OSU Extension Land Use Team

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OSU Extension Land Use Team http//landuse.osu.edu

Ohio State University
Extensions Land Use Team provides information,
educational programs, and potential strategies to
enable communities to address land use issues
more effectively. To serve the needs of all
Ohioans, the Team includes members with county,
district, and state Extension assignments. The
Teams structure allows it to respond to the most
pressing land use issues and needs in a timely
and effective manner. Currently, the Extension
Land Use Team is focusing its educational efforts
in the areas of Ohios Agricultural Easement
Purchase Program, Estate Planning/Land
Transition, Comprehensive Planning, Smart Growth,
and Rural Zoning.
FACT SHEETS
COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANNING
ABSTRACT
Land use issues can be addressed more effectively
when people are informed of the facts.
Factsheets are one way that Extension provides
timely, research based information relevant to a
variety of topics.
To make the most of available natural and
man-made resources, many communities have begun
to engage in formal comprehensive planning
processes. Such planning efforts are intended to
be comprehensive, general, and long
range. Educational efforts in the area of
Comprehensive Planning currently include
organizational facilitation and plan development
in Adams, Columbiania, Coshocton, Crawford,
Defiance, Fayette, Highland, Morrow, Preble,
Putnam, and Van Wert Counties. Informational
presentations and workshops have been held at
various locations thoughout the state and a
Residents Guide to the Comp Planning Process
is also in development.
Ohio State University Fact Sheet Community
Development 700 Ackerman Road, Columbus, OH
43202-1578 Comprehensive Planning CDFS-1269-99
Land Use Series John B. CongloseCommunity
Economic Development AgentHuron CountyOhio
State University Extension Introduction An old
saying amongst those in the planning profession
is that if you fail to plan, in reality what you
are doing is planning to fail. Communities are
always facing this dilemma. If the community you
work, play, and live in does not have a plan for
its future, what ultimately may happen is that
the community will fail to adapt to change. The
community will fail to take advantage of
opportunities. The concept of comprehensive
planning is very much related to the economic
prosperity of communities. A comprehensive plan
can be used as a tool to plan for the future
growth or decline of a local community. Most
importantly, it can be used as a tool to address
the constant change and evolution of a community.
Comprehensive plans are sometimes referred to as
land-use plans, because in many cases they are
dealing with issues related to the appropriate
uses of land. In many cases, comprehensive plans
are prepared to address compatibility issues
between various uses of land, management and
preservation of natural resources, identification
and preservation of historically significant
lands and structures, and adequate planning for
infrastructure needs. In other instances,
comprehensive plans are utilized to address
issues related to schools, recreation, and
housing. History of Comprehensive Planning The
issue of comprehensive planning in the United
States has been addressed since the birth of the
country. The original Williamsburg was one of the
first highly successful products of an attempt to
create a land-use plan in the colonies. In 1699,
Williamsburg was laid out under the most detailed
piece of town-planning legislation adopted in the
English Colonies up to that point. Williamsburg
reflected what is referred to as "axial
planning," which means that it is formal, yet not
pompous.1 Many consider the modern phase of
American City Planning dated to the Columbian
Exposition of 1893. The modern era of planning
for growth and development began, however, in
1900, when, at an annual meeting of the American
Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C.,
several papers were presented dealing with the
beautification of government buildings in the
capital. This resulted in the appointment of a
committee responsible for the work of preparing a
plan for the District of Columbia's park system.
A final plan for the District Park System was
completed in 1901. The impression left from this
final plan was shared with many cities and
villages throughout the country. Public
improvement groups in these communities were
created and became devoted to applying a new
gospel of planning in communities. This early
concept of this process was referred to as the
"City Beautiful Movement." This movement
established two aspects of the local
comprehensive planning process that are still in
use today -- the professional consultant in the
field of comprehensive land-use planning and the
planning commission, many of which are in
existence in communities all across the country.
The City Beautiful Movement was the beginning of
what is more commonly referred to today as
"Comprehensive Planning." 2 What Is a
Comprehensive Plan? Comprehensive planning is an
attempt to establish guidelines for the future
growth of a community. The term comprehensive
means exactly what it says. It should be a
comprehensive or all-inclusive approach at
addressing the issue of the future growth of a
community. A comprehensive plan is the document
that is the final product from the efforts of
this process. The document is official in nature,
meaning that some form of local government should
adopt it into local law. The document should then
be used as a policy guide to decisions about the
development of the community.
SMART GROWTH
County Team Members Penne Smith, Athens County
Stephanie Simstad,
Clermont County
Nancy Kukay, Crawford County
Carol Mackey, Fairfield County
Pat Brinkman, Fayette County
Jim OBrien, Fayette
County Patty
House, Franklin County
Jerry Mahan, Greene County
Deb Carney, Hamilton County
Sharon Strouse, Holmes County
John Conglose, Huron County
Keith Jones,
Lake County
James Skeeles, Lorain County
David Civittolo, Medina County
Harold Watters, Miami County
Jim Lopshire, Paulding
County
Stephen Hudkins, Trumbull County
Christopher Zoller, Tuscarawas County
John Hixson, Union County
Chris Bruynis, Wyandot County
Liz Smith ,
Wyandot County
The Smart Growth Initiative looks at community
quality of life, design, economics, environment,
health, housing, and transportation issues in
Ohios urban centers. Principles of Smart Growth
include the need for a range of housing, walkable
neighborhoods, community and stakeholder
collaboration, cost effective development
decisions, and choices in modes of
transportation. Educational efforts include
information workshops, presentations, and written
materials.
Land Use Team Member Counties
State District Members Neil Andrew Steve
Baertsche Jill Clark John Conglose
Jennifer Cowley Greg Davis William Grunkemeyer
Peggy Hall Jerry Iles Elena Irwin Don Lacy
Tim Lawrence Larry Libby Ron Miller Dave
Patton Allen Prindle John
Rohrer Jerold Thomas Deanna Tribe
RURAL ZONING
Ohio Township Zoning
as of 1997
AG EASEMENT PURCHASE PROGRAM
The Land Use Team regularly produces factsheets
like the one above on a variety of topics related
to land use. Titles currently available or under
revision/development include
County Boundaries
Incorporated Areas
Enacted Township Rural Zoning
Enacted Township Rural Zoning
Enacted County Rural Zoning
Impact Fees Initiating Rural Zoning Land
Trusts Ohio Zoning Map Open Space/Green
Space Planning Commission Basics Purchase of
Development Rights Purpose and Definition of
Zoning Rural Zoning Subdivision
Regulations Storm Water Phase II The
Relationship of Planning to Zoning Transfer of
Development Rights Zoning Zone Types
Agricultural Districts in Ohio Agricultural
Zoning Clean Ohio Fund Cluster
Development Comprehensive Planning Conservation
Easements Costs of Community Services County/Towns
hip Zoning, Similarities and Differences Current
Agricultural Use Value Assessment in
Ohio Enacting Rural Zoning Existing Land Use
Tools Farmland Preservation Taskforce/Planning H
ome Rule
Rejected
Prepared by Jill Clark
OSU Exurban Change Project
May 2003 Source
Ohio Rural Zoning Stamm Pritchard
Repealed
No Rural Zoning
Rural zoning aims to protect the health, safety,
and welfare of the general public. Educational
efforts include rural zoning workshops, written
and web-based materials, and a statewide rural
zoning inventory. To better understand
initiation and use of rural zoning, township
officials are regularly surveyed to determine
such things as number of townships that have
enacted township rural zoning or county rural
zoning, rejected or repealed rural zoning, or
have no zoning, for example.
Ohios Agricultural Easement Purchase Program
(AEPP) aims to preserve Ohios most productive
farmland for future generations in a voluntary
program that benefits farmers in accordance with
local land use decisions. AEPP is capitalized
through The Clean Ohio Fund and provides up to
75 matching grants to farmland owners wishing to
sell their agricultural easements to the Ohio
Department of Agriculture. To fund such
purchases, 6.25 million will be made available
annually for 4 years, starting in 2002.
Educational efforts surrounding Ohios
Agricultural Easement Purchase Program include
regional workshops for applicants, local
governments, and sponsoring organizations
downloadable informational presentations and
summary information on the program and the
application process for individual use and use
with group audiences. Team members also serve in
an advisory capacity to the Ohio Department of
Agricultures Office of Farmland Preservation.
PLANNING EDUCATION AT A DISTANCE
To obtain a copy of these Fact Sheets, visit the
Ohioline at http//ohioline.osu.edu/ or go
to your local county Extension office.
http//knowlton.osu.edu/ped/
To provide local officials and citizen planners
with on-line planning related to continuing
education opportunities, the OSU City and
Regional Planning Program has partnered with the
Land Use Team to offer Planning Education at a
Distance (PED). PED is an Internet based
educational tool that provides hands-on training
to strengthen planning skills and promote new
techniques. Courses currently being offered
cover such topics as zoning, design review,
site planning, and managing public meetings, for
example.
ESTATE / LAND TRANSITION
Land transition and land use planning are two
interrelated concepts being addressed by the
Team. Educational efforts include estate
planning workshops and written materials for
landowners. A web-based decision making tool is
also in development.