The Central Ohio Region’s rapid pace of growth is a promising indicator of the region’s future, and communities across Central Ohio are eager to capitalize on this momentum to envision and plan for their futures. However, pressures from this continued growth are straining local governments whose staff are working diligently to serve the daily needs and activities of their communities. The Planner Pool Program is designed to alleviate this pressure and help these communities manage their day-to-day activities so that – as a region – we can grow better as we grow bigger.
PLANNING ASSISTANCE AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO DRIVE PROSPERITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
The Program aims to provide communities with direct professional assistance to support local planning functions, such as discretionary and ministerial reviews, and miscellaneous short-term projects or research related to land use, development, sustainability, or transportation. Assistance is available to members communities coincident with the fee-based structure below:
Communities can utilize the linked form under the “Request for Assistance” tab to provide initial information about a particular project or need, or submit a general inquiry for more discussion.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
The Planner Pool Program provides direct staff assistance to communities. Eligible activities include land use and development, and research or small-scale projects in community development, sustainability, or transportation. For more information on the program, view the Planner Pool Program 1-Pager and Guide below.
PLANNER POOL PROGRAM INFORMATIONAL GUIDE
NOTE: MORPC Member communities receive eight (8) hours of complementary Data & Mapping services. Assist requests which contain data & mapping components will be fulfilled using this member benefit first. Additional data & mapping hours will utilitize the hourly rate above.
PLANNING & ZONING ASSISTANCE
The Planner Pool Program offers assistance in both Planning & Zoning and Sustainability activities. Potential projects related to Planning & Zoning could potentially include, and is not limited to:
- Temporary staff assistance with development and zoning reviews during the hiring process, gaps in staffing, or periods of increased workloads
- Assistance with research on zoning text amendments related to permitted and conditional uses, parking, etc.
- Pre-Planning activities such as initial research, project planning, or the identification of best practices
- The creation/formation of supplementary documents, visual aids, planning & zoning graphics, etc.
Communities interested in discussing planning and zoning assistance – or just interested in more information on the Planning Pool Program – can utilize the form linked below.
SUSTAINABILITY ASSISTANCE
The MORPC Sustainability Team is available to assist with sustainability or environmental-based projects across the region. Potential project related to Sustainability Assistance could potentially include, and is not limited to:
- Temporary staff assistance with green infrastructure planning, including electric vehicle infrastructure, stormwater management, etc.
- Pre-planning activities such as education and outreach, climate impact assessment and vulnerability analysis, data collection, brainstorming strategies, etc.
- Municipal code updates to accommodate electric vehicle infrastructure or incorporate best practices for climate resilience and mitigation.
- The creation/formation of supplementary documents, visual aids, graphics, etc.
Use the following form for any assistance requests. Detailed guidance on completing the form can be found in the linked Instructions for Requests for Assistance. A MORPC staff member will be in contact with you to follow-up on the request and learn more about the community goals.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
If you have a question that can’t be located through the document below, please contact Jonathan Miller for assistance.
