Zoning Is Not A Passive Activity

Zoning is not a passive activity; it should entail the active engagement of our zoning personnel with property owners and developers in Sylvania Township. In the past, the township Zoning Department was very passive in its enforcement efforts in Sylvania Township, only reacting to direct complaints from residents and at times failing to require that the specifics of our zoning resolution be met by proposed projects. This created inconsistency in enforcement because the majority of property owners voluntarily complied with our rules while a few did not, giving the impression that enforcement was based on who you were or who you knew.

After restructuring the Zoning Department by hiring an experienced, educated and trained Director of Planning and Zoning, we have moved the Zoning Department in the right direction to help guide and support quality growth, development and redevelopment in Sylvania Township.

I do not envision the new structure of our Zoning Department to impede development but instead it is intended to help address the issues which come up with continued development and redevelopment, such as access management, traffic, transitional zoning (commercial near residential), construction standards and others. We owe it to those who are invested in our community to maintain our neighborhoods and zoning districts so that commercial, residential and industrial areas can thrive, co-exist and not negatively impact each other.