Weathersfield seeks to widen zoning

By Mary Smith

MINERAL RIDGE — Weathersfield Township Zoning Commission proposes to add three new zoning districts to encourage additional business and industrial growth in the township and to establish Joint Economic Development Districts.

A public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the township administration building by the commission to consider adding Commercial C, to accommodate commercial strip development; Industrial A, to encourage light industrial, storage and warehousing uses; and Industrial-B, to encourage major industrial, storage and warehousing uses.

Current zoning classifications are Residential-A, single-family dwellings; Residential-B duplexes and multifamily units; Commercial-A, light commercial use such as banks, professional offices; and Industrial, for any industrial or manufacturing use.

Chairman Fred McCandless, zoning commission chairman, said the commission also has renumbered all township zoning regulations to make them easier to read.

He explained the commission added the new zoning classifications to make them compatible with potential new businesses that might want to come into the township.

McCandless said the commission is looking toward the future and the possibility of new business development, although there are no potential newcomers right now.

Joint Economic Development Districts enables townships, cities and villages to address concerns of diminishing local revenues, economic development, growth and annexation.

Commercial C districts will permit these uses: commercial broadcasting stations, communication stations, communication towers, radio towers, cell telephone towers and all other types of commercial businesses, such as strip malls.

Conditionally permitted uses include auto sales, fueling, servicing, repairing, towing, storage and washing businesses; hotels, motels, restaurants, outdoor or roadside display or sales of merchandise; and adult book stores or gift shops and tattoo and body-piercing businesses, both of which cannot be located within 1,000 feet of a church or school. Adult books stores cannot be within 1,000 feet of a residential district.

The Industrial-A district is for light industrial, manufacturing, processing, storage and warehousing which are free of hazardous or objectionable elements such as noise, odor, smoke, dust smoke or glare and the main operation is performed within enclosed structures.

Conditional uses permitted include storage and wholesaling establishments engaging in transportation, storing, handling or selling merchandise to retail, industrial or professional users, or acting as agents in buying and selling merchandise.

Industrial-B zoning is for large-space users and is designed to encourage the development of light manufacturing, processing and major research and testing operations.