Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Zoning and such

This should probably be a new thread but since we're discussing zoning and such here I thought I'd ask.

What is the zoning for the development at the corner of Refugee and Milnor? I know it's in the township but it seems those lots are just your typical 9600 sq ft lots. I heard it was 2 homes/acre but I also remember reading a while back that 75 acres was still being farmed. Did those 75 acres count towards the 2/acre? What will happen when those acres aren't farmed any more - zoning variance that changes the makeup of the lots/acres?

Also if you can give me the history of Sycamore Creek I'd appreciate it because I've heard conflicting stories about that also. Zoned township/annexed into the city, etc.

Thanks.


By Oz

answer

The land at Refugee and Milnor is a combination of R-1 and R-2. In the Northern part of the Township, most of the farm land is zoned R-2 and if a parcel has a dwelling on it (rural lot) it is zoned R-1. They did this blanket residential zoning back in the 1970's when it was ''Land use What?'' in the trustees mind at the time. Since that time any development proposal that does not meet a residential single family home criteria of the lot sizes for R-1 and R-2 of the current blanket zoning must go to the zoning board in a zoning hearing and then to the trustees for a vote. There is no way around this in th Township,such as what the city did on thousands of acres of land since 1999, they rezoned during the annexation proceedures by emergency vote, before any public hearing was held on the change in use of the land. In the Township at least two public hearings will be held and the adjacent property owners notified of the change and it is advertised in LOCAL newspapers before the hearing. This process is good as the citizens have an opportunity to voice their opinion, it can be drug out forever though with some developers asking for endless ''contiuations'' fo the hearings in order to buy time to wear the public out, or negotiate with the public. Most good faith developers negotiate and try to reach a plan that is palatable with the neighbors, it can be difficult and ultimately the citizens can take it to referndum if the trustees approve it and they do not like it as the trustees have no emergency powers to circumvent referendums.

Sycamore Creek was rezoned in Violet Township in 1996. The city annexed it shortly thereafter and it did develop as the Township plan was set. It is the single most dense development rezoned in the Township allowing 3.0 homes per acre. The land was right next to the city and the developers threatened to go to the city unless they got their high density. So the township caved trying to keep it in Violet..... and it went to the city anyhow with major utility service issues between Canal Winchester and Pickerington. The trustees probably felt they would not annex to the city but they were wrong as these developers have proven that they will go where the handouts and incentives are regardless of their good faith promises.

Here is an older zoning review we compliled on Township zoning

Winding Creek (Milnor North of Refugee) 1.77
(Hiser)

Barron?’s Ridge (Countrywood, newer section) (Hiser) 1.78


Summerfield 15 (Donley) East of Harmon Rd. 1.8
North of Refugee

**Summerfield 16 (Donley) Adjacent to 1.92**
Summerfield 15 off SR 204

**Citizens fought this rezoning and threatened referendum on the rezoning vote,
Donley withdrew the application after the zoning board approved the rezoning but before the Trustees voted on the rezoning. Donley stated to the press that they did not want to do anything the citizens would not support. Donley withdrew from contract on the property. The Edwards Land Company (Glenshire) closed on the property and it is known as Ashley Creek.
Ashley Creek (Edwards Land Co) (F.A. Kohler) 1.675

Spring Creek, (Halta Project), South of Refugee, 2.0 (single family portion only)
East of Milnor, across from proposed Wellington Park

Sycamore Creek (Now in the City of Pickerington) 3.0

zoning chart continued

Woodstream (the Wayne Smith farm) 1.96
(Edwards Land Company)
2000*Property is in rezoning once again to allow 25 additional empty nester single family homes on 70?’ lots. The empty nester section will exist as a gated community, with lawncare and maintenance included, at the front portion of the property. A citizens Committee recently negotiated with the developer to allow this empty nester portion as the only change to this
development. He originally wanted to make most all lots 70?’ wide from the original 90?’ to 100?’ lots. His justification was that the Sycamore Creek project, across the street, was more dense and that Pickerington would allow him more density if he annexed instead of developing in the township. A citizen committe convinced him that it was in his best interest to remain in the township and lessen the impact on the schools with a lower density figure than his proposed plan and in return we would support increased density in the empty nester portion alone since it would lessen the impact on the schools and yet provide him with a bigger return on the land. We also stated that the empty nester portion of the development would attract more local residents if it did not have City of Pickerigton taxes to pay. The final hearing is rescheduled for June 21st at 7:30 p.m. at the Township Hall ?…7/12/00 update, rezoning passed at the final hearing.

2004 Woodstream density is 2.15 per acre

Glenshire (Edwards Land Co) 1.66

Mallard Pond (Dominion) 1.89
Across from Melrose
North Side of Refugee Rd
Donated 15 acres to Pickerington Local Schools, location of Harmon Middle School

Meadowmoore 1.78 per acre