Kettering planning commissioners approve lot consolidation for Spalding Road Church of God with conditions

The Kettering Planning Commission on Dec. 16 approved a record plan to consolidate two parcels at 1658 Spalding Road belonging to the Spalding Road Church of God into a single 7.095-acre lot, subject to conditions that include adding a 20-foot storm sewer easement, sealing the plat by a surveyor and coordinating with utility and county reviewers.

The decision matters because the consolidation resolves an existing lot-line nonconformity and formalizes access and utility easements for a property that straddles the municipal boundary with the City of Dayton, according to City Planner Ryan Hamzy. "The staff recommendation is that the planning commission motion to approve the record plan case number PC-24-016 with the following conditions," Hamzy said during the meeting.

City staff presented a map showing the subject property and explained that although the church will access Spalding Road across a small rectangular piece in the City of Dayton, the consolidated parcels within Kettering total about 7.095 acres. Staff noted a 6-inch water line that appears in the City's system to serve a fire hydrant but is for practical purposes privately maintained, and asked the applicant to add a 20-foot storm sewer easement over an existing pipe, retain a 15-foot ingress/egress easement across the parking lot and clarify several notations labeled "10-foot easement" on the draft plat.

"I move that the applicant's request for approval of a final record plan for the Spalding Road Church of God be approved with the following conditions," Commissioner Ray Waskey said when making the motion, which the commission then approved by roll call.

Under the commission's approval, the applicant must: add the storm sewer easement requested by Kettering's engineering department to the final mylar; have the plat drawing sealed by a surveyor; and agree to coordinate with and adhere to any recommendations by the city engineer, Montgomery County and other utility reviewers. Staff clarified that the opportunity for utility reviewers to recommend changes will sunset three weeks after the planning commission's approval of the record plan.

Commissioners asked no substantive follow-up questions about the plat and received no public comments during the meeting. The commission also unanimously approved the minutes from the Dec. 2, 2024 meeting earlier in the agenda.

The planning commission's action does not authorize any building or other development beyond the record-plan approval; staff noted one prior conversation with the church about a potential storage building for food pantry activities but said no imminent development is known. Final signatures from the planning commission will be provided after the applicant certifies the record plan and satisfies the listed conditions. The commission adjourned at approximately 7:14 p.m.; staff said meetings may be limited in January and are expected to resume a regular two-meetings-per-month schedule in March.