Worthington City Council Unanimously Adopts Comprehensive Master Plan
The Worthington Together blueprint updates land use and thoroughfare policies for the first time in nearly two decades, setting the stage for a 2027 zoning overhaul.
Worthington City Council members gathered in council chambers.
Credit: City of Worthington Image source
Worthington City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 19, with all seven members present, to approve Resolution No. 59-2026 adopting the 2026 Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan. The resolution officially enacts the city's updated master blueprint, which includes an updated Thoroughfare Plan and a recommended Implementation Strategy.
The action marks Worthington's first new comprehensive plan in nearly 20 years, following its comprehensive plan adopted in 2005. Throughout the planning process, an 18-member Community Committee appointed by City Council met eleven times over 19 months and participated in public meetings, online webinars, and speaker series presentations.
Before council's vote, the planning commission and staff recommended approval of the plan, after council and commission members voted to send the comprehensive plan to the commission for consideration and a recommendation.
The comprehensive plan incorporates vision statements from the 2021 Vision Worthington Plan and addresses plan topics including land use, economic vitality, mobility, and housing. The document identifies opportunity areas along High Street and Wilson Bridge Road, while adding Linworth as an Opportunity Area to provide better connectivity west of the Olentangy River.
Previously, the Worthington Comprehensive Plan sparked debate over high-rise heights and historic character.
Under the plan recommendations, City Council funded a full rewrite of the Planning and Zoning Code across 2027 and 2028 to update design guidelines and enhance development standards throughout the city.
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City Council Post-Meeting Reports · October 19, 2026 · other
Supporting evidence (4)
Worthington City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 19, with all seven members present, to approve Resolution No. 59-2026 adopting the 2026 Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan.
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COUNCIL ACTION: Council members voted unanimously to approve Resolution No. 59-2026.
Worthington City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 19, with all seven members present, to approve Resolution No. 59-2026 adopting the 2026 Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan.
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October 19, 2026 – City Council – Regular Meeting 1 | P a g e Members Present: President Rachael Dorothy, President Pro-tem Rebecca Hermann, Pete Bucher, Joycelyn Dong, Amy Lloyd, Glen Pratt and Maria Ramirez. Members Absent: None.
Worthington City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 19, with all seven members present, to approve Resolution No. 59-2026 adopting the 2026 Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan.
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Resolution No. 59-2026 – Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan Adoption
The resolution officially enacts the city's updated master blueprint, which includes an updated Thoroughfare Plan and a recommended Implementation Strategy.
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This Resolution adopts the 2026 Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan, which includes an updated Thoroughfare Plan and recommended Implementation Strategy for the City of Worthington.
https://worthington.org/2077/Worthington-Together
Supporting evidence (2)
The action marks Worthington's first new comprehensive plan in nearly 20 years, following its comprehensive plan adopted in 2005.
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For the first time in nearly 20 years, the City of Worthington is creating a new comprehensive plan through a community-driven process called Worthington Together.
The action marks Worthington's first new comprehensive plan in nearly 20 years, following its comprehensive plan adopted in 2005.
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Comprehensive Plan (Adopted 2005)
ARB/MPC Minutes · July 23, 2026 · minutes
Supporting evidence (8)
Throughout the planning process, an 18-member Community Committee appointed by City Council met eleven times over 19 months and participated in public meetings, online webinars, and speaker series presentations.
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Council appointed an 18-member Community Committee by Resolution #06-2025 to work closely with City leadership, planning staff and the consulting team to bring insight and perspective to the planning process and provide public feedback and guidance to the plan on February 3, 2025.
Throughout the planning process, an 18-member Community Committee appointed by City Council met eleven times over 19 months and participated in public meetings, online webinars, and speaker series presentations.
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The Committee has met eleven (11) times over the past 19-months, participated in numerous public meetings, online webinars, preparatory meetings and debriefings for the public meetings, attended speaker series presentations, City Council meeting updates, and several community events throughout the planning process.
The comprehensive plan incorporates vision statements from the 2021 Vision Worthington Plan and addresses plan topics including land use, economic vitality, mobility, and housing.
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The foundation of the Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan incorporates the vision statements found in the 2021 Vision Worthington Plan.
The comprehensive plan incorporates vision statements from the 2021 Vision Worthington Plan and addresses plan topics including land use, economic vitality, mobility, and housing.
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Plan Topics: The Plan has covered the following topics: • Land Use & Character • Economic Vitality • Mobility & Connectivity • Housing & Neighborhoods • Environment & Resilience • Opportunity Areas • Implementation
The document identifies opportunity areas along High Street and Wilson Bridge Road, while adding Linworth as an Opportunity Area to provide better connectivity west of the Olentangy River.
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The Opportunity Areas are located along High Street, Wilson Bridge Road and the Forge Fields at Rush Run area (Northeast).
The document identifies opportunity areas along High Street and Wilson Bridge Road, while adding Linworth as an Opportunity Area to provide better connectivity west of the Olentangy River.
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Linworth Opportunity Area – Add Linworth as an Opportunity Area in addition to the other 5 Opportunity Areas.
The document identifies opportunity areas along High Street and Wilson Bridge Road, while adding Linworth as an Opportunity Area to provide better connectivity west of the Olentangy River.
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Better connectivity opportunities along Linworth Rd. and Olentangy River Rd. to better connect the area west of the Olentangy River to Old Worthington.
Under the plan recommendations, City Council funded a full rewrite of the Planning and Zoning Code across 2027 and 2028 to update design guidelines and enhance development standards throughout the city.
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Update the Worthington Design Guidelines and enhance development standards and guidelines throughout the City and the future update to the Planning and Zoning Code. That is one of the recommendation that is in the plan but it is also one of the items that City Council has funded for us to do an zoning code with a full rewrite in 27 and 28.
City Council Agendas · October 19, 2026 · agenda
Supporting evidence (1)
Before council's vote, the planning commission and staff recommended approval of the plan, after council and commission members voted to send the comprehensive plan to the commission for consideration and a recommendation.
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Recommendation: The Municipal Planning Commission and City staff are recommending approval of the 2026 Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan.
City Council Post-Meeting Reports · July 6, 2026 (Joint) · other
Supporting evidence (1)
Before council's vote, the planning commission and staff recommended approval of the plan, after council and commission members voted to send the comprehensive plan to the commission for consideration and a recommendation.
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COUNCIL ACTION: Council and Commission Members voted unanimously to approve a motion to send the Worthington Together Comprehensive Plan to the Municipal Planning Commission for consideration and a recommendation to then be presented to City Council for consideration and adoption.
Worthington Comprehensive Plan Sparks Debate Over High-Rise Heights and Historic Character
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Previously, the Worthington Comprehensive Plan sparked debate over high-rise heights and historic character.
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Worthington Comprehensive Plan Sparks Debate Over High-Rise Heights and Historic Character