2010 Annual Report - Portage County Regional Planning Commission

2010
Annual
Report
Portage County
Regional Planning Commission
2010 PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT
Mission Statement
Our mission is to improve the quality of life in Portage County by helping
communities turn vision into action in order to equitably achieve sustainable
communities in harmony with the natural environment.
Message from the Director
The Portage County Regional Planning Commission had another year of lean
financial times. Much of the difficulty can be attributed to the economy and
lack of subdivision activity. We also had a distinguished member of the staff,
Bob Harris, leave to work for Trumbull County. To our benefit, though, Eileen
Stiffler, the former Community Development Specialist, came out of retirement
to work part-time. When compared to the previous year, from a staffing standpoint, that equates to a 25% staff reduction. In addition, the remaining staff
was furloughed for up to 4 weeks. Despite this significant loss in staff time, we
managed to get the ball rolling on a number of different projects and initiatives.
PCRPC Staff
Todd Peetz, AICP
Director
Claudia James
GIS Specialist/Planner
Evelyn Beeman
Office Manager
Eileen Stiffler
Community Development
Specialist
Melvin Harris
Comprehensive Planner
Lisa Reeves
Administrative Assistant
We continued to assist local farmers interested in the Ohio Agricultural
Easement Purchase Program (Ohio AEPP). Two applications were submitted
and one was funded: Donnie Gang’s Hidden Creek Ranch in Rootstown. We
also received a Surface Water Improvement Fund (SWIF) Grant from the Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency. The SWIF grant is a water quality demonstration project at the Regional Planning Commission Office in Ravenna. Other notable projects included Portage Revitalization and Economic Planning
(PREP), which began in March 2010 to encourage collaborative bridgebuilding between the local governments. Regular attendees include the planners, economic specialists, and zoning inspectors from the various cities, villages, and townships in Portage County. All Chamber of Commerce organizations
within the county are also invited. The PREP group is striving to better Portage
County and to develop a stronger communication network. RPC has also
helped to coordinate Visioning In Portage (VIP), which is an effort to develop
the first county-wide vision and comprehensive plan. This, too, aims at getting
the big picture of the what we want to be as a community. The focus is on how
we can improve the overall quality of life and to establish goals and implementation strategies to bring us there. This will be an ongoing process that will take
shape in 2011 and beyond.
This year, we added a new community service with “asset mapping,” a project
started for the City of Ravenna. Through asset mapping and working both with
the County Auditor’s Department and with the City of Ravenna, we were able to
catalog and map all the non-residential uses within the city. Different properties or types of uses can be quickly cross referenced. Asset mapping can also
help to track the evolution of an industry or business within the city.
We continue to assist our member communities with text amendments, zoning
issues, and comprehensive plans as requested. This includes administering the
Community Development Block Grant, Neighborhood Stabilization Program,
and subdivision reviews.
While 2010 was a difficult year, we have reason to be optimistic that we can
continue to provide a high level of service, while pursuing opportunities that
will lead to the betterment of the county and overall quality of life. This annual
report presents a summary of accomplishments of the RPC for 2010. It is my
desire to work closely with the county, cities, villages, and townships to promote consensus-building that will help to establish an overall vision for our
county. With the help of a great staff and engaged planning commissioners,
2011 will be a fruitful year!
PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT 2010
Community Development
PCRPC administered $908,728 in Community Development Block Grant
Formula Allocation funds and Neighborhood Stabilization funds for the
Portage County Board of Commissioners with the
following results:
 Removed the asbestos and demolished the former elementary
school located in the Village of Hiram.
 Rehabilitated a 3-unit residential structure housing 5 persons
owned by Coleman Professional Services and located in the
City of Ravenna. Removed the chimney and replaced the roof,
removed and replaced the back porch and back door, removed
and replaced the interior doors, removed and replaced the boiler and upgraded the plumbing. Removed and replaced 24 windows.
County Senior Center located at 705 Oakwood Street in the
City of Ravenna.
Original Hiram Elementary School
 Rehabilitated a building owned by Townhall II located in the City of Kent. Repaired the exterior
wall, replaced the back door and replaced the hot deck controllers on all 3 air handlers for the
HVAC system.
 Prepared application for the 2010 Formula Allocation Grant to provide services for low and mod-
erate income Portage County households.
 Provided fair housing assistance for 32 households within Portage County excluding the Cities of
Kent, Ravenna and Aurora. Provided training and education materials regarding fair housing to
9 agencies/organizations.
 Provided fair housing assistance in the City of Ravenna to 6 households and referred. Provided
training and educational materials regarding fair housing to 9 agencies/organizations.
 Provided fair housing assistance in the City of Aurora to one household. Provided training and
educational materials regarding fair housing to 4 agencies/organizations.
 Two sites were acquired in Portage County.
 Twenty-five blighted, dilapidated, vacant structures were demolished in Portage County.
 Two sites were acquired for rehabilitation and resale in Portage County.
 One site was acquired in the City of Ravenna.
 Three blighted, dilapidated, vacant structures were demolished in the City of Ravenna.
 Three sites were acquired for rehabilitation and resale in the City of Ravenna.
Activities
 Resurfaced a portion of the parking lot adjacent to the Portage
 One site was acquired in the City of Kent.
 Eight blighted, dilapidated, vacant structures were demolished in the City of Kent.
 Three sites were acquired for rehabilitation and resale in the City of Kent.
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2010 PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT
Comprehensive & Land Use Plans
Activities
Shalersville Township Comprehensive Plan
3
By February of 2010, RPC staff completed the Shalersville Township prioritized land use
map and future land use goals, objectives and policies. Over the course of the year, staff
worked with the Shalersville Zoning Commission and other township officials to finalize the
plans. At the request of the township, RPC also conducted a survey at the Mantua Art Festival to garner public opinion on future township amenities. A public hearing was held in
October. It was well-attended and provided officials with additional insight as to how residents envision their community. RPC will continue to work with Shalersville into 2011 to
realize their plans.
Portage County Subdivision Regulations
There were 63 subdivision applications and divisions of land to create 108 lots. There were
2 variances from the Subdivision Regulations.
Land Divisions and Subdivisions in Portage County 2010
Over 5 Acres
No. of Lots
Created by
Minor
Subdivision
No. of Lots
Created by
Major
Subdivisions
Total
Atwater
0
2
0
2
Brimfield
3
2
17
22
Charlestown
0
0
0
0
Deerfield
3
2
0
5
Edinburg
5
5
0
10
Franklin
1
3
3
7
Freedom
3
0
0
3
Hiram
2
0
0
2
Mantua
0
5
0
5
Nelson
2
0
0
2
Palmyra
7
0
0
7
Paris
2
0
0
2
Randolph
5
5
0
10
Ravenna
0
2
0
2
Rootstown
3
2
1
6
Shalersville
0
6
0
6
Suffield
2
2
11
15
Windham
0
2
0
2
38
38
32
108
Township
Total
Activities
PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT 2010
4
2010 PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT
Committees
Activities
Portage Revitalization and Economic Planning (PREP)
5
PREP began in March 2010 to encourage collaborative bridge-building between the local
governments. The group is comprised of planners, economic specialists and zoning
inspectors representing the various cities, villages, and townships. All of the Chamber of
Commerce organizations within the county are also invited and regularly participate.
PREP is striving to better Portage County by developing better relationships amongst the
communities and create a stronger communication network. Through the sharing of
“PREP and VIP are about
information and ideas, PREP members hope
sharing information and
to foster more partnering in the pursuit of
common goals.
ideas to build a stronger
Visioning in Portage (VIP)
community.”
VIP is an effort to develop the first county-wide vision and comprehensive plan. This
project is to develop the big picture of what we want to be as a community. We want to
work to improve the overall quality of life and to establish goals and implementation
strategies to get us there. This will be an on-going process that will continue to take shape
in 2011 and beyond.
Special Projects
GIS Asset Mapping
As a new member of RPC, the City of Ravenna requested RPC’s
assistance in an Asset Mapping project. The project involved matching
data from the County Auditor’s office to parcel data using Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) technology. The project gives the Economic
Development office a greater understanding of the location and types of
businesses in the city, aids in identifying vacant commercial land, and
becomes a basis for an ongoing inventory of commercial and industrial
land and business. Asset mapping has also allowed us to be able to catalog on an excel spreadsheet all the non-residential uses within the City
of Ravenna. The spreadsheet allows us to quickly cross-reference the
different properties and types of uses. It can also help to track the evolution of an industry or business within the city.
PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT 2010
Farmland Preservation
Two applications for AEPP funding were submitted by
Regional Planning in 2010 and Donnie Gang’s Hidden Creek
Ranch in Rootstown Township was chosen for preservation.
This adds 48 acres to the 973 acres preserved in Portage
County since 2002 through this statewide program. The Portage County Commissioners act as the local sponsors for most
farms in AEPP and the Soil & Water Conservation District
monitors the farms annually on
behalf of the Commissioners.
“While the Portage area needs
business, industry, and places for
people to live, it also needs places
like Hidden Creek Ranch.”
—The Record Courier
Zoning
RPC reviewed and provided recommendations to townships on 16 zoning resolution text amendments and 2 zoning district amendments. The following
represents several types of zoning amendments in which RPC assisted:






Worked with Mantua Township to finish their zoning resolution. The document was
checked for consistency and new definitions were added as necessary. Several sections
are still under review before the resolution will be ready for adoption in 2011.
Approved, with minor changes, Palmyra Township’s proposal to add Small Solar and
Wind Energy Systems regulations and definitions.
Researched fowl/chicken codes nationwide to assist Shalersville Township in revising
rules regarding the raising of chickens and roosters.
Assisted Brimfield Township with a proposal to add new requirements to regulate
outdoor hydronic furnaces.
Reviewed and approved the addition of a zoning matrix to Ravenna Township’s zoning
resolution. The matrix proved to be user-friendly and will assist those unfamiliar with
zoning codes to quickly determine key lot requirements for new construction or redevelopment.
Approved Rootstown Township’s text amendment to regulate the height of fencing
around swimming pools.
Activities
Hidden Creek Ranch
6
2010 PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT
Grants
Activities
Surface Water Improvement Fund (SWIF)
7
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
awarded a Surface Water Improvement Fund
(SWIF) Grant to Portage County to construct
two bio-retention cells in the Regional
Planning Commission’s parking lot. The grant
was chosen from 132 applications; only 19
were awarded statewide. The cells will serve as
a demonstration project to educate officials
and residents about green infrastructure,
which helps to protect water quality by
slowing and filtering storm water run-off from
urban parking lots and streets before it enters
the city’s storm water system. Several
meetings will be held to showcase the project
and signs will be installed to explain the
design concepts. The plants for the
bio-retention cell were donated by Terry
Montz’s company, Innovative Elegance.
Bio-retention cell construction, April 2011.
Planting trees in the bio-retention cell, April 2011.
PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT 2010
Intergovernmental Reviews
The purpose of an Intergovernmental Review is to make sure that a particular project will
not duplicate the goals of other projects or funding for other projects. Reviews ensure that
projects are necessary; that they do not negatively impact the environment; and that they
will benefit the community as a whole. In 2010, RPC coordinated Intergovernmental Reviews of 4 federal and state grant applications from units of government and nonprofits that
affect Portage County, totaling $6,569,626 in project funds. Grant applications included
requests for funds for infrastructure, housing, and economic development.
Project Title
Applicant’s Name
Total Federal
Dollars
Total Project
Cost
Local
Rootstown Villas
Neighborhood Development
Services, Inc.
$600,000
$4,783,858
Kent Gateway Project
City of Kent
$921,600
$1,126,000
$1,521,600
$5,909,858
TOTAL LOCAL
Areawide
Economic Development
Planning Program
NEFCO
$154,884
$309,768
Rural Business Enterprise Grant
Neighborhood Development
Services, Inc.
$175,000
$350,000
$329,884
$659,768
TOTAL AREAWIDE
Statewide
TOTAL STATEWIDE
‫ـ‬
$
Local-2
Areawide-2
Statewide-0
Grand Totals
$
-
Total Federal
Dollars
Total Project
Cost
$1,521,600
$5,909,858
$328,884
$659,768
$
-
$1,851,484
$
Activities
2010 Intergovernmental Reviews
-
$6,569,626
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2010 PCRPC ANNUAL REPORT
Activities
Portage County Regional Planning Commission
9
Members
Atwater Township
Hiram Township
Danny Derreberry (1/1/10-Present) Steve Pancost (1/1/10-Present)
*Lynn Whittlesey (1/1/10-Present) *Norman Webb
Randolph Township
Susan White (1/1/10-Present)
*Dan Kolasky
Brimfield Township
Richard Messner
*Lisa Cotton
Hiram Village
Alan Donley
*Rob Dempsey
Ravenna Township
James DiPaola
*Pat Artz
Deerfield Township
Gale Diehl (5/25/09-2/8/10)
Herman Prevot, Jr. (5/10/10-
Mantua Township
Randall Alger (12/02-1/21/10)
Jason Carlton (1/21/10-Present)
*Sandy Englehart
Rootstown Township
Brett Housley (1/13/10-Present)
*Diane Dillon
2/28/11)
*Frank Voss (5/25/09-5/10/10)
Edinburg Township
Terry Montz
*John Stephens
Mantua Village
Ben Prescott
*Roger Hawkins
Nelson Township
Jeanne Harkai
*Tom Matota
Franklin Township
Sam Abell
*Ken Penix
Freedom Township
Jim Hammar
*Roy Martin (1/7/10-Present)
Palmyra Township
Sandy Nutter
*Robert MacGeorge (2/17/063/23/10)
*Bill Rohn (3/23/10-Present)
Garrettsville Village
Rick Patrick
*Nancy Baldwin (1/13/10-Present)
Paris Township
Tom Smith
*Ralph Graham
Portage County
Water Resources
Department
Harold Huff
*Jeff Lonzrick
Soil and Water
Conservation Office
James Bierlair
*Jennifer White
Shalersville
Nancy Vines (1/1/10-Present)
*Dennis Bujak
Portage County
Engineer
Mickey Marozzi
*Dan Jendrisak
Suffield Township
Mark Frisone
*James Demboski (1/12/10-
PARTA
Doug Wagener
*Bryan Smith
Present)
Windham Township
Brian Miller
Portage County
Maureen Frederick
Christopher Smeiles;
*Doug McGee
Charles W. Keiper II;
*John Epling, Sr.
Portage Park District
Alan Orashan
*Chris Craycroft
Ex-Officio Members
Hiram College
Kent State University
PC Health Department
Habitat for Humanity
Home Builders Association
*Indicates alternate member.
Officers/Executive Committee
Tom Smith, Chairman (3/10/10-Present)
Randy Alger, Chairman Pro Tempore (1/13/10-2/1/10)
Richard Messner, Vice Chairman (3/10/10-Present)
Todd Peetz, Secretary
Alan Orashan (4/14/10-Present)
Charles W. Keiper II (6/9/04-12/31/10)
Jim DiPaola (3/10/10-Present)
Sandy Nutter (3/10/10-Present)
Terry Montz (3/10/10-Present)
Portage County Regional Planning Commission
124 N. Prospect Street
Ravenna, OH 44266