Lakewood residents urge zoning commission to block 'Villas Indian Trace' PUD; trustees say case goes to zoning first
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Summary
More than a dozen Lakewood-area residents urged Fairfield Township's zoning commission and trustees on Nov. 12 to reject or delay a proposed rezoning to the "Villas Indian Trace" planned-unit development, citing traffic, sewer backups and incompatibility with existing R-1 lot sizes.
More than a dozen residents of the Lakewood subdivision and nearby streets used the Nov. 12 Fairfield Township Board of Trustees public comment period to press elected officials to stop a proposed rezoning to a residential planned-unit development known in filings as the "Villas Indian Trace" project.
Joshua Berger, who signed in first, told trustees the preliminary PUD plan (filed Oct. 20) "falls short of upholding the principles and standards outlined in our Fairfield Township plan," and asked that the zoning commission perform a detailed study of compatibility, traffic impact and community character before forwarding a recommendation. Gerald Peters said heavy rain earlier this year showed "our Butler County sewer system cannot handle any more traffic in that area," describing raw-sewer backups at his house. Multiple other speakers, including Dan Fisher and Scott Spate, criticized the proposed density (about three units per acre and lots as small as 6,000 square feet) and said the proposed units would be out of scale with existing R-1 half-acre lots.
Why it matters: The zoning commission, not the trustees, receives and initially decides on zoning applications; the commission's recommendation is advisory to the trustees. Residents urged the commission to delay a vote until traffic and community-impact analyses are complete and warned that higher density could strain public safety, sewer infrastructure and local schools.
What was said and next steps: Berger urged the zoning commission and trustees to "either delay a vote until further traffic and community impact study or veto and vote no to rezone from an R-1 to an RPUD." Trustee and staff responses in the meeting clarified that trustees had not yet received a final packet on the case because the zoning commission will hear it first on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. The Nov. 19 meeting has been moved to the SWOKA building at 3611 Hamilton Middletown Road to accommodate expected public attendance. Trustees and staff encouraged residents to present the same concerns at the zoning hearing; the trustees noted that the zoning commission is composed of appointed residents and that its meeting is the formal venue for initial consideration.
Officials also addressed timing and notice concerns raised by residents. The administrator explained the Oct. 20 filing date was the last day to get on the November zoning docket and that mailing schedules can cause notices to arrive shortly after election day. The trustees emphasized that the zoning commission will make a formal recommendation that the trustees must then consider within statutory timelines.
What to watch: The zoning commission hearing on Nov. 19 will take public comment and issue a recommendation to the trustees; if the commission forwards the rezoning, the trustees will hold their own public hearing and take a final action within statutory timelines.
