One of the issues Jefferson Township residents will be voting on this general election is a proposed zoning plan.
Zoning for Jefferson Township has previously been handled by the Fayette County Board of Zoning and Board of Zoning Appeals.
Jefferson Township Trustee Ryan Yenger explained, “the zoning was put on the ballot just because of all the attraction of new businesses wanting to come into Jefferson Township, and the idea is people that live within Jefferson Township should be the ones making the decisions for how the township is developed.”
The language of the zoning plan on a sample ballot from the Fayette County Board of Elections website reads, “The Board of Trustees of Jefferson Township, Fayette County, Ohio, has adopted a Zoning Resolution which is a comprehensive plan to replace the zoning resolutions currently in effect in Jefferson Township, Fayette County, Ohio, and is to regulate the location, height, number of stories, and the size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of lot areas which may be occupied, and the use of land for trade, industry, residence, recreation and/or other purposes within the unincorporated areas of Jefferson Township, Fayette County, Ohio, the full text and maps of said resolution being posted in this polling place. Shall the zoning resolution for the unincorporated areas of Jefferson Township, Fayette County, Ohio as adopted by the Board of Trustees of Jefferson Township, Ohio be approved?”
A majority affirmative vote must occur for the zoning plan to be passed.
The Jefferson Board of Zoning and Board of Appeals are already set up as, according to Yenger, boards must be in place prior to the zoning being able to go on the ballot.
“Of course the board has to be all Jefferson Township residents, and they would be the ones making decisions for what happens in the area that they live,” said Yenger. “This would benefit the rest of the people in Jefferson Township — that we would be making decisions on what happens in the future.”
Yenger further explained the zoning issue on the levy will not cost Jefferson Township residents any additional money than what it already costs for the county to handle the zoning.
Jefferson Township can be followed on its website, www.jeffersontwpfayette.org/.
According to a fact sheet on the Ohio Department of Health website, “zoning protects public health and welfare and promotes community character by organizing land into clearly defined districts based on the type and intensity of use. While land use planning uses broad categories, such as residential, commercial and industrial, to separate different uses within a community, zoning further divides these categories into districts based on intensity. This separation of uses allows communities and individual neighborhoods to regulate growth and development and preserve community character. In addition to uses, zoning codes also regulate site layout and design details, including lot size; density; building placement, height, and bulk; setbacks; provision of adequate light and air; parking; landscaping; and signage.”
The 2020 general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voting can be done early in-person, by requesting a mail-in absentee ballot or by waiting and voting at their precinct on Election Day.
As previously reported, the deadline to request an absentee ballot is noon on Oct. 31, but election and postal officials are urging people not to wait that long if they want their ballot to arrive on time.
The Fayette County Board of Elections, located at 135 S. Main St. in Washington Court House, will be open for in-person voting during the following hours:
– 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Oct. 19 through Oct. 23; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24; and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25
– 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Oct. 26 through Oct. 30; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31; and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1
– 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.
Reach journalist Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355 or on Twitter @JennMWoods.
