MONCLOVA – Monclova Township Trustees agreed to send four proposed zoning text amendments to the Lucas County Planning Commission for review – just the start of a process that will include public comment before enacting any change.
“This is based on the many conversations we’ve discussed at these meetings,” said Trustee Barbara Lang during the March 16 meeting. “This is the formalization of that process.”
Zoning Administrator Eric Wagner provided a copy of these proposed amendments, which include:
• The Board of Zoning Appeals may set conditions governing lighting, screening, parking, landscaping and hours of operation when issuing a conditional use permit, with the effort to “protect the general health, safety and welfare of the community.”
•A definition and rules governing the use of auxiliary electric generators, including noise, screening, distance from adjacent properties (300 feet for commercial/industrial/multi-family and 20 feet for residential), and type of fuel used (only natural gas or propane).
•Limiting the types of businesses that locate in the Toledo, Maumee, Monclova Township Joint Economic Development Zone to those with permanent structures and a minimum number of employees. The goal is to avoid passive commercial uses with few or no employees, Lang said.
• Methods for notifying the public of upcoming hearings may now include on the township’s website and social media accounts, on ohiopublicnotices.com or in one or more newspapers of general circulation at least 10 days before the hearing.
The county will review and made recommendations on these text amendments and then forward them to the township’s Zoning Commission. The Board of Trustees will make a final decision. Public hearings will be held in each of the meetings to gather input.
During the meeting, the trustees also:
-Heard that a Little Free Library, donated and stocked by Anthony Wayne High School student Lila Hippert, was installed at Keener Park.
-Noted that additional seating and enhanced the speakers in the meeting room will accommodate what has been a higher than normal attendance rate the past several months.
-Approved a contract with Bowers Asphalt to repave 3.75 miles of roadway this summer, including streets in Wrenwood, Ridge at Wrenwood and Keystone Drive.
-Set a public hearing for a street lighting district in Stoney Creek Plat 5, lots 133-181, for Monday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m.
-Approved several purchases for the Maintenance Department, including: $163,163 for a Toro Groundmaster 5910 mower; $105,490 for a Case TV370B Track Loader; $15,978 for a Conrkhite 3621 HD split tilt deck trailer; $63,903 for a Ford F-250 4×4 crew cab pickup truck; $4,074 for Department of Transportation approved warning light package for the truck; and $17,889 for a Grassopper729T6 rear discharge mower. All of the purchases were appropriated in the budget for this year, said Fiscal Officer Gavin Pike.
-Set the Safety Township program for June 8-11 at Monclova Primary School, with the graduation set for Friday, June 12. Two-hour morning and afternoon sessions are available with a maximum of 30 spots per session. The fee is $30.00 per person.
-Heard Lang say that the Ohio House is considering establishing a Data Center Study Commission, and a substitute House Bill 646 includes the Ohio Township Association’s request to include a township representative on the commission.
-Thanked Dennis Luginbuhl for his 48 years of service with Monclova Township Fire and Rescue. He joined the department in 1977 and retired on Feb. 23.
-Authorized Fire Chief Matt Homik to advertise for bids on self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment.
-Approved a memo of understanding with the Northwest Ohio Fire Prevention Association to handle the annual fire safety inspections for mobile food vendors. The township will still conduct inspections when vendors set up in the area, but the annual inspections are much more detailed and time consuming, Homik said.
-Heard that Grim is working with the Lucas County Engineer and the city of Maumee to do a joint project on resurfacing of Black Road in 2028.
-Thanked township crews for extensive cleanup after the winds that knocked down power lines and blocked roads.
-Heard that the township had 137 runs in February.
-Learned that the fire inspector and firefighters who are going through advanced incident command training all attended a class at the Cleveland Auto Show to learn how to safely work around electric and hybrid vehicles. This information will be utilized to provide training for the entire department.
-Listened to Waterside resident Risa Sindel ask that the trustees govern with integrity and a “straight moral compass.” She added that many residents are keeping notes on trustees’ decisions regarding data centers and development.
-Listened to resident Jeannette Gammon urge Trustee Debbie Stevens-Laux to keep her campaign promise of doing what is best for the people.
-Learned that the post office building at 7959 Monclova Rd., a small portion of vacant land and the property lot for the post office were sold to Young Investment Properties. Both were previously owned by Lempak Properties Ltd.
-Learned that 2.6 acres at the northwest corner of Albon and Maumee Western were sold by Sky Group to Ridi’s. The property is zoned C-2.
