There is strong agreement that developing policies to protect scenic views, scenic roads, and developing a stricter junk/blight ordinance are highly important to township landowners with over 90% of respondents supporting this policy.

 

Preserving historic buildings is important to over 80% of respondents with architectural controls and sign regulations of lesser priority (70%).

 

The environmental protection policies most strongly supported by landowners (over 80%) are addressing solid waste/recycling concerns, developing septic tank/drain field regulations; adopting groundwater protection measures; protection of farm and forest lands from development, and developing a noise ordinance.

 

Over 70% of landowners agree that policies should be developed to address the following concerns: oil and gas development; shoreline zoning; open space for new development; and stormwater drainage control.

 

A private road ordinance policy is needed according to a majority of landowners (55%).

 

Forty five percent of landowners agree that a park on each lake and river is needed.

 

The most supported growth management policy agreed upon by landowners is to concentrate development to preserve open space and rural character, (88%).

 

Over 70% of landowners agree that limiting residential and commercial strip development, and limiting the intensity of land use are good policies.

 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS

 

A number of possible development trends were discussed by the Planning Commission and included in the survey of stakeholders

(land owners holding in excess of 100 acres of land). These options were derived in part from the responses to the community attitude survey while others reflect newly emerging forms and methods of development. The advantages and disadvantages of each type of development types listed below were examined. Some of these development patterns reflect the types of development that occurred during the late 1800's and early 1900's. Others indicate types of development that are

 

 

 

 

2 - 7

 

 

occurring today. Still others are development options that have not been used to date in Forest Home Township. Appendix B contains the actual survey along with diagrams and commentary regarding the pro's and con's of each option.

 

1    Conventional style development following the Subdivision Control Act.

 

- This type of development consists of a number of residential lots smaller than one acre in size with the roads and utilities provided prior to construction taking place. This type of development has taken place in limited locations in the township in the past, most notable along Bellaire Highway south and east of Vandermark Road

 

2    Conventional style development avoiding the Subdivision Control Act.

 

This generally results in larger lots, most in excess of 10 acres in size that in some instances are further divided into smaller lots over time. In many cases these lots have irregular shapes and are difficult to service with utilities and community infrastructure. Long narrow lots and flag shaped lots often result along with high numbers of driveways fronting on major county roads rather than the driveways fronting on roads designed to handle small volumes of low speed local traffic.

 

3    Existing vacant, agricultural and forested land remain devoid of non-farm related structures.

 

Under this type of development pattern, only owners or employees necessary to work or manage the land for timber and agricultural purposes would live in those areas of the township that have good productivity potential.

 

4    Concentrated development around the Village of Bellaire.

 

This development pattern would encourage higher density development residential development and any commercial and service businesses to locate within or in close proximity to the Village. This development pattern would allow for an area for higher density, potentially smaller homes for the young and the elderly that would be located close to jobs, shopping and other amenities offered by the Village of Bellaire. It would have the effect

 

2 - 8