The Jerome Township Board of Trustees and Zoning Commission recently came together to ensure their priorities align.
The two groups held a joint meeting Monday to discuss their roles and what they hope to achieve in the coming year.
Trustee Chair Megan Sloat said she hopes to continue the collaboration and work that has been accomplished over the past several years.
“Like I said, we’ve come a long, long way in just a couple of years,” she said.
The group ultimately decided to focus on three zoning resolution updates in 2022: those revolving around signs and signage, planned developments and landscape and buffering requirements.
Sloat noted that the first two have been previously discussed between the Board of Trustees and Zoning Commission.
For that reason, Zoning Inspector Eric Snowden said he is already “maybe 75% of the way there” with a draft of the chapter surrounding signs and signage.
He noted that there were several “fundamental” issues with this portion of the zoning resolution.
First, he said most suburban zoning codes, which he said Jerome Township is considered, allow for one wall sign and one ground sign. However, Jerome Township’s code only allows for one or the other.
“All that does is encourage folks to apply for a variance every single time,” Snowden said.
Additionally, he said the township’s code prohibits banner signs of any kind.
Snowden said he feels “we would have an easier time with enforcement” if banners were permitted under specific circumstances for limited periods of time, as they are intended to be temporary anyways.
He said he is hopeful he can bring a draft of the proposed revisions before the Zoning Commission within the “the next month or so.”
Snowden explained that there are also a number of issues with Chapter 500 of the zoning code, which lays out the process for planned developments.
Updates and changes in this area should be a high priority, he said, because much of the zoning work in Jerome Township currently revolves around planned developments.
To begin with, he said terminology used throughout the section is inconsistent and can be “confusing.”
Likewise, he said requirements for density should be more “succinct.”
Snowden said the entire section is likely too long and needs clarification throughout.
“There’s a lot to review for every PD and it’s not necessarily useful,” he said.
He specifically noted that sections for lighting, open space and traffic study requirements need to be “touched up.”
Additionally, he said zoning staff is working toward a standardized regulation text that each planned development will abide by. Currently, every development generates its own, which can lead to difficulty with enforcement.
Beyond the zoning text itself, Snowden recommended a change to the way planned developments are approved.
He noted that the process for rezoning land is mandated by the Ohio Revised Code. However, “there are several different ways” development plans can be reviewed.
Snowden suggested changing the township’s policy to give the Zoning Commission the “final say” for development plans.
Currently, he said the process requires plans to go through the Zoning Commission for a recommendation before going before the Board of Trustees for a final vote. He said that can result in long delays for seemingly simple plans.
For instance, he said Costco recently submitted a plan to alter its parking lot to add more Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible parking. Rather than a quick approval, Snowden said it was a months-long process that went before two township boards.
He said he feels switching the process “could be a benefit to staff and residents.”
“It sometimes becomes necessary to delegate that to another body,” Snowden said.
He noted that the Jerome Township Innovation District zoning overlay is already designed so Zoning Commission members will render decisions for plans in that area.
The trustees did not offer an opinion on Snowden’s recommendation, but suggested it will be discussed further in the future.
The last section prioritized by the group – that which governs landscape and buffering – was initially suggested by Trustee Barry Adler.
He said he would like to see the regulations become “more standardized between districts” with “better buffering” between Rural Residential Districts and other zoning districts.
Snowden said that the township’s regulations are already quite restrictive, in his opinion.
“We have some of the most stringent requirements I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Snowden explained that the township did not have landscape and buffering requirements until 2015. For that reason, he said only newer buildings actually meet the current zoning resolution.
“There’s very little in our township that reflects the way the code is written, even now,” he said.
Still, Adler said he feels the code should be further refined.
Snowden noted that areas Adler sees as potentially problematic may be rooted in enforcement rather than the zoning resolution.
“The solution to bad enforcement is good enforcement, not more complicated regulations,” he said.
The group agreed to work toward approving updates for each of the sections discussed, in the next year. Sloat emphasized that the township is currently undergoing a comprehensive plan rewrite, which will be a time-consuming endeavor on its own.
The Board of Trustees and Zoning Commission agreed to schedule a “touch base” meeting in approximately six months to discuss their progress.