Comp Plan Update at City Council Monday, 9/15/25

There will be a presentation at City Council Monday night that is well worth your attention and your attendance – the long-term direction of our city is at stake.

At the Council meeting, the chief consultant for the rewriting of our community’s Comprehensive Plan, Jamie Greene from Planning NEXT, will provide the first public update on the rewrite to date. Feedback from the community, and from your elected representatives on Council, will likely impact the methods, character, and integrity of the process moving forward.

Whether you wish to comment publicly at the meeting, or simply observe, we hope you will attend!

WHEN: Monday, September 15 at 7:00 PM
WHERE: Goorey Municipal Building, 6550 N. High St.
MORE INFO, AND TO WATCH ONLINE: https://www.worthington.org/live

The Comprehensive Plan is an important document the city uses for long-term planning on topics like land use, parks, housing, and transportation. The update is costing our city $460,000 in fees to the consultants, and countless hours of staff time and community engagement, and is expected to take roughly 18 months from start to finish. We are about seven months in.

There has been fairly widespread criticism of the process so far, from those who attended the initial community meeting at the WEC (“The Launch,” June 11) to those who engaged the survey online. We too are concerned about efficacy and validity of the process. The Comprehensive Plan is important, and we have to get it right.

There is still time for those leading the process to course correct, to really reach out and effectively engage the broad public, and to take their ideas and interests as foundational to the resulting comprehensive plan.

Mr. Greene stated at the opening Launch meeting that the Plan is the community’s, not his—let’s take him at his word, but let’s stay actively and closely engaged. We hope to see you at Monday night’s Council meeting!

Information for those who wish to comment at the City Council meeting:
https://www.worthington.org/DocumentCenter/View/11753/Procedure–Expectations-for-Public-Comments-During-City-Council-Meetings

Letter to the Editor, Worthington Spotlight September 2025 Edition, page 6: Comprehensive Plan effort falls short of representing residents’ desires:
https://www.worthingtonspotlight.com/pageview/viewer/2025-09-01#page=5

Why is the Comprehensive Plan important, and why are we updating it now? Here is an informative blog post written by Council Member Robinson in 2022:
https://davidrobinsonblog.com/2022/09/comprehensive-plan-update-background-and-principles-moving-forward/

The City’s Comprehensive Plan update site:
https://worthingtontogether.org/

About Project Community Park Worthington:
We advocate a mixed-use development at the former UMCH (United Methodist Children’s Home) site:

• 9-10 acres of commercial build-out along High Street
• 3-5 acres of residential (preferably focused on senior living)
• 18+ acres for contiguous public space (plus the undevelopable Tucker Creek area, about 7 acres).

Potential amenities: multi-use event facility, outdoor amphitheater, walking trails, athletic field, pollinator and community gardens, and a natural preserve along Tucker Creek suitable for educational purposes.

If you agree with the above vision, please sign our petition, here:
https://projectcommunityparkworthington.com/sign-the-petition/