Zoning is a legislative method of regulating land use by dividing a Township into various districts and assigning specific regulations to each of those districts. The BATAVIA TOWNSHIP ZONING RESOLUTION outlines the regulations that apply to each of the 11 zoning districts within Batavia Township. The regulations control things such as land use, lot size, setbacks, heights, density, intensity, parking, lighting, and property conditions. The intensity of permitted uses increase as the zoning classifications progress from our Agricultural District to our Major Industrial District.
The Zoning Map, a component of the Resolution, denotes the actual zoning that applies to each parcel of property within the Township. Since its inception in 1962, Batavia Township’s Zoning Resolution and accompanying Zoning Map have seen numerous revisions. These revisions are accomplished by an amendment process that is very specifically outlined in the Ohio Revised Code and includes public hearings before our Zoning Commission and our Board of Trustees.
Functioning in conjunction with the Zoning Resolution is the Township’s GROWTH POLICY PLAN. This document is intended to serve as a guide for future land use decisions and is used when evaluating the merits of a proposed change to the zoning classification assigned to a particular property. It reflects our Township’s vision for the future by setting forth general development policies that rationally and efficiently utilize our community’s most important non-renewable resource, the land. A Citizen Steering Committee working with a consulting firm, McBride-Dale-Clarion, helped in determining the policies outlined in the document through analysis of such things as population and building trends, existing land use, existing and proposed roadways, sewer accessibility, and soil conditions. Priority planning issues such as maintaining our rural character, protecting our land and water quality, creating recreational park facilities, and maintaining our tax base through diligent economic development and planning were also taken into consideration.
