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Township plans joint commercial review, business outreach; Butler County and fire department to present
Summary
Morgan Township will ask Butler County building reviewers and the fire department to present guidance for commercial-plan review; trustees also approved a plan to survey businesses in Shandon and Okeana and invite them to an August meeting.
Morgan Township zoning trustees agreed to seek guidance from the Butler County building department and the township fire department on commercial plan review procedures and to launch a survey and outreach to local businesses in Shandon and Okeana.
At the meeting Zoning Administrator Dale Marshall told trustees that Butler County offered to present the county's plan-review flowchart and answer questions; trustees asked for the county to emphasize items the township should review before sending plans to Butler County. "If there's stuff we can be looking for to catch before it gets there, it can make everybody's life easier," Trustee Brandon said.
Trustees asked the building department to focus on lot layout, setbacks, stormwater/retention concerns, lighting and parking, and any practical checklist items the township could use as a preliminary local review. Several members said the county is already rigorous on building-code details (ADA, plumbing, electrical) and that the township should not replicate that work; instead they want to concentrate on land-use issues the township is most likely to spot on site visits.
Separately, the board authorized a business outreach plan: Marshall will send a SurveyMonkey questionnaire in June targeting business owners in Shandon and Okeana, compile results in July, and invite interested business owners to the board's August 6 meeting. Trustees said the survey will ask what township actions would help local businesses operate more smoothly and whether the board can help with zoning or other local issues. Trustees mentioned interest in revitalizing commercial strips, pursuing grants, and identifying possible projects (for example, sidewalks) though they acknowledged funding and staffing would be required.
The board also scheduled a fire-department presentation and a Butler County visit: trustees planned a June meeting with county staff to discuss plan-review guidelines for residential and commercial projects, and the township will host the fire department in October to review updates and levy promotion plans.
Trustees said the steps aim to improve pre-submittal review, reduce rework for applicants, and give the township a more effective local check before plans go to county review.
