Township of Chester

The meeting included the welcome of a new alternate board member, Jeff Sherwood. A decision regarding the annual appointment of a secretary was tabled. The Zoning Inspector provided an update regarding potential wording to amend the Zoning Resolution to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which was tabled after committee review. The Commission brainstormed ideas for educating residents about committee functions and establishing a review process for the Zoning Resolution articles, focusing on grammar, typos, and O.R.C. references. The initial articles targeted for review include Articles 1, 3, 4, 10, 12, and 13, with a targeted amendment date of March 18th. Items for near future consideration include continuing the review of the Zoning Resolution by section/article, reviewing accessory building sizes, updating the definition section, and clarifying how height is determined.

The meeting included an organizational segment where the Board of Zoning Appeals set its meeting schedule for the year and appointed Barton Ziganti as Chairperson and Ms. Denamen as Vice-Chairperson. The Board also reappointed Kathleen McCarthy as Secretary. Key discussions involved two related appeal cases filed by Paul Ridley (ZA-2026-1 and ZA-2025-12). Due to attendance limitations and the complexity of the cases, the board decided to continue ZA-2025-12 to the next meeting pending clarification from the APA regarding the proper order of hearing the appeals. In new business, the board noted that Concord Township records and posts its BZA meetings online and that Concord Township has legal counsel present at all BZA meetings.

The meeting included the welcome of new board members and the election of officers for 2026, with Mr. Oswick appointed as Chairperson and Mr. Lauro as Vice-Chairperson. The commission discussed the meeting schedule, confirming meetings on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Key discussions involved Ohio Sunshine Laws, reviewing the current Zoning Resolution (ZR) dating from 1994, and the proposed appointment of Kathleen McCarthy as Zoning Administrative Assistant. The Zoning Inspector presented potential changes to the ZR, including deleting unused definitions and adding the definition for "O.R.C.". Further discussion points included accessory building size requirements, the process for submitting amendments, concerns regarding vacant commercial properties, communication via the township website, and reviewing restrictions on existing non-conforming properties. The commission also considered an amendment to reclassify cemeteries, potentially removing them as a Conditional Use.

The meeting included Old Business items that were tabled for further discussion in the following year. Key topics under review included the response sent to the Board of Zoning Appeals regarding a requested change to Zoning Resolution Section 12.02.04 (F) (2), standards for the heights of accessory buildings, specifically addressing difficulties encountered in accommodating standard RV garage door openings due to current height restrictions, and the consideration of RV parking regulations on residential lots. The Commission also noted that the topic of Parks as a Zoning District remains a concern to be addressed in the new year.

The Regular Meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals addressed Appeal ZA-2025-12 concerning an Area Variance request by Paul Ridley and Katie Pestak for 12524 Caves Road. The core issue was a request for a frontage variance, seeking only 45' of frontage instead of the required 200' minimum, to facilitate the construction of an 8,000 square foot 'barndominium' intended primarily for storage. Board members discussed the substantial nature of the 77.5% frontage variance and explored alternative solutions, such as land transfer, which the appellant argued would not satisfy the need for the large accessory structure size. Concerns were raised regarding the creation of a flag lot, potential impacts on governmental services (specifically emergency vehicle access), and the unknown septic system feasibility for the proposed new lot. Due to the need for the appellant to obtain soil type information, dimensions of the proposed property, and new lot lines, the appeal was offered a continuance until the next meeting on January 12, 2026. Old Business included continuing discussions regarding pool covers and reviewing draft BZA Bylaws.