'A proactive measure': Granville Township proposes zoning district to shape future growth
With development pressure continuing to build in Licking County, Granville Township is taking steps to ensure that possible future development matches the area's existing character.
The Granville Township Zoning Commission held a hearing Monday night about the township's proposed overlay zoning district, which would create stricter zoning regulations than the regular zoning code within defined areas of the township.
Molly Ridge, a planner with the firm Crossroads Community Planning that drafted the overlay district code, said an district is one of the ways to protect Granville Township as Licking County faces development pressure as a result of Intel building semiconductor factories south of Johnstown.
"This is a proactive measure to deal with that development and allow it to happen only in targeted areas and in ways that are best for the township's interest versus having a developer come in and just kind of build whatever they want, like they have maybe in other areas of central Ohio," she said.
The overlay district includes properties along River Road and Weaver Drive, Raccoon Valley Golf Course and properties along Columbus Road (Ohio 16).
The overlay district would not replace a property's existing zoning but instead would give landowners another option if they choose to develop their land. Meaning, property owners would have three options: Leave their property as it's currently zoned, apply for rezoning like any other property owner or opt into the overlay district whenever they are ready to develop.
If the overlay district were to be approved, the zoning does not automatically change. It would only change if a property owners opt to use the overlay district zoning, Ridge said.
The proposed overlay district, which has received conditional approval from the Licking County Planning Commission, can be viewed on the township's website.
The draft overlay district specifically outlines the permitted and prohibited uses in the subareas of the district.
Some of the permitted uses include:
Subarea A1, which includes properties along River Road and Weaver Drive, allows for retail, small food and beverage businesses, parks, salons, barber shops, small businesses and more.
Subarea A2, which includes the former gas station on Columbus Road, allows for retail, small food and beverage businesses, drive-thrus, salons, barber shops and more.
Subarea A3, which includes properties along Columbus Road, allows for retail, small food and beverage businesses, automobile-oriented uses and more.
Subarea B, which includes the Owens-Corning Science and Technology Center and properties on the south side of Columbus Road, allows for advanced manufacturing, healthcare facilities, commercial recreational facilities and more.
Subarea C, which covers Raccoon Valley Golf Course, allows for golf courses and country clubs, agritourism and commercial recreation facilities.
The draft language also includes stricter setbacks and buffering requirements for properties within the overlay. For example, Subarea B requires a 200-foot woodland buffer, which would include grass, shrubs and trees, on Columbus Road and Ohio 37. Other roads in Subarea B would require a 100-foot prairie buffer, which would include grass and shrubs, Ridge said.
The overlay district draft also includes 25 pages of design and aesthetic standards about lighting, open space, landscaping, parking lots, setbacks, buffer, signage and more to ensure any development matches the existing look and feel of the Granville community.
The overlay district goes along with the a joint economic development district, or JEDD, that the township and Village of Granville are finalizing. The JEDD includes the same properties as the overlay district.
JEDDs are an economic development tool that allow townships to partner with a municipality to collect income tax on commercial properties within a defined area. In this case, Granville Township is partnering with the village, and businesses in the area would be subject to the village's 1.5% income tax rate. Township residential properties are not impacted by the income tax.
The staff at Crossroads Community Planning drafted the overlay district after multiple meetings over the past few months with members of a township overlay committee.
But the handful of residents who spoke during the meeting didn't support the overlay. Luke Freshwater, who lives on Silver Street, said his family recently moved to the area. As a father of five young children, he wants to raise his kids to love and appreciate rural communities and it's disappointing that farms near him could become developed into businesses.
"I really hope that we can maybe turn this into a green space or at least protect this farmland … so that my kids can grow up next to something special versus just a business," he said.
Ronda Saunders, a longtime township resident, said she was concerned that data centers were included on the list of permitted uses for Subarea B. Given that data centers are a large consumer of water, she wanted them removed from the permitted uses.
Once the hearing was over, the commission members discussed their thoughts and resident concerns about the overlay. Among the five members, there was agreement to remove data centers from permitted uses. But they did not take any action to do so.
Susan Walker, chair of the zoning commission, said that can be done at the commission's next meeting at 7 p.m. March 18, when the commission will make any other changes to the proposed overlay.
Once the zoning commission votes on the proposed overlay district, it then goes to the township trustees for a final vote.
mdevito@gannett.com
740-607-2175
Twitter: @MariaDeVito13
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Township proposes zoning district to shape future growth
