The Windham Township Board of Trustees held more discussions on the zoning proposal that would reduce the required frontage of lots from 200 to 150 feet last Thursday evening at Windham Township Hall.
“I see the benefits for both the farmers trying to sell off lots and sell them for more,” said Trustee and Road Contact Brian Miller. “It is a challenge in the Township because 80% of our lots are non-conforming. The other problem in our Township is that we aren’t Hiram. Two-thirds of it is already gone because of the Arsenal.”
The Board had previously submitted a proposal to the Windham Township Zoning Commission that would reduce the frontage of lots from 200 to 150 feet but still had not heard back from the WTZC.
Trustee, Vice Chairman and Cemetery Contact Rich Gano said that he had previously reached out to Portage County Regional Planning Commission Director Todd Peetz for consultation but had yet to get a response. He added he planned to confer with several Zoning Inspectors throughout Portage County to gauge what other township’s policies were on the issue.
“Everywhere it is 200 feet,” Gano noted. “These open space and conservations are scenic by the hiking trail, the Cuyahoga River and the rapids and things like that. It opens it up a little more.”
Gano said he was not against keeping the frontage at 200 feet.
Board of Zoning Appeals Chairwoman Becky Phillips said if they reduced the frontage to 150 feet, there would not be as many applications for variances submitted.
BZA member Noah Kendrick offered his opinion that the frontage should remain at 200 feet.
“If it is bigger and wider, move out to Windham for the space,” he noted. “You don’t move to be cozy, especially in the Township.”
Gano said that he would do more research on the matter.
Miller informed the Board that township road workers had performed more work on the roads with a roadside mower, adding the sides of the roads look like lawns and that the roadside mower was functioning well. He added that the workers also sprayed around the newer road signs to keep the weeds down and did some weed whacking as well.
“The roadside sign is up on Gotham Road for the bridge,” he said. “We got a new one for the residents on that road.”
Miller told the Board that he reached out to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to assist with an errant tree branch that had fallen from one windstorm. He added that another resident on Gotham Road informed the road workers about a tree that had fallen. Although the workers removed most of it, there were still parts of it remaining, so he placed another call to the PUCO.
Miller’s report identified a ditch issue that had surfaced on Hopkins Road. A similar issue had occurred previously, and the solution had been to redirect the ditch, taking it to a conservation pond, which seemed to be the best option.
“Deepening the ditch for its whole length might work but the Windham-Nelson line already floods and the flooding might be worsened the whole length,” Miller acknowledged.
He informed the Board that it needed to pass a resolution for the Township to agree with Nelson and Garrettsville to resurface the road which they share.
Gano informed the Board that he was waiting to hear from Portage Marble & Granite to take the next steps in building a columbarium in the cemetery. He said that the company would provide a crane to assist with the construction. After they completed the structure, the Township would have a walkway and benches installed near the columbarium. Gano added the Township would be charged $3,858 for the use of the crane.
Phillips said that she was concerned that there would not be enough width in the cemetery to bring a crane in.
BZA Vice Chairwoman Tricia Kendrick inquired if the Township could provide residents with the option to purchase double units in teh columbarium.
Chairman, Fire Contact and Trustee Dan Burns told her that the Board did not have an answer for her.
“It is a great idea. I have not even thought about it,” Gano said. “You will have to pay for the engraving; it does not include your names. I think if you buy it, you are opening a door. I will do some more research.”
Burns asked Gano if he had heard anything about the status of a tree that needed to be removed in the cemetery before it fell on existing plots. Gano said he had heard nothing.
Miller informed the Board that he learned from Cemetery Sexton Jayme Neikirk that there were only 20 plots left in the cemetery. He added that there was more room in the back right side of the cemetery that was in the woods. He had requested an estimate to see how much it would cost to remove the trees and roll the stumps to clear the land, which was estimated to be between a half and a full acre.
He encouraged the Board to investigate how much it would cost for the project.
“Would you be able to cover that cost and how many plots can you put on that land?” Phillips asked him. “If you can’t recover the cost of clearing the land and selling the plots that the clearing the land would create, then what is the point?”
Burns read a report from Township Zoning Inspector Jake Sweet, which detailed the status of the property on Bryant Road, which was flagged as a nuisance because of overgrown vegetation and other debris.
Clean-up was ongoing on the property and Sweet’s report said that the property looked cleaner.
Burns informed the Board that BZA member Lynnea St. John had resigned from the BZA, effective December 31, 2026.
The Board accepted her resignation and will need to appoint a new member and two alternates. Fiscal Officer Casey Timmons said that she would place another advertisement in the paper.
Burns said that he did not receive a report from the Windham Fire Department but informed the Board that the firefighters had been training every Saturday lately instead of Monday. He added that the Fire Department had been going around the Township and checking on dry hydrants. Burns informed the Board that he knew that the Fire Department was applying for new grants and sent new recruits to the Fire Rescue 1 Academy.
Burns and Timmons updated the Board about negotiations with American Tower, which recently leased land in the Township to build a cell tower, but the Board had requested a new contract.
“We are just not agreeing to sign a new one; the Portage County Prosecutor told us not to do it,” noted Burns. “We are waiting for that from them. Our legal people said to not do anything until we get a new agreement. We are still getting our money.”
Gano said that prior to the beginning of negotiations, American Tower had not been aware that the Township owned the land that they leased.
Burns said that the Board had had received legal advice to request an additional percentage of money in the new contract on top of the bonus and monthly payments it received.
Timmons notified the Board that later in the month, the Middlefield Bank would become Farmers National Bank in a takeover. She said that if the Board wanted to transfer its accounts, it needed to close its sweep account.
“I think we should continue to keep $100,000 in our checking account,” she said. “Normally, what you do is that I deposit money through our operating account, so it is $100,000. Once the balance gets over $100,000, it sweeps it and puts in the money market account then we have money sitting in the money market account.”
The Board passed a resolution to fund the resurfacing of the portion of Hewins Road that it owns (44%) in the amount of $11,517.00. The balance of the resurfacing will be paid for by Freedom and Garrettsville which own the rest of the Road.
The Board will reconvene for its next meeting on Sept. 3 at Windham Township Hall at 6 p.m.
