The moratorium runs through Jan. 12, said Bryan Behrmann, the township’s director of planning and zoning.
“The moratorium is a very temporary pause so that the board can align the zoning with our vision,’’ said Todd Minniear, president of the board of trustees.
“It’s really a pause to then move faster for developers.”
The area affected by the moratorium is bounded by Cincinnati-Dayton Road on the west, Butler-Warren Road on the east, Kyles Station Road on the North and Princeton Road on the south, Behrman said.
Millikin Road runs through the middle of the affected area. A majority of the land is now zoned for agriculture or residential. The vision is to make the area the hub of the township’s income producing economic development, trustees say.
Planning and zoning consultant McBride Dale Clarion was hired earlier this year to review the township’s zoning in the area and help staff put together a plan for any needed changes.
“We want that area to be more industrial than other areas – advanced manufacturing – not so much what you think of as traditional manufacturing,’’ Behrmann said.
“That’s a new term that requires us to define the uses to be permitted. We’re looking at things more technical like data centers, research and development labs, pharmaceutical.”
A proposed draft plan could be ready in late September with the goal of finishing public hearings, revising the draft, and adopting a final plan by the end of the year, Behrmann said.
“We’re putting the brakes on (development) so we don’t get any potential conflicts as we get our arms around what we want to do,’’ said Trustee Steve Schramm.
That doesn’t mean that those developers or others who have an idea for development in that area have to wait until the moratorium is lifted in January, said Trustee Tom Farrell.
“If opportunities come to us, we can still address them. They can talk with us and staff as they would have to do anyhow,” Farrell said.
“We’re just telling them we are putting everything on hold until we get everything zoned to match our vision.’’
Trustees also have the option to temporarily lift the moratorium and then reimpose it, he said. Should the rezoning process finish before the moratorium ends, it would be lifted sooner, Behrmann said.
Construction on the $50 million interchange could begin in 2028 or 2029, depending on how quickly financing can be put together. The township has about $15 million in grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation and a state Strategic Community Investment grant obtained by Ohio Sen. George Lang.
The interchange, when completed, will feature a divergent diamond design like the one at the redesigned Interstate 75/Union Centre interchange.
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