Troy is close to getting a new set of rules for how land can be used. On Monday night, City Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee recommended that city council adopt the Unified Development Code, or UDC. The full council takes it up next at it’s third reading. The UDC, as it is referred to, is a big document, running several hundred pages, and most of us will never read all of it and that’s fine. But, everyone should at least have a working knowledge of what is being proposed.
Right now, Troy has four separate codes. One covers zoning, one covers subdivisions, one covers signs, and one covers fences. The UDC puts them all in one book. Think of it like a kitchen junk drawer. Everything was in there, but you had to dig to find what was needed. The UDC is designed to be more readable and understanding by putting land use codes all in one place, with pictures and charts to help.
City staff said the code cuts the number of zoning districts from 20 to 14. It also cuts the list of allowed uses from more than 220 to 86. It adds two new areas: a gateway district along Main and Market streets, and a mixed-use district along I-75. The code follows the city’s comprehensive plan, adopted in October 2024. Staff said they held seven advisory meetings, several town halls and six planning commission meetings, and a community survey drew 683 responses.
The committee recommended two changes. The first is a cap on tobacco, cigarette and vape stores at the number Troy has today strongly advocated by Council Member Madison Hickman. Council members said they see too many of these stores, and one count has the number anywhere from nine to eleven. Once the cap is set, no new ones could open. City planning staff will count the existing stores first by grandfathering those current stores. The draft code already keeps these stores out of the downtown overlay and requires 2,000 feet between them, which is a little under half a mile. The cap pretty much prevents new stores from coming in, unless a current store shuts down.
A cap sounds simple, but it can be tricky in practice. Staff explained that the code defines these shops as stores that mostly sell tobacco and vape products. A gas station or grocery store that sells some of them would not count. That means the city has to decide where the line is. If a store sells half tobacco and half snacks, which kind of store is it? Staff said the rule can be enforced, but it is one of the harder ones.
The second change is removing the word “morals” from the code’s purpose section. One council member pointed out that Ohio’s home rule powers cover health, safety and welfare. Troy has no definition of “morals” and no rules to enforce it. This change will go the law director for further review.
Data centers drew the most discussion. Council Member Jeffrey Schilling wanted much stricter limits on noise, vibration, air pollution and wastewater, with the goal of making it very hard for one to locate here. Staff said a data center could only be built through a planned development, which means council would review each one and could add conditions or say no. Staff also said every data center must get approval from the Ohio EPA. The committee did not change the data center rules.
Mr. Schilling also talked about neighborhood parks in new subdivisions. Some worried that required playground equipment would raise insurance costs for homeowners associations. Staff said playground equipment is one choice among several, along with a dog park, a community garden or a clubhouse. These parks would be private, owned by the HOA. Mr. Schilling also asked that staff never be allowed to waive code rules without a council vote. Others replied that some flexibility keeps projects moving and avoids potential litigation.
The full council will now review the code and vote. Nothing is final yet. If you care about how Troy grows, now is a good time to read the parts that touch your street, your business or your neighborhood. Ask questions, call your council member, and show up. These rules will shape what gets built here for years. The committee’s talk showed that reasonable people can disagree on how tight or loose a code should be. That is healthy, and it works best when residents are part of the conversation.
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