1. Zoning

Section Navigation:

1. Agricultural Zoning

2. Residential Zoning

In the Darby Watershed most communities have some type of zoning in place to control the allocation and development of land.  However, communities are not required to have zoning regulations.  The Ohio State University Extension Agency of Community Development outlined the “purpose and nature” of zoning in Figure 61 as listed below.

Adapted from: Stamm, John. 1999. Ohio State University Extension.

Zoning can be a powerful tool to control and plan for future changes in communities, but is often under utilized or not properly updated.  It is important for communities to recognize the importance of zoning. 

a. Agricultural Zoning 

Agricultural Zoning is a special form of zoning that allows farmers and rural communities to protect and maintain agricultural regions instead of just individual farms as with Agricultural Districts.  Protection of land for agricultural purposes is a legitimate zoning objective under the state planning statutes as described in the Ohio Revised Code (Hudkins, 1999).  Agricultural Zoning ordinance can be used to prevent the fragmentation of farms, the conversion of land to non-farm uses, and land-use conflicts.  A well-written Agricultural Zoning ordinance can protect agricultural producers from non-farm activities as well as residential zoning can protect housing areas from industrial factories (Hudkins, 1999).  Agricultural Zoning, much like agricultural districts, clearly defines the use of a parcel in the hope of reducing conflicts that may arise between farm and non-farm residents.  Agricultural Zoning limits the density of development and restricts non-farm uses of the land (Rohrer, 1999).  Agricultural lands can be zoned a number of different ways.  For example and A-1 designation may allow one home per 20 acres whereas A-2 land may require 15 acres for each home.  The density designations will vary from community to community.  In order for a community to enact agricultural zoning, a public hearing is held before a zoning resolution can be passed by local governmental officials.   The Madison County Comprehensive Plan, Zoning, and Farmland Preservation reverts all unincorporated areas to the A-1 or agricultural category.  Madison County is the only county in the watershed that has zoned land as agricultural or A-1 land.  All other counties place agricultural and rural land into a U-1 category or rural residential as in Franklin County . 

b. Residential Zoning

Much of the land in the Darby Watershed has few zoning limitations except in Madison County .  Madison County defines all land in unincorporated areas as agricultural land and focuses residential development to the cities and villages served by central water and sewer.  However, most of Union, Champaign , Logan , and Pickaway Counties have a U-1 zoning designation which simply defines the land as rural.  These areas have little protection from residential development except for a minimum lot size.  Typically between 1 and 1.5 acres of useable land is required for the placement of a single family residence with an on-site septic system in rural portions of the watershed.  In Franklin County the minimum lot size is 2.5 acres of useable land for the placement of residential unit on rural land.  This form of development fragments the landscape, can cause travel on main roads to be dangerous with the increased number of driveways, detracts from the rural nature of a region, and costs money.  In addition most soils in the watershed are not suitable for the placement of septic systems which can negatively impact water quality. 

Residential zoning is currently being updated in several townships as mentioned in the county narratives below.  The time and community effort placed into reworking zoning regulations is important in maintaining the resident’s desired lifestyle and community. 

Back to Table of Contents