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This spring we were fortunate to have with us Darren Hood, an intern from the University of Akron School of Geography and Planning. To help determine the status of conservation planning and zoning measures in Northeast Ohio, Darren conducted a telephone survey of our 219 target communities in the region. There is a lot going on in this field right now, and continuing to stay in touch with communities as they implement planning measures will be an important task. In the meantime, here is a summary of what Darren found.

Survey Overview
The 219 target communities include all 127 townships in the region, plus 59 villages and 33 cities which still contain open land that could be developed. Of these, we were able to reach 100 townships and 75 municipalities.

Overall Zoning and Planning
Of the 175 communities we spoke to, only 1 village and 12 townships have no zoning or planning measures in place. All of the others have taken some steps to influence land use. 51 townships have comprehensive plans in place or in progress, 40 of them since 1996. 57 municipalities have comprehensive plans in place or in progress, 41 since 1996.

Conservation Development Zoning
Our standard for residential conservation development requires at least 40% of the land be retained in open space. Of the communities we spoke to, 12 townships and 11 municipalities have adopted zoning that meets this standard. In addition, 4 townships and 6 municipalities have zoning that does not meet this standard, but has at least a 30% open space requirement. An additional 11 townships and 3 municipalities have residential conservation development zoning codes in progress.

Other Conservation Provisions
Many communities throughout the region have implemented measures to restrict development’s impact on natural, agricultural and historic resources. Of the communities we spoke to, 17 townships and 28 municipalities have some restriction on floodplain development. 10 townships and 11 cities have river and stream buffers, ranging from 20 feet to 1000 feet wide. 6 townships and 10 municipalities restrict development on steep slopes, starting at 10% to 25% as the minimum slope affected. Other provisions include restrictions on impacts to: woodland (6 municipalities, 1 township); wetlands (1 municipality); erosion/drainage (1 township); farmland (2 townships); historic resources (2 municipalities. In addition, four communities have multi-faceted provisions intended to protect a range of resources, including wetlands, floodplains, woodlands, etc.

Conclusion
In the five years since the Countryside Program’s inception, we have seen a definite change in communities’ knowledge about, and interest in, planning and zoning measures which can help to conserve resources, while allowing development to occur. Comprehensive planning is the most critical step, as it is necessary to develop a sound, logical framework for zoning that is well-thought out and supported by the community. Once policies and priorities for conservation and development are set in the comprehensive plan, zoning measures can be implemented to help encourage quality development which will ensure the community’s long-term economic prosperity, while enhancing the quality of life. The results of the survey indicate that many Northeast Ohio communities are doing just that — and we will all benefit from their actions in the long run.