The Jerome Township Trustees will wait until the new year to decide the fate of a second proposed Innovation District amid confusion surrounding its function and purpose, and questions about the transparency of the process. Many of the residents who spoke during a special meeting Wednesday night urged the board to continue the public hearing and give them more time to consider the details of Innovation II Planned Development District (I2PD). “For some of us who do have skin in the game, it is, unfortunately, kind of soon,” said Industrial Parkway resident Carl Seiley. A number of residents said they…
Author: Kayleen Petrovia
Local public health officials and employees are working to ensure there are as few barriers as possible for every Union County resident to live a healthy life. During the most recent Board of Health meeting, Union County Health Department officials detailed their approach to helping community members achieve good health. UCHD Public Information Officer Jennifer Thrush emphasized that the health department does not aim to “force” residents into making what they would consider healthy decisions. Instead, UCHD staff work to empower people and ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to take action if they so desire. For example, Thrush said…
Jerome Township officials unveiled a new logo after years of working on a rebranding initiative. Trustee Megan Sloat, who spearheaded the project, said she feels the result is an image that embodies the past, present and future of Jerome Township. “It’s a good way to preserve the past but at the same time giving it a modern twist,” she said. The new logo updates the previous graphic of the entire Soldier’s Monument by zooming in on just the face of the soldier. Sloat said it was important to keep the focus of the logo the iconic monument, located…
We’re in the thick of the holiday season, but for my family, December is full of celebrations from the jump. We have four birthdays by the ninth (two of which are on the same day) and shortly after, we have the biggest December holiday aside from Christmas: Cookie Day. The annual Petrovia Family Cookie Day falls on the same Saturday of December as the Army-Navy football game. Cookie Day is quite a production, when many of the women in my family gather at my aunt’s house to bake dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies for our friends, churches and coworkers.…
Jerome Township officials approved a rezoning along Currier Road that will allow for the development of more than 700 homes for older adults. In a 2-0 vote, the trustees approved an application from Pulte Homes to rezone 356 acres on the east side of Currier Road, south of U.S. 42, from Rural Residential (RU) District to Planned Development (PD) District. Trustee Barry Adler, an adjacent property owner, recused himself from the hearing. On that land, Pulte plans to construct a 712-home, master planned neighborhood restricted to residents who are 55 years or older. The community will include one existing single-family…
Triad officials are hoping to receive a $2.5-million grant that would allow them to add an expansion to the high school that renovates the ag lab and adds an allied healthcare lab and IT lab to teach classes in those career pathways. The addition, highlighted by the gray square with arrows pointing toward it, would be adjacent to the high school loading dock. (Graphic submitted) — Triad officials are hopeful a grant opportunity will lead to more of its students graduating with career certificates and prepared to enter the workforce. The district applied for $2.5 million in funding through the…
Residents will have the opportunity to share their opinions on a proposed, second innovation district in Jerome Township. The trustees will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Dec. 27 regarding a zoning amendment that would establish the Innovation II Planned Development District zoning overlay, encompassing approximately 1,275 acres between Industrial Parkway and U.S. 33. The public hearing date was approved in a 2-1 vote, with Trustee Barry Adler dissenting. Adler motioned to hold the public hearing on Jan. 2, 2024, instead, saying that he felt residents should have more time to review the proposal given the upcoming holidays. The…
Jerome Township officials are considering whether to approve the rezoning of 356 acres east of Currier Road and south of U.S. 42, illustrated above, from Rural Residential District to Planned Development District. If approved, developers intend to create a 712-home community for empty nesters called Del-Webb. (Graphic submitted) — Jerome Township officials will soon decide whether more than 350 acres along Currier Road become an empty nester community. On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees held a public hearing regarding the rezoning of 356 acres east of Currier Road and south of U.S. 42 from Rural Residential District (RU) to Planned…
Plain City Mayor Jody Carney and Pleasant Valley Fire District Chief Mark Kidd took a moment to honor Council member John Rucker, whose term will expire at the end of this year after eight years on council. Kidd, at left, said he is thankful for Rucker’s leadership on the fire board, especially during a period of change. He said he brought a level of knowledge and experience that often led other members to seek his opinions. Similarly, Carney said Rucker was seen as “the person you looked to for guidance” when she joined council in 2018. She said he has…
Images from the proposed Uptown Design Guide, which includes examples of acceptable designs, are pictured above. (Graphic submitted) — As Plain City officials continue to consider how changes to the Uptown will be governed, they are hoping for more civil discussion. “We created a product to just be presented and discussed,” Village Administrator Haley Lupton said during council’s work session. “Dissent is always welcome, but minimizing efforts, intentions, values of staff is not.” In November, council voted to table the first reading of a proposed ordinance that would delete Chapter 1327, which establishes and governs the Uptown Plain City Historic…
Plain City officials are once again considering changes to the village’s noise ordinance, this time proposing adding decibel levels. Council President James Sintz explained during a work session Wednesday that, after hearing that police officers were struggling with the subjectivity of the existing noise ordinance, staff worked with legal counsel to create a proposed decibel-based ordinance. The village’s current ordinance uses the “reasonable person standard,” which prohibits noise that is “plainly audible and likely to cause inconvenience or annoyance to persons of ordinary sensibilities” after 9 p.m. on weekdays and after 11 p.m. on weekends. Village Administrator Haley Lupton said…
As Jerome Township officials work toward an update of their comprehensive plan, they are also working to ensure it stays up-to-date in the future. “It really is kind of a fluid thing,” Trustee Megan Sloat said. Earlier this year, the township contracted with consulting firm MKSK to lead an update of the comprehensive plan, which details the vision for the future of the township, including land use. It is separate from the zoning code. The township’s current comprehensive plan was adopted in 2008. Township Administrator Brandon Standley said he has been asked by several residents if Jerome should implement a…
Developers recently shared a conceptual site plan for a three-story, mixed-use apartment building to be constructed on Alcott Drive and U.S. 42. The development, illustrated above, would have storefronts on the first floor and apartment units on the second and third floors. (Graphic submitted) — Plain City officials got a first look at a new apartment complex developers hope to build on the corner of Alcott Drive and U.S. 42. David Blair, with Shremshock Architects, spoke to council on behalf of Mekter Group, which plans to create a three-story, 20-unit apartment building including mixed-use and retail space on the first…
As the Union County Health Department plans its budget for the future, officials are working to balance the increasing needs of a growing community with staffing and programming levels it can currently maintain. “Right now, we’re at the limit of what we can reasonably take on,” said Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena. The Board unanimously approved its 2024 budget during a special meeting this week, including $6,913,074 in appropriations – a 0.84% decrease from 2023. The vast majority of UCHD’s expenses are dedicated to personnel costs, with approximately 46% toward salaries and 22% for benefits. Operational costs comprise 28%…
There are plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday season in Plain City, highlighted by the annual Route 42 Holiday Hop and Christmas Under the Clock celebrations on Saturday. The day begins with the Holiday Hop from 9 a.m. to noon, when a variety of local businesses will offer special holiday discounts, giveaways and activities. Santa will spend the morning at Ace Hardware with donuts, coffee and hot chocolate. Christmas Under the Clock will be held from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, featuring pictures with Santa, live music performances, food trucks, carriage rides and live reindeer. Those in attendance can also get…