LIME CITY – Those living in the unzoned areas of Perrysburg Township will likely decide in November
whether more regulations should be brought to the area.
During Wednesday’s trustees meeting, Administrator Walt Celley provided a timeline of how the zoning
proposal will proceed leading up to the election.
The goal is to design a new zoning map that would allow all existing uses of property without new zoning,
creating non-conforming uses that make it difficult to sell land, borrow against it or refinance debt.
Celley said once the map is developed, it will require input from property owners, who should check to
ensure the proposed zoning would fit with their land use so that adjustments can be made if needed.
"For the residents out there, particularly the commercial properties, we’re going to try to identify
you. But if you have a small commercial enterprise in an unzoned area, you really need to look at this
at some point," Celley said. "We’re certainly available to take calls, we’ll meet with
individuals, we’ll do whatever it takes to get it as good as possible."
Trustee Craig LaHote noted it’s been 10 years since residents were last asked to consider zoning.
"I think it’s time to put it up for a vote again," he said.
Celley said the effort will require close work with the Wood County Board of Elections. Of the township’s
four voting precincts, only one is completely unzoned, leaving officials to identify which voters in the
other precincts live in unzoned areas. About half of the township is currently zoned.
Trustees Bob Mack, Gary Britten and LaHote, who have all expressed support for the measure, will be asked
to pass a resolution next week to formally proceed with the zoning proposal.
Afterward, a series of public meetings involving township and county boards and commissions will be
conducted, with trustees voting to adopt a zoning resolution in June and delivering it to the board of
elections no later than 4 p.m. Aug. 6.
Celley noted there will be no shortage of opportunities for public involvement in the process. Between
the board of trustees, township zoning commission and Wood County Planning Commission, there will be as
many as 10 public meetings before the election, slated Nov. 4.
The first review of the plan will be conducted by the zoning commission on Feb. 10, according to the
tentative timetable outlined Wednesday. The final public hearing will be held by trustees May 21,
leaving several weeks to consider comments before voting June 4.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Britten and Mack, re-elected in November, were sworn in by Mack’s wife,
Molly Mack, the newly-installed judge of Perrysburg Municipal Court.