Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Here is one of those issue that makes my blood boil and it is typical of the arrogance of township trustees who want to carry a lot of weight but have no idea what they are doing. These same one sided issue officials what to dictate to everyone their power and they have no power if people in the township want ?“LOCAL POWER?“ then pass your own levies and take the local power instead of standing around with your hand out for money and being subsidized by other governments. Here locally we have the Violet Township trustees that are long on bitching but short of substance. They were recently given home rule powers but refuse to exercise any of those power out of fear of a law suit. For years now I heard many from the township complain about a local favored developer getting accesses all along route 256. They have also complained about the county Engineer and his efforts to control those access points. I believe the City of Pickerington recently passed their access management plan and hopefully in the future these access points will be given greater consideration to the plan when they approve new development along 256 and other main roads in the city. This will all be lost if the Township has sign off power and refuses to accept the County planning tools.





Driveway placement under question
Fairfield County Commissioners try to change permit policy
By ALAINA FAHY
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
afahy@nncogannett.com


FAIRFIELD COUNTY - Getting a permit for a driveway may become harder as development springs up across Fairfield County. If the Fairfield County Commissioners votes to support a proposed plan, driveway permits could become harder to get and more expensive.
There are currently no countywide regulations telling developers where to put driveways. That will become a problem the number of new driveways continues to rise as the county grows, said Brooks Davis, executive director of the Fairfield County Regional Planning Commission.

An access management committee appointed by the Fairfield County Commission wants to prevent car accidents and other problems, such as traffic, from poorly placed driveways. Trustees across Fairfield County are against the plan.
''We don't want the county to have any more control,'' said Hocking Township Trustee Gail Ellinger. Township trustees such as Ellinger want to continue to manage township roads.



By Stop and go driver

Access management continued


A proposed countywide access management plan is threatening that ability, Ellinger said. The plan would govern issues such as sight distance - the distance drivers can see oncoming traffic. Some creators believe it's the most cost-effective way to prevent car accidents as the county grows.
The County Commission appointed 12 members to the access management committee in 2003 to develop a Fairfield County Access Management Plan. The access management committee created a draft of a countywide access management plan to make driveways with access to county and township roads safer. Snyder Church Road is one such road, said Eric McCrady, deputy engineer for the Fairfield County Engineer's Office. Ellinger, an access management committee member, opposes the plan because it takes power away from the township trustees, she said. The county engineer's office would constantly be checking over the trustees' shoulders, and she doesn't want that.
Township trustees and other Fairfield County residents, including Ellinger and Greenfield Township Trustee George Hallarn, sent the Fairfield County Commission petitions against the plan signed by 67 people.
Anderson disagrees with the trustees who are opposed to the plan. The trustees would be responsible for regulating the driveways on township roads, he said.
The Fairfield County Commission could revoke the townships' powers if it's found trustees aren't enforcing the plan, Anderson said.
Fairfield County is the third fastest growing county in Ohio. The county's total population is expected to be 170,000 in 20 years, Davis said. The development means more houses - and more driveways.
''It's eventually going to be a problem if not addressed or controlled,'' Fairfield County Engineer Frank Anderson said.
Most homeowners would not have to move driveways if the plan is approved, unless there is no permit for the driveway.
Businesses, however - if they're expanding or remodeling - may have to rebuild driveways. Paying for reconstruction would be the business owners' responsibility.
A proposed $40 permit fee will be instituted if the access management plan passes. The engineer's office charges nothing to people who get permits now.
The Fairfield County Commission will vote on the plan following two mandatory public hearings - one Nov. 28 and one Dec. 5.
Fairfield County Commissioner Judy Shupe said commissioners have told the township trustees the vote will reflect what a majority of the townships want.
So far, the majority of the trustees do not want the access management plan, according to the petitions signed by most of the county's township trustees.
Shupe doesn't expect to hear new arguments from the trustees during the public hearings, but if she does, her plan to vote against the proposed draft could change.
Anderson and some other members of the access management committee want the public to have a chance to voice opinions about the proposed plan.
Anderson doesn't know what will happen next if the Fairfield County Commission rejects the proposal.
The engineer's office can implement a fee for driveway permits regardless of whether the plan passes. The office can also develop a new access management plan from scratch.
The Fairfield County Commission can vote to amend the countywide access plan before approving it, Anderson said.



By Stop and go driver