Cannabis Moratorium Not Set to End Until January
Chillicothe — The revised zoning code for the city is ready for council to start moving towards enacting it, and they got an overview of it Wednesday.
The code was explained in an open house for the public, hosted by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission in the Carlisle Building – followed by a presentation to council’s Development Committee in council chambers, on June 25th, 2025.
David Baird, project manager for the consultant firm American Structurepoint, explained that the draft “Unified Development Code” is more than just zoning since it incorporates updated subdivision regulations and sign code. But, most people are interested in the zoning, so he explained what was changed, and how problems the city had with the code were fixed.
He has been giving updates on their work, including in a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in November.
(Zoning codes are land use regulations that define what is allowed to be built and where it can be built. A zoning variance is a specific waiver, and a rezoning permanently changes land use classification – both granted by a Board of Zoning Appeals. From Zoning Overview and Definitions by Transect.com.)
Baird said zoning needs to be customized for each community, in contrast to standardized building or traffic codes – there are little nuances in each city that need to be acknowledged. He also said that Chillicothe has many nonconformities, better known as grandfathering, so it needs more tailoring.
One exception that American Structurepoint developed was a “Residential Office District” that allows limited civic-oriented commercial use of legacy buildings like churches and old neighborhood grocery stores. These reuses were not allowed by the original code, but he said they are sometimes wanted and have community support.
They must be on arterial streets, not within neighborhoods. One example are all the lots that front on South Watt Street and Douglas Avenue, but none of the the lots within the presidential streets.
Otherwise, the zoning map looks much the same, except for some name changes, and consolidation of very similar districts like the three commercial zones.
The “Zoning Code Update” is also outlined in “Engage Chillicothe” on the city’s website, which has links where you can view or download pdf’s of the draft code, zoning map, and Wednesday’s presentation.
The recent “Cannabis Moratorium” that raised ire in Chillicothe council until it was passed on January 13th is also a part of the zoning rewrite. The moratorium temporarily bans new cannabis dispensaries within city limits, with the intent to pause new developments in this industry for a year, until after the revised zoning code is passed.
Baird said the new zoning code will not change the moratorium, but when the moratorium is lifted by council, cannabis dispensaries will be re-integrated into the zoning code. He said council will reconsider the moratorium at its one year point.
Hear Baird in his own words in the below interview video.
