Sue Kiesewetter reports:
The owner of West Chester Lawn and Garden will have to wait another month to get a decision on a zone change and overall plan for his property, located in Liberty Township.
Owner Dale Magie had asked the zoning be changed from business to business planned unit development for his four-acre property at 7267 Yankee Road. The property also lies in the Cincinnati-Dayton Road overlay district.
But it wasn’t until the public hearing – after the township’s zoning and the Butler County planning commissions – that Magie asked for a change to the sidewalk width and for relief on sign requirements.
“I don’t like this coming at us with loose ends. Why wasn’t this brought up at the zoning commission?’’ said Trustee Pat Hiltman. “We ask a lot of our volunteers (on the zoning commission.) I think they deserve the opportunity to look at this again and report back.”
Trustees have final approval on zoning changes but receive recommendations from both the county and township zoning commissions. Both approved the change, with conditions, before the sidewalk width and sign issues were brought up.
In the plan for the property, the owner proposes to add a 12-foot by 30-foot concrete pad that could be seen from nearby Ohio 129 to display tractors.
It also calls for a 75-foot long storage area for mulch or other bulk materials. It would be screened by a six-foot high wall.
Staff members recommended in favor of the project with some condition, including installation of a sidewalk along Yankee Road within five years, sooner if the building is expanded.
It also recommended that if signs are replaced, new ones would have to conform with existing code.
The staff also recommended that the business be limited to 12 annual temporary events on the property, each running no longer than Thursday to Sunday.
For only three events displays, tents and product could be left in the open during the duration of the event. Materials would have to be brought in each evening for the other nine.
Magie is in the process of renaming the business. The existing signs were installed before the current code was adopted and do not meet current standards.
Liberty Township trustees sent the project back to the zoning commission for reconsideration of issues related to the sidewalk and signs. It will be reviewed Sept. 10.