The buyer wanted B-2 zoning because it is the least restrictive with a whole host of uses like gas stations, discount retailers and sexually oriented businesses, with conditions. A “planned unit development” classification allows the township to pick what uses are permitted on a specific property.
After an executive session Tuesday night, the trustees took pursuit of the B-2 zoning “off the table” and asked staff to initiate a B-PUD zoning map amendment, with some uses nearby residents said were more acceptable, according to Trustee Board President Tom Farrell.
“It allows us to throw way traditional zoning and list approved usages for that area,” Farrell said. “Only those usages are allowed and if any other future buyer wants to do any other use, they have to go back in front of the zoning to do so.”
The buyer is Conexus Technologies and according to its website the company is a small, global provider of cabling and connectivity products and professional services. Company officials have not returned phone calls, but Farrell said they are amenable to the PUD and plan to use the site to relocate their business.
Several residents voiced concerns to the township zoning commission and contacted the trustees directly, wanting to prevent the zone change because there are many uses in the more liberal zoning classification they don’t believe fit the character of the historical, rural area. They were more concerned about who Conexus might eventually sell to than this particular buyer.
Robin Reese lives across the street with her daughter Rianna and they led the charge on the issue. She said they “appreciate that Liberty Township’s trustees listened to us and at least worked with us on this.”
But there are still concerns.
“We just don’t want to see that rural flavor and the historic aspect of the community go away,” Reese told the Journal-News. “The historic piece is very important, light pollution is important, heavy traffic issues are important. I wouldn’t say it’s a 100% win, a real win would be residential.”
The township was asking $495,000 and received four offers ranging from $350,000 to $515,000. Farrell said none of the offers were for residential use because the zoning was commercial and “we have very limited commercial space in the township and we’re not very eager to rezone commercial property to residential.”
Trustee Christine Matacic said she can’t discuss how she might ultimately vote an the pending zone change, but “whenever we’ve done business PUDs or R-PUDs I think that has given the township the ability to take a look at controlling the future to some degree.”
Farrell said it will take about two months for the new zoning process because the trustees must pass a resolution on the final PUD stipulations, then it goes to the county for approval and back to the zoning commission.
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