Columbiana County Land Use Plan – FAQs

WHY A LAND USE PLAN IS BEING DEVELOPED NOW:

·         The first Columbiana County Land Use Plan was done in 1968.

·         In the 1990’s the Commissioners and the County Planning Commission asked that it be revised but the plan developed by Youngstown State University in 1996 was not adopted because it lacked sufficient citizen input.

·         In 1998 the Ohio Department of Development created the Farm Land Preservation Plan and allocated $10,000 to each county to develop the plan that would be incorporated in a Land Use Plan but Columbiana County did not act at that time because of an embezzlement scandal and other pressing issues.

·         The current effort was initiated in 2004 at the request of the County Planning Commission and with the support of the County Commissioners, the County Farm Bureau and the Columbiana Soil and Water Conservation District.

WHY A LAND USE PLAN IS NEEDED:

• Most Columbiana County townships and unincorporated areas lack an overall vision or plan for how land resources should be used in the future.  This makes it hard to attract new business or residential development.

• Without good planning Columbiana County residents risk being “unlucky victims” of the future, and bad land decisions cost everyone money.

• Without this plan Columbiana County agricultural landowners cannot take advantage of any of the government’s farmland preservation programs.    

• Unincorporated areas of the county and townships are most vulnerable to poor land use decisions. A well-designed land use plan can “red flag” areas within a subdivision where certain types of development could be problematical.

• Good planning requires the involvement of all residents and time. In this case as much as 18 months may be required to collect relevant information. Good planning requires that the relevant information be assessed through a public process, and the plan be written after much deliberation and thoughtful consideration.

  WHAT THE PLAN CAN DO:

• The Land Use Plan is a plan for future development of the land.

• The plan is not a regulatory document but is to be used as an advisory document on future development by the townships, County Planning Commission and other public and private entities. 

• The process examines all land and natural resources to determine the best uses, based on soil types, ground water resources, and other environmental factors that will achieve the kind of future that community residents desire.

• The plan will help maintain or improve the quality of life for all residents.

• The plan will help protect individuals’ investment in their homes and economic livelihood.

• The plan will help protect natural resources.

• The plan will help make the community more attractive to outside businesses, industries, developers and individuals.

THE PLAN’S GOAL IS:

• Make Columbiana County a desirable place to live, work and visit.

• Support the various types of farms and agricultural uses of our land as viable

and desirable resources and recognize the value and importance of land as a resource.

• Help promote orderly development of infrastructure to support industrial, commercial, educational, cultural and recreational development. 

• Help preserve rivers, streams, lakes, forests, wildlife habitat and open spaces to protect the environment and provide recreational opportunities.

• Provide direction to help maintain and grow a prosperous Columbiana County economy; be it agricultural, industrial, commercial, or travel and tourism.

• Ensure a safe and healthy environment with effective public utilities, infrastructure and safety services for all who live, work in or visit the county.

   HOW THE PLAN WILL BE DEVELOPED:

• The plan will be developed by community volunteers using available maps and data, and input from the public gleaned from numerous open meetings held throughout the county as well as meetings with township officials, landowners, business and the development community.

• The Land Use Task Force will use the Columbiana County 1996 Land Use Plan compiled by Youngstown State University and the County Comprehensive Plan of 1968 as templates.

• Betty Sekula, who shepherded the Mahoning County Land Use Plan to adoption, will be an hourly paid consultant (max $2,000) advising on plan content, meeting with townships, subdivisions and individuals identified by the steering committee for plan input and reviewing draft plan reports and advising on plan status and issues as requested.

• The plan is expected to be completed by June 2007, and the completed plan will be presented to the Columbiana County Commissioners for adoption.

HOW WILL THE PLAN WORK:

• The plan seeks to promote orderly development in the county because poorly planned development wastes taxpayers’ money.

• The plan will act as a consultative document for the County Commissioners and County Planning Committee.

• The plan may be used by those considering locating business or industry in the County.