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BROOKFIELD -- Township trustees are trying again with a zoning issue that was defeated at the polls a year ago by 19 votes.
Shannon Devitz, a committee member promoting the levy's passage in the Nov. 6 general election, said she and other members have gone door-to-door to stress the need for having zoning in place in the township.
"There is currently no zoning regulations in place which will benefit the township,'' Devitz said.
Devitz said there are residents who say they don't want anyone telling them what to do with their properties. But any building or structure in agriculture of more than five acres in any district is exempt from abiding by zoning resolution, she said.
Zoning would include land-use zones, which regulate the location and size of buildings and other structures within those zones, ensuring their use is appropriate for the location, she said.
Zoning would also handle building, installation and demolition permits, regulation of outdoor signs, and removal of inoperable vehicles such as boats, trailers, sheds and other structures, she said.
Township trustees said zoning is needed so they can regulate land use and ensure industrial growth without infringing on homes. Lees said because there is no zoning in place, a person can have an attractive home and property ending up next to a junk yard.
The establishment of zoning was recommended in a comprehensive plan for the township done by Thrasher Engineering.
Trustee Ron Haun said the issue will ask residents whether they are in favor of or against having zoning guidelines in the township.
He said with zoning, there will be zoning maps to indicate what type of zoning and land use -- such as commercial, residential and agricultural -- is in an area and what guidelines must be followed within those districts. Zoning will tell where businesses and industry can be located, he said.
"If this passes, it will make it much easier for us to spur economic development," Haun said.
Brookfield is a "quasi-rural community," he said.
"Get the information and materials to the people. That is the key to getting it passed," Trustee Dan Suttles said.
Trustee Gary Lees said zoning would allow the township to work with other townships with joint economic development districts. Lees, who has served as a trustee for more than 20 years, said neighboring townships with zoning have been able to able to establish JEDDs.
"It is critical to have zoning in place for the future of the township," he said.
Trustees acknowledged that there are some residents who will never be convinced that zoning is needed even though Brookfield, along with Mecca and Mesopotamia, are the only Trumbull County townships with no zoning.
There have been several attempts to get zoning passed, including in November 2017, but the issue has failed each time. Zoning was rejected the first time in June 1982, in November 1985, May 1992, and then in November 2001.
bcoupland@tribtoday.com