PATA History Pages

City Plans 520+ homes .5 miles N of Canal Pointe Industrial Park

Rezoning allows 128+more homes than current zoning in VT

This analysis was completed by the PATA township focus team.

The analysis below compares the proposed city zoning set in the pre- annexation agreement with the Diley Associates, for 241.2 acres of land on Diley Road with the current township R-1
zoning. The analysis was completed utilizing both the Violet Township and City of Pickerington zoning codes as an absolute reference. These codes are available to the public at the Pickerington Public Library, or at the respective government offices.


The analysis was done in December of 1999 shortly after the pre-annexation agreement was passed by Pickerington City Council by "emergency measure." The current numbers of homes proposed by the developer have increased slightly from this time, utlilzing the maximum dry land available on the property.

The text of the zoning section of the Diley Associates pre-annexation agreement is available on the Diley Pre-annexation agreement page on this site or via copy from the City of Pickerington. Please note that the text of the agreement REQUIRES this rezoning as a condition of annexation. No public hearings were held prior to the vote to accept this binding pre-annexation agreement. Additionally, the city waived reviews by the service commitee and the planning and zoning commission during the crafting of this binding document. The agreement went immediately before council for a vote and no discussion was recorded on the matter until the meeting AFTER the vote had occured. Discussion on the matter was prompted by citizen comments against this annexation process. The city has recently held public hearings before the planning and zoning commission and service commitee to solicit "comments" on this development. The pre-annexation agreement ensures that the developer will receive a legal zoning classification of PR-4 immediately upon the final annexation vote. There appears to be little chance for effective plan changing public comment on this plan since the pre-annexation agreement gurantees the density of 2.3 homes per acre or the annextion will be repealed.

The Plat Plan Analysis

Diley Road Property Proposed Plat Plan


West Parcel

105 total acres
264 lots (70’ x 130’)
2.5 gross density
15.8 acres of open space (7.1acres = ponds)
89.2 actual developed acres
3.8 net density

East Parcel

136.2 total acres
268 lots (70’ x 130’)
1.97 gross density
43.4 acres of open space (33.3 acres = ponds)
92 actual developed acres
2.9 net density

East & West Combined Project

241.2 total acres
532 lots (70’ x 130’)
2.21 gross density
2.94 net density
36.5 required open space (at least 22 acres of solid ground—not covered with water)
59.2 acres of open space provided in plan (40.4 acres = ponds & 18.8 acres = solid ground)
181.2 actual developed acres

111 acres consumed by lots only
70 acres consumed by streets and right of ways
9100 sq. ft. average lot size

What if…

If this development were held to the PR-3 zoning standards—minimum lot size would be 11,000-sq. ft. If we take the actual amount of acres covered by lots in the proposed plat plan (111 acres) and multiply that by 43,560-sq. ft. in an acre = 4,835,160-sq. ft. of land covered by lots. Now divide that number by the larger lot size required under PR-3 (11,000-sq. ft.) and we come up with a maximum of 440 homes which would equal a gross density of 1.83.


SPECULATION

We ran some numbers. Assuming that all 245 acres are developable and allowing 15% (36.75 acres) for roads and right of way the following numbers are applicable:

Current Township R-1...453 homes max @ max density of 1.85,
min lot size 20,000 sq.. ft.

City PR-2....415 homes max @ density of 1.69
and 15% (36.75 acres green space)
Minimum lot size 18,000 sq.. ft. & 90 ft. frontage

City PR-3....679 homes max @ density of 2.77
and 15% (36.75 acres green space)
Minimum lot size 11,000 sq.. ft. & 75 ft. frontage

City PR-4.... 879 homes max @ density of 3.59
and 15% (36.75 acres green space)
Minimum lot size 8,500 sq.. ft. & 70 ft. frontage

Assuming a max density of 2.3 units per acre the development would contain the following:
2.3 density = 563 homes.

Appropriate zoning for that density would be PR-3 as follows:
2.3 density = 563 homes

Assuming 11,000 sq.. ft. lots and minimum (15%) greenspace
36.75 acres for roads and right of way
142 acres for homes
36.75 acres for greenspace
29.5 acres left over
Again, why do we need PR-4? Are we going to get a school site or the shaft?

Answer: We’re going to get 48 acres of ponds and a piece of land that poses problems for development because of the ponds and floodplains contained within. The zoning upgrade from PR-3 to PR-4 effectively gives the developer an additional 92 homes.


REALITY

After viewing the plat plan and running some numbers it is clear that only 197 acres out of this 245 is developable. Given the constraints of ponds and floodplains the realistic (approximate—but very accurate) numbers for each zoning type is shown below. We are assuming that streets and right of ways will consume 70 acres, (as was the case in the proposed plat plan). This leaves 127 acres to be consumed by actual lots—111 acres when green space is required (again, as was the case in the proposed plat plan.)


Current Township R-1...276 homes max @ gross density of 1.12
min lot size 20,000 sq.. ft.

City PR-2....268 homes max @ gross density of 1.09
and 15% (36.75 acres green space—at least 22 of which is solid land.
Minimum lot size 18,000 sq.. ft. & 90 ft. frontage

City PR-3....440 homes max @ gross density of 1.8
and 15% (36.75 acres green space)
Minimum lot size 11,000 sq.. ft. & 75 ft. frontage

City PR-4.... 568 homes max @ maximum gross density of 2.32
and 15% (36.75 acres green space)
Minimum lot size 8,500 sq.. ft. & 70 ft. frontage

Proposed Plat Plan = 532 homes at 2.2 gross density (number is now higher as of 1/16/01)

It appears that unless the developer narrows the roads or re-configures them to make more land actually available for lots that the maximum achievable gross density for this particular property (even under PR-4 zoning) is 2.32 units per acre.

We don’t subscribe to the PR-4 zoning being a required condition of annexation. By allowing Mrs. Bushman to agree to such constraints in the pre-annexation agreement, City council is mandating by their approval vote an additional 92 to 128 homes into the school system compared to current zoning without a public hearing process prior to the vote to accept this binding pre-annexation agreement. Addtionally, since this binding pre-annexation agreement was created, The Violet/Canal CEDA has been formed, the city is pursuing Federal dollars for a nine million dollar project to widen Diley Road from 256 and 33, and the Hill/ Diley interchange will begin construction this year and is only 1.5 miles from this parcel. Council claims that they never take action detrimental to the community. In this case We clearly have to disagree.

Let City Officials Hear Your Opinion!

Email Mrs. Joyce Bushman, the city manager or Mr. Randall Hughes, the mayor at the email hotlink below. Kelli, Mrs. Bushman's assistant, will forward your mail upon request. Or utilize the City of Pickerington's "Talk to your elected officals page" on the hotlink below. Email PATA at pickeringtontaxpayers@hotmail.com

Email us
kellis@ci.pickerington.oh.us

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