The proposed changes touch on everything from the board of zoning appeals, site-plan reviews, planned-unit developments, mixed-use zones regulations and residential uses to community and essential service uses, commercial business and service uses, professional and personal service uses, industrial manufacturing, research and supply services, and access management.
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The vote came after a second debate between the commissioners, a resident and lawyers for the county and for 26 residents on Robinson-Vail Road in Franklin Twp. who are trying to block completion of a wedding center already under construction on their road.
The project was approved under rules enabling conditional use of property otherwise zoned for development for single- or multi-family homes for commercial purposes.
“Our zoning code allows these uses,” Assistant County Prosecutor Bruce McGary said. “If you don’t want that next to you, you can buy that property or not.”
Commissioner Shannon Jones said the proposed changes were “just providing clarity” to the county zoning code, not directly related to the Robinson-Vail dispute.
“That’s why we’re in court, to find out who’s right and who’s wrong,” lawyer John Phillips said.
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Phillips said “my people are lining up” for a petition drive to force a November referendum on the zoning code changes.
The lawyers then went across Justice Drive to the common pleas court building where they met privately with Judge Donald Oda II over an appeal to county’s approval of the 11,000-square-foot wedding center on Robinson-Vail.
A ruling is expected on the case in Oda’s court within six weeks.
The residents also filed a lawsuit directly in the 12th District Court of Appeals in Middletown, challenging Oda’s decision not to stop construction on the wedding center while the appeal was pending.
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