MOUNT VERNON — The Regional Planning Commission recently approved updates to Wayne Township’s zoning resolution, including a change for home occupations.
Township zoning chairman Mark Dumbaugh said the township has not updated its zoning resolution since May 2019.
The most significant update relates to conditional uses for home occupations in the ag/residential district.
Dumbaugh said that if a business is operated out of the home, regulations require the owner of the business to live in the dwelling on the premises.
“We currently have a limitation on percentages of what an accessory building can be used for the business and home occupation; we wanted to change that basically to 100% instead of 25%,” he said.
“We found that to be too restrictive in our township.”
The change is found on page 35 of the zoning resolution, number 5. In that same section, numbers 6, 9, and 14 are deleted.
Two other changes are on page 34. Number 2 is changed from “no more than two nonresidential onsite employees or volunteers engaged in the proposed use, in addition to the owners,” to “no more than 10.”
Additionally, number 4 is deleted.
Commission members approved several other resolution changes, primarily correcting typos and grammar and updating definitions.
Partial draft received for updated subdivision regulations
RPC Secretary Darrel Severns said the commission now has portions of the updated subdivision regulations to review. The commission contracted with Wendy Moeller of Compass Point Planning to revise it.
The Land Use Committee is reviewing six of the eight sections.
Severns said feedback will be mostly through RPC meetings until the public hearings.
“So you need to make sure your appointees attend,” he said.
RPC and the county commissioners both will hold hearings on the final draft.
“So there will be plenty of time for feedback from the public and any of you that want to chime in,” Severns said.
Land use chair Steve Bratton said the goal is to complete the revisions by midsummer.
One RPC member noted that Article 2 does not mention the planning commission’s authority. Additionally, Article 3 does not mention the township regulation or approval process.
Anyone who wants a copy of the draft updates can contact Severns.
Liberty Township representative Marta Hill asked whether the land use meetings are open to other commission members.
“ … I just think it’s a good idea for people to show up for the land use meeting and hear what’s being discussed because a lot of times I know in this meeting those details don’t necessarily get mentioned,” she said.
Severns said the land use committee will make suggestions and guide the process but said non-committee members are welcome to attend.
“But it is not a public hearing,” he said. “That’s where we have to have control, because as soon as we start taking comment from people that are not on the committee, then we lose control of the whole process.”
2026 officers and meeting time
Commission members will vote on officers at the March meeting. The current slate is:
•Chairman: Steve Bratton, Brown Township
•Vice Chairman: Jason Rogers, Hilliar Township
•Treasurer: Marta Hill, Liberty Township
•Land use chairman: Steve Bratton, Brown Township
The nominating committee will take nominations from the floor at the March meeting.
County Commissioner Barry Lester requested a quarterly attendance report from the commission.
“I think it becomes very imperative for me as I report to the other commissioners who’s attending and who’s not and how often they miss,” he explained.
Lester also requested that the meeting time be moved from 7:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. He acknowledged the 7:30 time accommodates farmers, but he also noted that several people told him they do not attend because of the time.
After discussion, members presented a petition requesting that the bylaws committee formally explore changing the meeting day and time.
Rob Clendenning of the Knox County Soil and Water District said contract extension offers will go out to participants in the state’s H2 Ohio program.
