The cover of Berlin Township’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Courtesy | Berlin Twp.
The cover of the most recent version of Berlin Township’s Zoning Resolution.
Courtesy | Berlin Twp.
Berlin Township’s Zoning Commission (BZC) will begin amending its zoning resolution this week.
A “motion to initiate and start the process to amend” the resolution is on the agenda of the BZC meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 in the Zoning Office, 3271 Cheshire Road, Delaware. The resolution that is available for residents to view was drafted Dec. 11, 2023, and is color-coded. The original resolution’s black text is augmented by red added text, brown marked through deleted text, and green text for comments and questions.
“This document is formatted and managed by the staff of the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission (DCRPC), under the direction of Berlin Township,” it was noted.
After a cursory reading of the 392-page document, what stands out is that the township has 17 different zoning districts (page 41), including the Berlin Commercial Overlay (page 140), the Old Cheshire Planned Unit Development District (page 213) and the Berlin Industrial Overlay (page 226).
Similarly, the Berlin Township Board of Trustees invited “residents to review the 2023 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and map” at the Zoning Office last Sept. 25. “We encourage residents’ input on the revised plan,” said an announcement on the township website.
The BZC went over the CLUP leading up to that time, such as on July 11.
Like the zoning resolution, the land use plan was put together with the help of the DCRPC on Aug. 7, 2023. The colorfully illustrated 88-page document includes chapters on the township history, demographics, development patterns, natural resources, housing, economics, roads, utilities, facilities, and open spaces. It concludes with goals, objectives, recommendations and implementation.
“This plan is intended to be accompanied by the Delaware County Comprehensive Land Use Background Information,” said a note at the start of the CLUP. “That document provides additional county-wide data related to all the items listed above and is updated regularly as information becomes available. Should there be conflicts between the two documents, this document shall prevail.”
Also at the upcoming Jan. 23 meeting, the BZC will also consider a preliminary development plan to rezone parcels at 560 Peachblow Road, Lewis Center, known as the Oak Park subdivision. If you are unable to attend, video is available.
The BZC consists of Chair Darcy Kaplan, Angela Brown, Keith Goshia, Jenny Sloas and alternates Jasper DeChristopher and Tara Shields. The zoning officer is Jacob Bon, the zoning secretary is Cathy Rippel, and the zoning clerk is Lisa Knapp. Berlin’s Board of Zoning Appeals is Chair Don Sutton, Jason Acevedo, Brad Cook, Michelle Cook, Larry Harmon, and alternates Quinn Machan and Jessica Kuenzli. Berlin’s trustees are Ron Bullard, Meghan Raehll and Ken O’Brien; the Township Fiscal Officer is Claudia Smith.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak covers the eastern half of Delaware County and surrounding areas. He may be reached at [email protected].
