Updated Claridon Zoning Code Allows Mother-in-Law Suites
Amending a township zoning resolution takes time, thoughtful and collaborative township officials, public input, and advice from experts and legal counsel.
Amending a township zoning resolution takes time, thoughtful and collaborative township officials, public input, and advice from experts and legal counsel.
Claridon Township Zoning Commission blended all those together over the last year. The changes to the resolution, sometimes called a zoning code, took effect April 17.
Former Claridon Zoning Inspector Chris Alusheff, serving as a consultant, said there are a lot of legal updates and language changes in the new edition of the resolution, but three of the major amendments could affect homeowners’ decisions.
Mother-in Law Suites
One amendment allows “accessory dwelling units,” otherwise known as mother-in-law suites, providing they do not exceed 800 square feet and are attached broadly to the house or another accessory building — such as a garage — of equal or greater size on the same property, Alusheff said in a phone interview.
Construction of an AD unit requires a permit from the zoning department and from the Geauga County Building Department, just as any other accessory building, he said.
Other restrictions, outlined in the new zoning resolution, also apply, Alusheff said.
“It is supposed to be for family (members) of the property owner,” he said.
Home Occupations
Every township with zoning has a list of home occupations that are permitted in residential areas, called conditional uses.
Claridon added five different classes of home occupations, none of which include retail sales, Alusheff said.
A homeowner can run tree-trimming, landscaping, snowplowing or lawn care services from the home, can make craft and hobby items, such as those made in a wood shop, and may service heating, ventilation and air conditioning customers from the property, he said.
“The resolution still doesn’t allow retail use,” Alusheff said, adding there are also restrictions.
For instance, exterior storage of landscaping material is not allowed, setbacks for driveways and buildings must be approved and screening to protect neighbors is required, he said.
“This would be for a one-man operation,” Alusheff said. “If the business has a crew, they have to move it to a commercial property.”
A conditional-use permit and a hearing in front of the township board of zoning appeals is needed for those home occupations, said Joe Stenger, a zoning commission member.
Electronic Signs
Electronic signs may be installed, but are subject to restrictions, Alusheff said.
Although they can be lit, they cannot flash or be animated and, if the subject changes, each subject must appear for a minimum of 10 seconds before the next screen appears, he said, adding all signs require a permit before installation.
The zoning amendment process started with the township updating the land use plan, said Trustee Jonathan Tiber.
Working with the county planning commission, trustees arranged a presentation of the land use plan updating process more than a year ago, he said.
Residents were able to ask questions and view numerous tables and displays at the township community center, which explained the need for a land use plan and what it entails. Those attending learned a land use plan helps determine zoning regulations, inform Claridon Township Board of Zoning Appeals decisions, aids in qualifying for grants and provides statistics, charts and maps for a variety of uses.
Tiber said residents suggested several of the amendments during the land use plan update, particularly the mother-in-law suites.
By the time the zoning resolution amendments became law April 17, a handful of homeowners had already applied to create mother-in-law suites, Tiber said.
Aided by public suggestions and the land use plan, the zoning commission also had the advice of Dave Dietrich, a local zoning expert, as they wound their way through the zoning resolution, which has about 50 pages, Alusheff said.
“Our zoning resolution hadn’t had an overhaul in a long time. Dave worked with the zoning commission for about a year,” he said.
Stenger said he liked going through the zoning regulations and looking for loopholes and red flags.
“We wanted to get the resolution so it meets the culture of our residents,” he said in a phone conversation, adding the commission said trustees had a lot of insights, as well.
Stenger was recently hired as the township road superintendent.
Claridon has a variety of residents, and there are six or seven cul-de-sacs and a number of country roads, as well as 30 Amish families in the township. Many of those residents expressed their interests and expectations, Stenger said.
“We tried to accommodate everybody,” he said.
