A gravel parking lot is currently being used across the street from the Henmick LLC operation.
Gary Budzak | The Gazette
The Delaware County Regional Planning Commission (RPC) met on May 30, where it heard about Henmick LLC in Brown Township. The local craft brewer requested rezoning nearly 90 acres from Farm Residential to Planned Commercial and Office, and six divergences.
“Proposed uses include: event center (weddings, arts, fitness), banquet facility, short-term rental units (Inn), restaurant/bar (Tavern), food services, agricultural fields, a warehouse (storage barn/shed), brewery, vineyard, distillery, retail store (food, clothing, accessories) administrative offices, farmers market and a pedestrian cross-walk with flashing beacon that will connect the west parking lot to all commercial uses to the east,” meeting minutes said. “The overall development site is located on the east side of N. Old State Road, just north of State Route 521 in Brown Township. The site has been developed with a brewery and event center since approximately 2020 and has grown over time to include gravel parking across the street, children’s playground, small concerts/musical acts and a pop-up market. All land across the street, to the west of the brewery/event center that is not used for designated parking/overflow parking is active agricultural fields.”
The site is at 4380 N. Old State Road in the Buckeye Valley School District.
The staff review said, “The proposal does not comply with the (2019 Brown Comprehensive) Plan’s recommendations for location and extent of commercial zoning.” Issues include traffic and access, drainage (to Alum Creek), signage, open space, lighting and sanitary treatment. Denial was recommended.
“If the request is supported by the Township, the applicant should consider only rezoning the area on the east side of N. Old State as well as the related parking area on the west side of the road (approximately 12.5 acres),” said the staff recommendations. “If the applicant and Township want that area maintained as agricultural land, it is likely better that it remain as it is currently zoned or preserved by utilizing another conservation tool. Landscaping within the plan still needs to be addressed as noted within the Divergence section of the report.”
Much discussion followed, and the majority of the RPC voted for denial of the rezoning “based on staff recommendations and inconsistency of the comprehensive plan.”
There was consent on three final plats in Berlin Township — section 2 of Berlin Farm West by M/I Homes (55 lots on 18.4 acres north of Berlin Station and west of Roloson-Piatt roads), sections 1 and 2 of Berlin Bluffs by Pulte Homes (49 lots on 36.3 acres, and 29 lots on 16.8 acres north side of Cheshire and east of Piatt roads) — and section 10 of Liberty Grand District in Liberty Township by M/I Homes (38 lots on 13.4 acres east of Steitz Road). All of these are in the Olentangy School District and use Del-Co Water and central sanitary sewer utilities.
Other rezonings were for a 6.4-acre property in Harlem Township (Agricultural Residential to Farm Residential); BJ Builder LLC, 20 acres in Liberty (Farm Residential to Planned Residential District); and Dublinbyconcord Ltd., 94.2 acres in Concord Township (Farm Residential to Planned Residential District). The RPC also heard about a subdivision project in Berlin, the 350-lot on 183-acre Parkside at Evans Farm (Rockford Homes, south side of Hollenback Road, west of S. Old State Road).
The RPC approved all but the Liberty rezoning.
RPC-managed projects currently underway are comprehensive plans for Berkshire and Liberty townships and Shawnee Hills; as well as zoning resolutions for Berlin and Harlem. They are also working with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission on a Delaware City Safety Action Plan for presentation in June. In other business they “Started discussion of possible County-wide Master Plan update,” minutes said. “This could be a general focus on corridors that acknowledge existing individual plans. Will discuss further at the next Executive Committee meeting.”
Lastly, the RPC recognized the recent passing of Marvin Miller, who served as the representative for Porter Township from 1991-2011.
The commission’s Technical Review Committee met on May 21 regarding the Parkside at Evans Farm subdivision, 350 lots on 183 acres in Berlin Township. The TRC members includes the DCRPC, and representatives from the county Engineer, Map Department, Sanitary Engineer, Health District, Building Safety, Soil and Water Conservation District, the respective township zoning officer and fire chief, Ohio Department of Transportation (if within 300’ of centerline or 500’ of intersection of state highway), utility companies, respective school district representatives.
The Delaware County Regional Planning Commission typically meets at 6 p.m. in the Byxbe Campus Conference Room, 1610 State Route 521, Delaware. The executive director is Scott B. Sanders.
For more information, visit www.dcrpc.org (website).
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak covers the eastern half of Delaware County and surrounding areas. He may be reached at [email protected].
