Planning Includes Coordination of Proposed Roads 

As development occurs, the RPC regularly seeks connections between projects. This becomes particularly important in commercial development along controlled-access highways. Appropriate access management is critical to maintaining traffic flow. Conceptual alignments often are placed on Comprehensive Plan maps and roads can be stubbed to adjacent undeveloped parcels, but the most effective way to achieve an alignment that meets county and state goals and benefits the largest number of affected properties is to pull everyone together and come to a level of consensus. That's what Berlin Township has been doing in the area east of U.S. 23 between Peachblow and Shanahan Roads. The township and RPC have been working with more than ten property owners plus developers, engineers, and representatives from ODOT and the County Engineer's Office to establish an alignment. Once the alignment is set, RPC staff will look for right-of-way dedication during subdivisions and, where feasible, construction. A preliminary alignment is located on this page. The Berlin Township Trustees plan to pass a resolution to seek engineering assistance from the County Engineer. 

POSTED 3/6/2006

UPDATE Delaware County Sewer Master Plan Preliminary Report

The Delaware County Commissioners are planning for future sewer service within the county. A team of county staff from the Sanitary Engineer’s office, Delaware County Regional Planning and the Delaware General Health District compiled a preliminary report to determine current sewer service needs, and to map out recommended new sewer service areas.

The team reviewed population projections, current development patterns, adopted land use plans and local zoning and then met with local officials to create a future density map. Surface water sampling was performed in non-sewered older neighborhoods to test for potential surface water pollution. 

A series of maps was created, including a Revised Density Map and a Future Sewer Service Map. Four potential sewer service areas are planned. By using in-house staff to prepare the preliminary report it is estimated the County Commissioners saved $250,000 and six months of consultant’s time. It links sewer planning to land use plans already in place. 

Complete copies of the Delaware County Sewer Master Plan Preliminary Report can be downloaded HERE (73MB file). Printed copies and CDs can be produced by the DCRPC office. 

POSTED 2/18/2005

Conservation Design Takes Hold in Delaware County (DCRPC Article in OPC's Planning News)  

For several years, the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission staff has advocated Conservation Subdivisions, where 50% of the land is preserved as open space, as an alternative to conventional subdivisions. Using Randall Arendt’s concepts (Conservation Design for Subdivisions, Island Press), primary conservation areas (steep slopes over 20%, wetlands, watercourses, intermittent streams and floodplains) are preserved. These areas typically are subtracted from the density calculation, resulting in a “net” density and preventing developers from receiving a bonus in the number of lots for land that couldn’t otherwise be developed. Additional standards include provisions that at least 85% of lots abut open space and tree lines and scenic views be preserved. 

Depending on local choice, densities range between .5-.6 du/ac without sewer and .75-1.25 du/ac with sewer. RPC staff worked with the Health Department to allow secondary leach beds to be located in open space.

What is the developer’s incentive for doing a CSD? Our model code uses ORC 519.021(C) to “float the cloud” over certain areas of the township, making the CSD a permitted use. The developer must meet a detailed list of standards with administrative approval by the Zoning Commission. The development plan is not subject to referendum, saving time and avoiding conflict. 

Concord Township “floated the cloud” of a Conservation Subdivision code throughout the township – to date one of three in the county to do so. The immediate result is Riverside Highlands, a 1000-acre golf course community on the west side of the Scioto River. At a density of .85 units per acre, the development will include a new sewer plant dedicated to the county, a fire station, a new school site to Buckeye Valley plus the promise to revert cornfields to native tall prairie grasses and wildflowers. Fifty percent of the open space will be “natural” and 50% will be golf course. Executive Director Phil Laurien sees the process as a “home run” because it has had such a profound change in style of development within the same year it was adopted. 

Awards

In recent years, the DCRPC has received several awards and honors:

NEW! - The Sewer Master Plan was chosen as the winner in the Comprehensive Planning - Large Jurisdiction category for the 2005 Ohio Planning Conference Planning Awards Program.  

The Draft Liberty Township Comprehensive Plan Map 2005 - 2015 won the 1st place of the Best Analytical Map for the Map Gallery of the 15th Ohio GIS Conference (OGRIP, 9/2005). 

The Sewer Master Planning Team received a 2004 Achievement Award by the National Association of Counties for the work it performed on the Sewer Master Plan Update. The team also was a finalist for the Team Award at the annual Delaware County Awards Luncheon. 

The DCRPC and the County Commissioners were honored by Main Street Delaware in 2004 for the joint renovation project of the RPC offices at 109 N. Sandusky.

The 2002 Annual Report (published in 2003) received a Meritorious Award from the National Association of County Information Officers. The category was non-magazine or newsletter annual reports for counties with a population less than 500,000.  

The Village of Shawnee Hills Comprehensive Plan Map, and a map that combined Liberty, Berlin and Orange Township Comprehensive Plan Maps, were chosen for inclusion in “2003 ESRI Map Book” (Environmental Systems Research Institute)

The Village of Shawnee Hills Comprehensive Plan Map was selected to be included in “GIS Solutions for Urban and Regional Planning” (ESRI, 11/2003).   

The Village of Shawnee Hills Comprehensive Plan Map won the 1st place of the Best Analytical Map for the Map Gallery of the 11th Ohio GIS Conference (OGRIP, 9/2001). 

UPDATED 11/1/2005

Planned Communities proposes Cobblestone Crossing at Lewis Center

Read about the DCRPC staff report on this 425-acre proposal in Orange Township by going to PAGE 4.

UPDATED 11/1/2005

Scioto Township and Village of Ashley Plans Adopted

In August, 2005, the Scioto Township Trustees adopted the Scioto Township Comprehensive Plan. The plan and map can be downloaded from the Comp Plan page of the website. The Village of Ashley also contracted with the RPC staff for a new Comprehensive Plan and adopted the plan in July, 2005. The Ashley Plan is the first DCRPC plan to use concepts of Traditional Neighborhood Design within the recommendations of the plan. The Village hopes to extend its grid street pattern as it expands. Comp Plan documents and maps can be found on THIS PAGE. 

POSTED 9/18/2005

Planned Residential Developments and Conservation Subdivisions

A decade of high growth in Delaware County has prompted several of its townships to re-examine their current Planned Residential District zoning ordinances and look for ways to improve them. The concept of development based on conservation principles is not a new idea, but has not been tried in Delaware County. The Conservation Subdivision has been a success in other states not only from an ecological point of view, but from a financial one as well. The RPC staff has developed a presentation that compares current PRDs in the county and presents a description of conservation principles and case studies. The presentation can be downloaded here: Part 1 (9.5 mb file), Part 2 (5.8 mb file).  

REVISED 7/15/2005

Liberty Township Completes Comp Plan Draft

The Liberty Township Comprehensive Plan is in the final revision phase. You can read the full text of the DRAFT plan by clicking HERE and see the map by clicking HERE. Both documents are in Acrobat format. 

REVISED 8/18/2005

Concord Township Conservation Subdivision Code ADOPTED 

Concord Township adopted its Conservation Subdivision Code on June 27, 2005. The entire code can be downloaded by going to our Zoning Code page, or the individual Planned Conservation Residential District code can be downloaded HERE.

REVISED 8/18/2005

Berlin Township Passes "Old Cheshire" Town Center PUD

The proposed Berlin Township Zoning amendments include a mixed use Planned Unit Development article. The PUD was developed specifically for the Old Cheshire area, platted initially in the late 1840s. The Cheshire Village area sits at the crossroads of Cheshire Road and Africa Road, just a few yards from the Alum Creek Reservoir and within close proximity of a number of subdivisions. It is the first mixed-use PUD in Delaware county and it is an example of the Ohio Revised Code's “float the cloud” PUD option. Under ORC 519.021(c), the PUD regulations are applied to an area (in this case, the village area shown below) which is a legislative act. Property owners can then request (by submitting a development plan) the standards be applied to their land, which is an administrative act. A pdf of the proposed amendments can be downloaded here. (Look for Article XVI.) View the zoning map here. All existing uses become permitted uses. An eclectic mix of new uses including multi-family residential at 5 units/acre and local commercial uses are permitted by right after an administrative development plan review. 

News Archives

For older new items, click on the date below:

News Page 2

pre-2004 news

DCRPC  109 N Sandusky Street, Delaware, OH 43015  Phone: 740.833.2260  Fax: 740.833.2259