Ross Citizens for Sensible Development
is giving you, as a citizen of Ross Township and/or the Ross Local School District, in Butler County Ohio, with free will and clear conscience, the opportunity to sign this petition to block any zoning change to the property known as the Burns Farm LLC, located at the intersection of Ohio State Route 128, (aka Hamilton-Cleves Road) and School Road and continuing west to Layhigh Road, from agricultural, to anything that is considered Business Use or Multi Family Use in any form. Our intent is to keep Ross Township an agricultural / rural type of community, free from major commercial development that will forever change the geographical landscape and way of life that we Ross Township residents enjoy.
This act of “Spot Zoning” is considered by many to show favorable consideration to any developer for purely financial interest, while the adjacent properties continue to remain residential and agricultural, in addition to having a close proximity to our public school.
While our Farmers are sowing seeds of corn to feed our families, we need to sow seeds of kindness and sensibility for the effective and reasonable development of Ross Township. We are a group of Ross area citizens that realize the need for positive growth in our rural community and are not anti-growth. While we sometimes feel the need to keep things “just the way they are,” we also recognize our neighbors’ desires to share in the community values and way of life that we enjoy in Ross Township. We will strive to work with the appropriate zoning officials as well as the current Board of Trustees to marry what we are, with what we will be, in order to sustain our way of life, continue to be good stewards of the land we have grown to love and preserve the core values of the residents in the township of Ross.
Pursuant to Section 713.07, 713.12, and 5502.031 of the Ohio Revised Code, the regulations of the Butler County Zoning and Planning Department, and the Ross Township Zoning and Land Use Plan, the property known as the Burns Farm Properties, currently zoned as 110 A: Agricultural Vacant Land, 111 A: Cash Grain or General Farm, 501 R: Residential 0-9.9999 AC, and 500 R: Residential Vacant Lot, known as Parcel Identification Number(s) K4610026000027, K4610026000047, K4610027000015, K4620055000001, K4620055000014, K4620055000015, K4620055000018, K4620055000019, and K4620055000020 is seeking to change the current zoning to Planned Urban Development with High Density Housing, a commercial building area. We have no issues with the properties in question receiving a change from 110 A and 111 A to a 501 R designation. The issues with the proposed change to a PUD High Density Housing are: • Dramatic increase in the need for additional classrooms, teachers, buses, and school buildings. One proposed apartment building alone could bring over 500 new students in one single calendar year, necessitating another building levy and subsequent operating levies to open the buildings.
• The planned retirement and adult assisted living housing will require additional support from more EMS and Fire personnel. This will require additional levies to support this growth.
• Infrastructure support for roads on main thoroughfares leading to the development will need improvements and diminish the property values on School Road and other nearby homes.
• Infrastructure support for sewer and water will have to be developed. While we participate in a water cooperative, no current facility exists to manage the new sewer demands.
• Multifamily housing diminishes the fair market value of the current single-family dwellings in the nearby area of the Burns Farm property and changes the nature and landscape of Ross Township forever.
For these reasons and more, we strongly oppose any action that will change the zoning or land use of the property known as Burns Farm LLC to anything other than Agricultural and Estate Residential or Low Density Residential.