Posted: 12:00 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014

Land to be rezoned near Atrium Medical Center

By  http://www.journal-news.com/staff/ed-richter/" rel="nofollow - Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — 

    About 112 acres of land located along Shaker Road near Atrium Medical Center is set to be rezoned to provide greater economic development opportunities, officials said.

    Middletown City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance for the rezoning recommended by the city Planning Commission and a public hearing held Dec. 16. Council will consider the request for approval next month.

    If the land is approved to become a Business Center Flex District, it would provide for light, clean industrial uses that complement the remaining business uses throughout the district as well as allowing limited residential development and protecting existing and future residential areas from the impacts of industrial development.

    According to a city staff report, the parcel at 2927 Shaker Road is owned by Mad River Investments and is primarily used for agricultural purposes with a portion being heavily wooded. A single family house and several agricultural buildings are on the property. It is one of several contiguous parcels owned by the company that are already in the Business Center Flex District. All of their properties along the city limits have a combined total of about 209.5 acres.

    The Business Center Flex District would permits uses including administrative and professional offices, convention and banquet facilities, civic and institutional uses, education and recreation, medical clinics, nursing and assisted living facilities, industrial research and experimental product development, and limited manufacturing and fabrication, electronics, medical products, and pharmaceuticals. The BCF zone also conditionally permits, with Planning Commission approval, uses such as retail sales and restaurants mixed with development of permitted uses.

    All of the Business Center zones carry extensive architectural and landscaping requirements as well as screening and buffering requirements.

    The 2007 Middletown East End Master Plan did not anticipate the annexation of this property to the City and therefore did not address this portion of the property for future use of the land. The property was annexed in 2008 and received its current zoning designations shortly afterward. The current Franklin Township Land Use Plan does not address the Mad River property since it is outside of its jurisdiction, however the property that borders to the north and east are indicated as industrial as the future land use.

     If approved it would provide a unified zoning classification for the properties as well as allow for development to benefit the economic bases of the city and the Franklin City School District along with the creation of new jobs for the region. Officials also said the re-zoning could reduce the amount of potential residential development and increase traffic on Union Road.