Delaware · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Delaware public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Four Seasons at Addison Farms expansion
Sections 4 and 5 of the Four Seasons at Addison Farms single-family subdivision would move forward on nearly 27 acres, adding new homes in the area. Neighbors may weigh in during the public hearing.
Heritage Blvd./Rutherford Ave. All-Way Stop
The Heritage/Rutherford intersection will become a four-way stop with flashing LED signs for the first year, responding to neighborhood complaints and part of the Four Seasons petition. Build-out and the Merrick Boulevard extension are expected to further calm the corridor.
Carriage Drive Commercial Vehicle Parking
A resident reported utility trucks, inoperable vans, and detached trailers cluttering Carriage Drive and blocking driveways near the high school apartments. The committee directed him to submit photos and documentation through the clerk for staff follow-up.
Firestone Drive Speed Hump Removal and Speed Feedback Signs
$30,000 is budgeted for 2027 to expand the city's toolkit for neighborhood speeding complaints — radar boxes, feedback trailers and possibly notice-only cameras. The chief stressed data-driven decisions, since many 'speeding' complaints turn out to be traffic volume problems.
Racial vandalism and election-season safety
A resident reported fresh racist graffiti near a local Chinese restaurant and asked what protections exist for voters heading to the polls.
Northwood TIF hearing rescheduled
Third reading of an ordinance re-establishing the Delaware Community Reinvestment Area and expanding it to match the city's corporate limits, covering newly annexed land.
Resident alleges court and water department failures
A resident criticized council for ignoring his emails, alleged unconstitutional water shutoffs without notice, and demanded answers about overspending protections.
Downtown Architectural Standards overhaul
The city is overhauling its historic district design guidelines with help from a $25,000 state grant and a consultant. Public feedback starts at First Friday on June 5, with a draft expected by late summer and adoption targeted for spring 2027.
Student video exchange with Sakata, Japan
A Hayes High School teacher wants to make sister city videos a recurring class project, with students in Delaware, Sakata, and Baumholder exchanging videos and consulting across cultures. The board agreed to send an existing student video to Sakata with a proposal to explore the idea.
Baumholder, Germany relationship renewal
The board has been exploring video exchanges with Baumholder, Germany, and ways to connect local veterans who served there with the German city. A photo display legacy question from Melanie Mai was also pending.
London Road water line replacement closures
An aging water line with repeated breaks is being replaced; westbound lane closures run October 19-23 and a full closure west of Sandusky Street runs October 26-30, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with detours posted.
Sergeant promotion process overhaul
The sergeant promotion test was rebuilt: a Delaware-specific written exam, oral interview, and leadership assessment replace the old single-assessment format. The change follows union feedback that one test put all the eggs in one basket.
Thoroughfare Plan update
The city rolled out its draft 2026–2050 thoroughfare plan update with a new interactive online comment map. New additions include US 42 widening and US 23 corridor improvements; public comment runs through end of November before adoption.
South Sandusky Street auto repair shop
Golden Wrench Automotive can open a small repair garage at 253 South Sandusky Street, with strict conditions: no outside work, bay doors closed for noisy jobs. Commissioners flagged a similar shop nearby that violates those rules.
Delaware County Transit sales tax proposal
DCT is asking voters for a 0.2% sales tax this November to fund big expansion: microtransit in Powell and Orange Township, express commuter routes, seven-day service in Delaware, and same-day demand response countywide.
Alley drainage at 1806 London Road
A homeowner reported stormwater funneling down an alley from High Street, damaging his railroad-tie wall and car, with the alley narrowed from 14 feet to about 10.5 feet. He asked engineering and public works to investigate.
Goodwill men's transitional living home
A 16-bed shelter with on-site staff and supportive services won unanimous approval in the Greenwood Commons/Sugar Run development. T&R Properties is donating the land to Goodwill and discounting rents on 20% of its adjoining apartments; the operator says residents will be nonviolent men transitioning to jobs.
Citywide Community Reinvestment Area expansion
Economic development staff outlined major projects: a Kroger Marketplace opening in 2026, Blue Jackets-related development expected to break ground this year, PPG's $280 million expansion adding about 100 jobs, and a potential 1.5–2 million square foot biotech park at Gateway Commerce Park generating 500–1,000 jobs.
Sawmill Parkway TIF district
The Sawmill Parkway TIF was finalized as part of the cooperative agreement with Delaware County, diverting new property tax growth to fund public infrastructure there.
Shift of high-risk tree work to contractors
Commissioners wrestled with requiring street trees in places where the city's two-person forestry staff would have to make special trips to maintain them. With 23,000 street trees already, every added tree is a long-term cost — and storm damage removals can run $4,500 per tree.
Urban tree canopy preservation in new development
Commissioners brainstormed a new award honoring businesses — new and long-standing — for strong tree canopy, possibly with a local nursery sponsoring a plaque. Research on other cities' programs will come back at a future meeting.
Avery's Law dog ordinance
City dog rules now match Ohio's updated dangerous-dog law, giving clearer definitions, impound procedures, and a 10-day court timeline — and letting the city's civilian animal control officer keep enforcing the law.
2026 Third-quarter Budget Supplement
Passed with an emergency clause: $426,000 for refuse truck replacement, $110,000 more road salt, $50,000 emergency airport fuel tank repair, guardrail and HR recruiting dollars, and more.
SR 37 resurfacing
The city is partnering with ODOT to resurface State Route 37 from the western boundary to Troy Road, with Delaware paying about $330,000 of the cost.
West Central CSX railroad bridge clearance
The city is pressing CSX to raise or replace the low bridge on West Central, where trucks keep striking it. A $6.3 million road-lowering project is on the books as a fallback, but CSX has loosely committed to a feasibility visit this fall.
Sandusky Street road diet study
A city study found narrowing Sandusky Street from four/five lanes to three would still handle traffic at level-of-service C through 2050 — and could buy room for wider sidewalks, parking or bike lanes downtown. No project is approved yet, but the findings could shape a future streetscape and where Columbia Gas puts new mains. At least one commissioner, speaking as a resident, opposed the concept.
Underfunded sidewalks, paths, and parking lots
The city's complaint-driven sidewalk repair program has fixed nearly 25,000 square feet of sidewalk in two years, mostly damage from street trees, and will grow to $225,000 across three cycles in 2027 to reduce trip-and-fall injuries.
City telephone system replacement
The current phone system hits end-of-life in June 2027. A $230,000 replacement with a five-year support agreement is proposed, and members suggested exploring whether every employee still needs a desk phone to trim costs.
Chlorine gas safety conversion at water plant
The water plant still uses dangerous chlorine gas; switching to liquid sodium hypochlorite would remove one of the city's biggest chemical hazards but requires a significant retrofit.
Parks, trails and southeast community park
Parks plans include a long-overdue restroom replacement at Blue Limestone Park, resealing 2012-era basketball courts, replacing the worn Veterans Park turf, trail connections from the golf course toward Grady Hospital, and setting aside money to buy land for a big southeast community park as Glenn Parkway development moves forward.
Completed Street and Pedestrian Safety Improvements
Snappy's developer pushed back on being forced to build an 11-foot multi-use path to nowhere on Liberty Road, calling it a $20,000 expense with no connections. The commission softened the condition and will let staff and the applicant hash out the right approach.
Wieland Onda manufacturing expansion
A German-founded manufacturer will build a $24 million plant making data-center cooling equipment, adding 100 jobs and $6.7 million in payroll. The city shares income tax revenue with the company for five years in exchange.
Third-quarter budget amendments
Council got its first look at the mid-year budget patch: road salt, higher fuel costs, a future refuse truck replacement, and school distributions from TIF funds. The vote comes September 14.
OhioHealth wayfinding and signage at 6 Lexington Boulevard
Patients looking for the medical office at 6 Lexington keep pulling into the OhioHealth building at 12 Lexington because the only sign faces Central Avenue and shows no address. The board weighed whether a second monument sign helps patients find care safely or just adds sign clutter.
Student video exchange with Sakata and Baumholder
Delaware high school students will exchange videos with students in Sakata, Japan, and possibly Baumholder, Germany. It's a cultural exchange run through Hayes High School's film program, with the city covering coordination.
Senior care facility near Houk Road
A 120-bed assisted living facility is planned for a long-vacant commercial parcel at Houk and Lansdale — a roughly $30 million investment with 50-plus jobs that commissioners called much-needed senior housing for Delaware.
Gruber Street rezoning and neighborhood compatibility
The 2K General property near William and Gruber Streets could shift from light industrial to mixed-use, allowing neighborhood-scale offices and shops along William Street. Neighbors support the current owner but worry about future traffic on a narrow street with no curbs.
Yard waste contamination
Two of three local yard waste processors have refused the city's material because residents toss in plastic bottles, cans, and shopping bags. If contamination doesn't improve, the city may go back to can-only yard waste collection with load inspection.
Franklin Street parking lot appearance and security
The four public dumpsters behind the Franklin Street lot draw complaints about appearance and illegal dumping. A brick-style enclosure with cameras is planned, likely funded in the 2027 budget alongside a lot reconstruction.
Tiered water rates performing as designed
The new water rates are working: most typical households are seeing lower bills while heavy lawn irrigators pay more in the higher tiers, and revenue is up.
Business Approval
Delaware just approved its very first Chick-fil-A, bringing new fast-food options to town. Expect some fresh dining choices, but also brace yourself for heavier traffic in the area.
Chick-fil-A emergency access and traffic concerns
GTZ Properties' plan would bring a Chick-fil-A restaurant to 1.895 acres in the Trailhead Crossing PUD — new dining option, plus the traffic questions that come with it.
Downtown upper-floor revitalization tax abatement
A proposed 15-year, 75% tax abatement for a $500,000 renovation of the downtown 'Beehive Building' got held up over whether apartments should qualify — council wants commercial-only terms and will revisit it July 27.
Fire/EMS mutual aid with Columbus
A three-year automatic mutual aid agreement would let Columbus fire and EMS units automatically back up Delaware on major calls.
Grants Administrator position added to pay plan
City government is adding an M8-level grants administrator to chase grant funding citywide, hoping the position pays for itself through grants won; a supplemental appropriation will be needed before year-end.
Buffer yard variance at former mausoleum site on South Sandusky Street
A longtime neighbor warned the board about leftover mausoleum footers, unstable fill, a steep slope causing winter access and fire-truck problems, and possible remains on the site. The applicant said he dug eight feet searching for the old slab and found it gone, and that any remains discovery would trigger coroner notification.
Howald Industrial building
John Howald proposed an approximately 40,000-square-foot industrial building on 4.62 acres in the Howald Industrial Planned Mixed-Use Overlay.
Wonderlic assessment elimination
After three years, the city found the $12,000-a-year Wonderlic test didn't reliably predict how police and fire candidates performed. PRADCO's existing testing already covers cognitive ability, so the commission dropped it and freed up recruiting funds.
Howald Industrial Park signage dispute
John Howald is investing over $6 million in a new industrial building but says tenants can't attract customers without a third monument sign on London Road. Current zoning caps the park at two signs; staff says a rezoning is the only legal path, and the commission struck a condition so construction can start while that's worked out.
Fire department staffing and Station 5 preparation
The fire department is fully staffed today, with ten budgeted hires coming on to be trained ahead of Station 5's expected opening early next year. The certified list of 15 candidates keeps the hiring pipeline full.