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Baltimore Village council untables and adopts annexation ordinance for 83.346-acre Keller tract with amendment preserving township zoning
Summary
Council voted to untable and adopt Ordinance 24-23, approving annexation of about 83.346 acres owned by the Keller family into Baltimore Village, and amended the ordinance to preserve the property’s existing township zoning classification until any future rezoning.
Baltimore Village council voted to untable and adopt Ordinance 24-23 to annex roughly 83.346 acres owned by the Keller family, adding language to preserve the property’s current township zoning classification until any future rezoning process occurs.
The village solicitor told council he had spoken with the Keller family, who said they have had no negotiations with developers and had turned down a separate proposal from a telecommunications company to place a tower on the tract. The solicitor also said the family wants to retain the existing mix of township zoning — approximately one-third commercial and two-thirds agricultural — and asked that the ordinance allow the property to retain those zoning categories until any village rezoning process occurs.
Council members discussed whether the village should delay action so the property could be considered later in a broader economic-development agreement with the township. Proponents said annexation preserves the option for the property owners to seek village utilities and development; opponents expressed concern about expanding the village’s service obligations without more concrete development plans. The ordinance was amended to specify that the tract “shall be classified as being in the district which most closely resembles the zoning classification that exists in Liberty Township for the tract,” maintaining the commercial and agricultural split on annexation.
Motion and adoption: The sponsor moved to adopt Ordinance 24-23 as amended; a second was recorded. The motion carried and the council adopted the ordinance after discussion and amendment.
Ending: With passage, the property becomes part of the village and remains under the existing township-equivalent zoning classifications until and unless a future rezoning is pursued. The council did not establish a binding timeline for any future economic-development agreement with Liberty Township; staff and trustees indicated they will continue intergovernmental discussions.
