The Berlin Township Zoning Commission (BZC) said its March 26 meeting was cancelled. “Most of the commission members will be out of town for Spring Break and we will not have a quorum,” said the township website.
• A request for a preliminary development plan approval by Peachblow Road Ltd. took place on April 9. The subdivision, called Oak Park, would be at 560 Peachblow Road, Lewis Center. The applicant wished to rezone 92.5 acres of Farm Residential District to Transitional Planned Unit Development and Planned Commercial District.
After questions from the commission and public comments, the hearing was tabled to April 23. It was noted that there were many candidates for the township’s administrator position.
• The Oak Park hearing reconvened April 23, with Faris Planning and Design, attorney Mike R. Shade, and Advanced Civil Design present. A PowerPoint was presented, and the revised applications were reviewed. One BZC member said they “understood not exceeding the number of units approved, but for the developer to be able to shift them after the preliminary development plan has been approved is unnerving. The plan should be developed as approved.”
Despite this, two of the three applications were approved, and one was withdrawn by the applicant. One member explained their reasoning for approval, by saying they were “still apprehensive about the unit spacing and the size of the units. However, this plan and the product they are putting together is unique and is one of the better plans he has seen. Berlin Township has asked for a town center, and this has a roundabout with the oak tree, the community park, the commercial space, the living space, and the walkability. This is the first application anybody has brought to them that has the township center concept feel… the recreational center, the oak tree conservation area, the community park and commercial space with living space above it has a real community feel. He also appreciates the number of amendments to the applicant and the applicant’s willingness to negotiate with the applicant, including reducing the number of units, working on the heights, the open spaces, the walkability, the bridge, the dog park, the architecture, etc. This development will add some diversity to the township and is much more amenable to the residents.”
• A public hearing was held on May 14 for M/I Homes of Central Ohio, requesting a final development plan approval for Berlin Farm West (formerly Longhill) phases 3-6, 8, 10 and 12, 136.1 acres on Berlin Station Road. The applicant said they would construct a portion of Roloson/Piatt roads. Public comment noted a portion of the development “was always a swamp.”
The application was approved 3-1 by the BZC.
• There was a hearing on May 29 for rezoning 12.4 acres from Farm Residential District to Planned Commercial District at Foor Concrete, 5361 State Route 37 E., Delaware. The gymnastics operation would be moved out of the shop further north on the property. This “is simply reorganizing uses that were approved in 2003 and 2011,” with no “increase in sewer or water use, or in traffic,” the minutes said. BZC unanimously approved the rezoning.
• A hearing was held for Buckeye Swim Club, 1895 Peachblow Road, Lewis Center, on June 11. “The applicant is 25 requesting for a modification to an approved preliminary development plan to increase 26 building heights and minor reconfiguration of building layout to accommodate 27 mechanicals of the two pools within the Buckeye Swim Club building,” the notice said.
The modification would be to allow the facility to accommodate Olentangy Local Schools’ four high school swim teams and a second building for basketball and volleyball. Four neighboring residents spoke against the applicant. The resolution failed by a 3-2 vote.
Another request was for a sporting goods/bike store and tavern at 5175 Cheshire Road, Galena. This was tabled to June 25.
“In the Village of Cheshire, many improvements have been made,” it was said in the minutes. “Five semis have been removed, the two tractors are being moved regularly, and other improvements are being made.”
• The bike store application was heard again on June 25. It was said there were three other bike shops in the area that had closed, and the BZC unanimously approved the application.
There was a discussion on landscaping, and it was said that Berlin’s Architectural Review Board was in charge of that. It was also noted that there had more than 200 zoning applications in the township to date in 2024, but nothing new on the business park.
• The BZC meetings for July 9 and Aug. 13 were cancelled.
• Levi Koehler was introduced as the new Zoning Inspector at the BZC’s July 23 meeting.
• The topic of the Aug. 27 BZC meeting is a preliminary development rezoning plan for Seven Hills of Berlin LLC at 2338 Cheshire Road, Delaware. The 61-acre parcel is currently used as farmland, and the proposed plan are a single-family residential development with associated amenities.
Berlin’s Zoning Commission consists of Chair Darcy Kaplan, Vice Chair Angela Brown, Jasper DeChristopher, Tara Shields, Jenny Sloas and alternates Richard “Ray” Armstrong and Keith Goshia. Also present are Zoning Secretary Cathy Rippel and Zoning Clerk Lisa Knapp.
Assistant Editor Gary Budzak photographs and reports on stories in eastern Delaware County and surrounding areas. He can be reached at 740-413-0906.
