About Cases Coming Before the PZC?

All applications are filed with City of Dublin Planning at 5200 Emerald Parkway. Specific information related to the case may also be found on the City’s website at:  https://dublinohiousa.gov/pzc/. Notices regarding public hearings are sent to nearby property owners within a certain distance from the property, as required by the Zoning Code. The City also places a sign on the affected property to alert the public about pending applications. The agenda and related information for pending cases is typically posted on the website approximately five days prior to the meeting.

How Can I Get Information to the Commission if I Have Concerns?

There are several ways to make your concerns known to the City. Any communication received by staff is provided to each of the Commission members prior to a decision on the application.

• Write: Address your letter to “City of Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission” and address it to 5555 Perimeter Drive, Dublin, OH, 43017. To ensure delivery prior to the meeting, plan on sending your letter at least a week in advance.
• Call: You may call us at 614-410-4600. You will be put in touch with the Case Manager or other Planner familiar with the case who will be able to answer your questions or forward any comments you may wish the Commission to have.
• Email: Address your email to the Case Manager, or, if you do not know the Case Manager, address it to the Planning Liaison to the Commission – Nichole Martin, Senior Planner, at nmartin@dublin.oh.us.
• Leave a comment: On the https://dublinohiousa.gov/pzc/ website page for each application; there is a place at the bottom of the page to leave a comment.
• Attend the meeting: All meetings are held at City Hall, 5555 Perimeter Drive, normally on every other Thursday at 6:30 pm. Anyone wishing to address the PZC about a case should sign up on the list outside the chamber doors before the meeting. Names will be called in the order that they are submitted on the sign-in sheet. If you didn’t get you name on the list, you will still be given a chance to speak.

What Should I Expect at the PZC Meeting?

The Commission Chairperson will call the meeting to order and address any administrative issues, such as approving previous meeting minutes. From there, the Commission will begin hearing case applications. There are usually three types of cases heard by the PZC: Consent Cases, Informal Reviews, and Public Hearings.

Consent Cases

The PZC is permitted to act on some cases by consent. Consent cases are those that typically have few minor issues of concern, are recommended for approval by the City’s Planning Staff, and the applicant agrees with the proposed recommendation. Cases eligible for consent approvals are usually heard at the beginning of the application reviews and there are no formal presentations or discussions by the Commission (although there may be a question or two for clarification on certain points). Even if a case is eligible for consent approval, the public will be given an opportunity to speak when the Chairperson asks for public comment. If requested, the item can be removed from the list of consent cases and given a presentation and discussion.

Informal Reviews

Some applications are heard by the PZC on an informal basis. This means that an applicant may present a potential development proposal to determine what concerns the Commission may have prior to submitting a formal application. Comments made about these applications are not binding on either the City or the applicant. Here too, the public is given the opportunity to comment. No decisions are made and no votes are taken. Following the informal review, the applicant may choose to move forward by filing a formal application that would be reviewed at another public hearing.

Public Hearings

Zoning applications requiring public hearings by the PZC will usually include a presentation by the City’s professional Planning, Engineering, and other relevant Staff. The applicant then has the opportunity to make their own presentation to the Commission or clarify issues raised during the staff presentation. At this point, the public hearing is opened to comments from the public. Once everyone has addressed the Commission, the public comment portion of the meeting is closed by the Chairperson and the Commission members discuss the case. Once discussion has concluded, the Commission may choose to take one of four actions:

• Approval:If the Commission determines that all of the City’s requirements related to the application have been met, they may approve the application.
• Approval with Conditions:Should the Commission find that some of the City requirements have not been met, they may approve the proposal, subject to certain changes or corrections to be made.
• Disapproval:If the Commission finds that the application fails to meet one or more of the City requirements, and that no changes or corrections could reasonably be made to overcome the identified issues, they may disapprove (deny) the application.
• Postponement:The Commission may also delay action on the proposal if they determine: more information is needed; they need more time to review the comments made; or to give the applicant additional time to address the Commission’s concerns. The application is then postponed to a future meeting to be reviewed after the applicant has revised the materials.

Tips for Presenting to the Commission

• The public needs to stand at the podium in order to be heard by the Commission and state name and address before making comments.
• The public’s comments are to be addressed to the Chairperson. If there is a question for the applicant, Staff, another Commission member, or a member of the audience, will present this question to the Chairperson and it will be directed as necessary to the proper person.
• It is most helpful to the PZC if comments are concise and stay directly related to the case being reviewed. It is useful to have some notes prepared in advance from which to speak. We recognize that many people are nervous speaking in front of public bodies, so notes sometimes help keep thoughts organized.

If possible, where many people from the same area would like to comment generally on the same issues, designating a spokesperson to consolidate comments is encouraged but not required.