Topic Workshop #4 Recap
What We Did…
On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the Eastland community came together at First Church of God to discuss housing. We had 49 participants who heard a presentation from the Eastland Planning Team and the City of Columbus Department of Development (Housing Division and Zone In Columbus), and also participated in engagement activities. The information below is a high-level summary of what was discussed during the workshop.
Please visit the documents page to download the full presentation.
What We Heard…
Community Feedback
First, we explored feedback the community provided on the current state of housing and needs—missing community services, general desire to live in the Eastland area, and where new housing should go if developed in Eastland. These previously collected insights allow us to generally understand existing community desires and what strategies and resources the community feels are necessary to address the findings.
Results from the community survey on ideal new housing placements
Results from the community survey on the desire to live in the Eastland area
Results from the community survey on missing community services in the Eastland area
Housing Strategy
Next, the community heard from Erin Prosser, Deputy Director of Housing Strategies for the City of Columbus. Erin shared about the Columbus Housing Strategy that aims to develop housing infrastructure to address our housing shortage, and its impacts on our community.
Graphic illustrating the impacts of housing scarcity
Graphic illustrating the solutions needed to address housing scarcity and access
Housing Study
Analysis from the housing study was then presented by Andy Pfister and Olivia Borland, from Development Strategies. They discussed the importance of developing proper housing for the community and highlighted the various benefits that housing creates in communities. Development Strategies also highlighted how housing trends impact the Eastland area and what it might look like for Eastland to capture some of the growth expected in the Columbus region.
Slide highlighting the importance of housing diversity in Eastland
Slide highlighting the six key trends found in relation to housing in the Eastland study area
Zone In Columbus
Afterward, the community heard from Alex Sauersmith, Planning Manager for the City of Columbus, about Zone In Columbus. Zone In is a proposal by the City of Columbus to update the zoning code and how it shapes the city of Columbus. Zoning can be used to help attract new businesses, encourage the construction of new housing, and protect natural resources. Phase One of Zone In focuses on key corridors throughout the City, and Alex shared more about the proposed changes for the Hamilton Road corridor. For more information on Zone In, we encourage you to visit the website.
Description of the proposed new mixed-use districts
Proposed zoning updates to the Hamilton Road Corridor
Activity Responses
The community participated in two activities to address housing needs in the Eastland area. answer various questions: The Lifespan Housing Needs activity showcased five different household types (see example below) and asked participants to answer three questions:
What housing typologies would best suit these households based on their profile? What do you think would be their ideal living environment?
Does that type of housing or living environment you identified exist in the Eastland area today? If so, where?
What other supports do you think would be helpful for these households as it relates to their living situation?
The second activity asked the community to map where they’d most like to see various housing typologies in the Eastland area.
Below are some of the responses the community provided to reach future community members who may want to live in the Eastland community.
The Lifespan Housing Needs activity highlights how housing needs change based on life stage and household composition.
How to Stay Involved
The Eastland Workshop series is almost over! The Community Well-being, Identity, and Pride workshop is the final workshop in this series—see below for registration and other ways you can stay involved over the next few months. We’ll continue to post updates and share other opportunities to engage as they arise.
Register for the last Topic Workshop on Monday, June 24th.
Share your ideas or open ended thoughts about Eastland’s future on the Vision Wall.
Tell us a bit about the places where you go or avoid in Eastland.