Knox County Village Strategic Plans

The Strategic Plans act as guidelines to properly manage existing and future land uses in and around the villages. By evaluating the existing conditions and leveraging the growing population trends of the greater Central Ohio region, the plans will help the villages prepare for redevelopment and investment within each village.

Public engagement efforts involved community thought-leaders, village staff, philanthropic organizations, and private developers in addition to village residents. Together, plans detailing where and how to build planning capacity and setting strategies for growth and development for the next ten years within each village were created.

Coined as “the Next Town Out” from the Columbus Metro Area, the Village of Centerburg is preparing for a dramatic increase in development pressure in the next 10-15 years. With conflicting interests between village leadership and the surrounding township, identifying areas for annexation or joint development plans was a top priority in this plan.

An in-depth review of the Village’s Zoning Code revealed regulations discouraging housing developments at the density level needed to maintain affordability. Additionally, the code lacked the requirements for public amenities such as green space and playgrounds to be incorporated in new residential developments. Recommendations for the future included updates to the zoning code and funding strategies to leverage the Heart of Ohio Trail which connects the village to statewide trail networks.

As the Gateway to the Amish, the Village of Danville is surrounded by scenic countryside, a beloved setting to local residents. This Strategic Plan highlights specific focus areas to be marketed for development or redevelopment as part of a larger preservation strategy. To ensure the community charm and rural character are maintained, certain areas will need to monopolize on revenue-producing land uses, providing the area with restaurants, retail, and job opportunities. Evaluating land owned by public entities, areas for new development were identified. Desired improvements include high quality housing ranging from townhomes to multifamily homes and public gathering space to be utilized for community events.

With a downtown revitalization study completed in 2017, the Village of Fredericktown was looking to prioritize investments in the community. This Strategic Plan evaluates existing assets, community priorities, and available grants and funding opportunities. Residents and business owners were surveyed for further insight of community priorities. The results indicated a strong preference for increasing recreational opportunities on the nearby Kokosing River and Owl Creek Bike Trail. Conversations around land acquisition and easement regulations were proposed in order to extend the local bikeway into the regional trail system. Future phases of implementation will prioritize linking these recreational assets to Fredericktown’s historic downtown core for visitors and residents alike.

Situated only a few miles down the road from the county seat of Mount Vernon, the Village of Gambier has a steady stream of visitors and employees to Kenyon College, the largest land owner in the village. This Strategic Plan studied the limited supply of housing and real estate within the village and evaluated opportunities for growth into the surrounding township. Bringing multiple stakeholders to the table, strategies for a permanent merger of the village with the township were openly discussed. Programmatic elements were recommended to increase regional tourism in the community and conservation practices were evaluated for opportunities to allow recreational elements in protected land. Finally, new business opportunities and potential partnerships with Kenyon College were explored to further market the village to surrounding communities including an increase in public art, area recreational trails, and incentives for new lodging facilities to house visitors.

Learn more on the Knox County Village Strategic Plans website.