Canal Winchester Approves Downsized 106-Lot Miller Farms Subdivision Plan
Canal Winchester City Council approved a revised layout for Subarea A of Miller Farms, widening lots for Rockford Homes while attaching strict infrastructure and financing terms.
The Canal Winchester City Council voted 6-0 on May 18, 2026, to adopt Resolution 26-025, granting final development plan approval for Subarea A of the Miller Farms subdivision off Oregon Road. The council's action repealed Resolution 26-006, a January measure that had authorized a denser subdivision configuration, and established revised terms under application FDP-26-002.
The revised plan for the 36.2-acre site reduces the planned single-family home count from 118 lots down to 106. According to city planning staff, the 12-lot reduction expands standard lot widths from the zoning text's 52-foot minimum to primarily 62 feet. Homebuilder Rockford Homes requested the wider footprints to accommodate three-car garages, expanded floor plans, and varied architectural styles. Subarea A is divided into 42 lots in Phase 1 north of Lisle Ditch and 64 lots in Phase 2 to the south.
The approval establishes several binding infrastructure obligations for the developer. Rockford Homes must complete the widening of Oregon Road along the southern frontage of Subarea A before the city will issue building permits for Phase 2 south of Lisle Ditch. In addition, the builder must dedicate additional road rights-of-way along Oregon Road and Hayes Road and record public access easements for all proposed multi-use paths along both corridors prior to residential occupancy.
To ensure pedestrian connectivity between neighborhood sections, council required the developer to provide sidewalks on both sides of Reserve H, the connector road stub leading from Subarea A to Subarea B, matching the approved plans for the adjoining phase.
The resolution also resolves landscape buffering after preliminary utility clearing impacted an additional 90 trees on the property. Because the developer's site landscape plan features 367 trees, council agreed to credit 171 street trees within the public right-of-way toward the municipal requirement of one tree per 500 square feet of residential ground-floor coverage, preventing excessive tree clustering on individual home lots.
Finally, the approval requires Rockford Homes to cooperate in establishing a Tax Increment Financing district and a New Community Authority. Under the terms of Ordinance 24-034, the new community authority will levy a community development charge of not less than 2 mills on the property to help finance local public infrastructure.
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City Council · City Council Meeting · minutes
Supporting evidence (1)
The council's action repealed Resolution 26-006, a January measure that had authorized a denser subdivision configuration, and established revised terms under application FDP-26-002.
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A RESOLUTION TO REPEAL RESOLUTION 26-006 AND APPROVE A FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR SUB-AREA A OF THE MILLER FARMS PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT - Adoption A motion was made by Moore, seconded by Bennett to adopt RES-26-025. The motion carried with the following vote: Yes 6 – Moore, Bennett, Detwiler, Payne, Shea, Amick
Planning and Zoning Commission · May 11, 2026 Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting · minutes
Supporting evidence (7)
The revised plan for the 36.2-acre site reduces the planned single-family home count from 118 lots down to 106.
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Location: 36.2 acres of property PID 184-002994 (Subarea A) Request: Final Development Plan for Miller Farms consisting of 106 single-family lots.
Subarea A is divided into 42 lots in Phase 1 north of Lisle Ditch and 64 lots in Phase 2 to the south.
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Phase 1, to the north, has 42 lots and phase 2, to the south, has 64 additional lots.
Rockford Homes must complete the widening of Oregon Road along the southern frontage of Subarea A before the city will issue building permits for Phase 2 south of Lisle Ditch.
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3) The applicant completes the widening of Oregon Road along the frontage of Subarea A (south) prior to any building permits being issued for Phase 2 of Subarea A (south of Lisle Ditch).
In addition, the builder must dedicate additional road rights-of-way along Oregon Road and Hayes Road and record public access easements for all proposed multi-use paths along both corridors prior to residential occupancy.
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5) Additional road right of way is dedicated on Oregon Road and Hayes Road as shown in the plans prior to building occupancy. 6) A public access easement is recorded on all proposed multi-use paths along Oregon Road and Hayes prior to building occupancy.
The resolution also resolves landscape buffering after preliminary utility clearing impacted an additional 90 trees on the property.
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Trees have already been cleared on the site in preparation for utility work. During this time, Wilcox discovered an excess of 90 trees that would also be impacted by this work. They will be planting additional trees in all subareas to accommodate this loss of trees.
Because the developer's site landscape plan features 367 trees, council agreed to credit 171 street trees within the public right-of-way toward the municipal requirement of one tree per 500 square feet of residential ground-floor coverage, preventing excessive tree clustering on individual home lots.
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Due to the excess number of trees shown on the landscape plans, staff is recommending that the 171 street trees shown on the plans be credited towards the 1 tree per 500 sq. ft. of ground floor coverage for each home.
Finally, the approval requires Rockford Homes to cooperate in establishing a Tax Increment Financing district and a New Community Authority.
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7) The applicant cooperate in the establishment of a tax increment financing area as well as a New Community Authority with respect to the property, which shall provide a community development charge equal to not less than two mills as specified in Ordinance 24-034.
Council Work Session · Work Session · minutes
Supporting evidence (2)
The revised plan for the 36.2-acre site reduces the planned single-family home count from 118 lots down to 106.
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The revision itself is a reduction of 12 lots, going from 118 lots down to 106. The detail in the lower right-hand corner shows that the minimum lot size required by the development text is 52 feet wide. The single-family builder felt that 52 feet was somewhat limiting in terms of the pricing points they needed to achieve in order to provide wider homes, three-car garages, and different product styles. They are proposing to introduce primarily 62-foot-wide lots.
To ensure pedestrian connectivity between neighborhood sections, council required the developer to provide sidewalks on both sides of Reserve H, the connector road stub leading from Subarea A to Subarea B, matching the approved plans for the adjoining phase.
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One of the items in staff’s review concerns Reserve H, which is the road connector from Subarea B to Subarea A. Subarea B’s plans show a sidewalk on both sides of this private drive. This set of plans shows a sidewalk only on the east side. Staff is recommending that sidewalk connectivity be provided on both sides of the road, so the two phases align in the future.