Weathersfield Township OKs zoning amendments

By Mary Smith

Township trustees must approve the changes.

MINERAL RIDGE — The Weathersfield Township Zoning Commission has approved four amendments to current zoning law, broadening green space requirements for commercial properties and requiring that a house be constructed on a lot first to allow construction of a garage.

Additional changes include requiring placing driveways on the frontage of residential properties and redefining the space requirements from roadways and side or rear property lines for travel trailers, recreational vehicles, truck campers, boats, a bus or motor coach.

The commission has been working on the language changes to the zoning laws for four months, and the Trumbull County Planning Commission has reviewed them and told the commission they were OK.

The changes will be sent tor township trustees for their approval.

Among changes are:

Green space/buffering and lighting requirements for businesses: The first 15 feet from the point at which the front property line meets the edge of the pavement will be reserved as green space, except for access or driveways, and shall be considered as part of the 15 percent green space requirement. Any pedestrian walkway that exists before construction must be replaced. The change in the requirement allows that any new pedestrian walkway located within the first 15 feet to be included in calculating green space.

Motor recreational vehicles: Language was changed to say that recreational vehicles must be placed no closer than 10 feet to the edges of the roadway surface and no closer than 2 feet to the side or rear of the property. Old language on the law referred to setback requirements and placement of the vehicles, which was confusing, Zoning Inspector David Pugh said.

Outbuildings, private garages and accessory buildings: A detached garage or other outbuilding shall be built on property with an existing residence. A permit must list that the outbuilding, private garage or accessory building will be used for personal storage, and is to cover no more than 5 percent of the total property.

Pugh said the township has been permitting the construction of garages or outbuildings by applicants who request it “on a limited basis,” saying they will use the garages for storage of building equipment to construct a new home. He said the township “has been burned on it before” with applicants never building a home and has decided to discontinue allowing garage construction without a house.

Driveways and off-street parking: The commission has changed how driveways can be placed on a lot, because previous zoning law language did not specify where driveways had to be placed. Some residents wanted to bring their driveway into their property from the side or the back, but the new law specifies that driveways must be entered from the approved frontage of a property from an approved township road.

Pugh said this law is similar to other townships. Properties on a corner lot can place driveways on the side if they can meet established township requirements for frontage requirements, which are 100 feet for agricultural properties and 70 feet for residential properties.