Liberty Trustee Meeting Notes May 2024

Disclaimer: Comments made by Trustee Todd Minniear are from his review select topics from public trustee meetings and other public meetings. Some comments are reporting of facts, while others are opinions that do not necessarily represent the views of the Liberty Township Board of Trustees. The official record of Liberty Township public meetings are contained in the minutes which can be obtained from the township website.

May 8, 2024 - The May 8th meeting was brief and mostly administrative.

One item of note was approved.

The Trustees voted and unanimously approved up to $45,000 to purchase and install a new shelter at Dudley Woods Memorial Park on Yankee Road. The previous shelter had deteriorated and was structurally damaged beyond repair. For safety reasons, it was demolished a few weeks ago.

Other Comments

Also discussed, the work to add a shelter and parking lot to Wilhelmina Park and a walking path connecting Liberty Park and Wilhelmina Park is nearly complete. This is a nice improvement to the use and walkability of these two parks. I encourage residents to explore and take advantage of our 8 township parks, which provide over 150 acres of recreation space (see park list here: https://www.liberty-township.com/614/Explore-Our-Parks).

Listen to the entire 5/8/2024 meeting here MEETING AUDIO

May 21, 2024 - The May 21st meeting was lengthy, with two zoning hearings; the Trustees approved both.

Zoning hearing summaries are below.

Case 1 - ZC24-004: McGill Smith Punshon, Inc. requested a Zoning Map Amendment from R-RE (Residential Rural Estate District) to a B-1 (Neighborhood Business District) for a 1.791-acre site. The subject property is located at 6744 Yankee Road across from the YMCA, just south of the Midpoint Library, under construction.

While a B-1 approval could allow for several business types, the applicant has stated the intent is to build a Montessori daycare.

I, Trustee Todd Minniear, recused myself from the hearing and did not vote on the case due to a potential business conflict of interest.

The request was approved.

Case 2 - ZC24-005: KSD Development, LLC requested a Zoning Map Amendment from R-SE (Residential Suburban Estate District) and R-PUD (Residential Planned Unit Development) to MU-PUD (Mixed Use Planned Unit Development) for a 39.034-acre site and a Preliminary PUD Plan that contains a commercial out-lot, flex space business condominiums and 70 single-family lots. The subject properties are located at 5330 Cincinnati-Dayton Road and 7724 Kyles Station Road.

This was a complicated development request and I won’t cover all the elements but here are my headlines.

I support the commercial development along Cincinnati Dayton in this area. First, we can use more products and services for township residents in this area. Second, and more importantly, we must begin making gains in business growth to support our tax base, reducing future property tax burdens on our residents.

However, I raised concerns about the residential plan in this case. The largest of which was the higher density/smaller lot sizes. I am of the belief that excessive density and population growth in the township is a risk to the livability in Liberty Township; crime, traffic congestion, taxes, and pressure on schools. Listen to the full hearing below.

In the hearing I argued for a lower density and larger lot sizes. This argument was not supported by others.

In the end, I voted to approve with my two fellow trustees. Why? Because our guiding document for development decisions, the Comprehensive Plan (written before my time on the board), more strongly supported approval than denial. Voting against the comprehensive plan could expose the township to legal challenge. Also, our citizen landowners need to know we will stand behind our comprehensive plan commitment.

So, how do we prevent the higher density from happening going forward? The board and township staff will review the Comprehensive Plan this year to ensure it aligns with the township's vision to maintain our upscale rural character. I believe a few impactful changes should be made. Stay tuned for when these important public conversations are scheduled.

Listen to entire 5/21/24 meeting here MEETING AUDIO

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