Kearney Township
Wed., Nov. 4, 7 p.m. · Joint Township Board and Planning Commission meeting on the zoning-ordinance rewrite, with the township attorney, Township Hall, 4820 Aero Park Dr.
That meeting (Wed., Nov. 4, 7 p.m.) has passed. We’ll post what happened when minutes are out.
Before the board, and recent decisions
- Pending
Public hearing, 6 p.m., on a zoning change that would let Agricultural-district buildings with 14-foot equipment doors and living quarters upstairs be up to 40 feet tall, and add definitions of “Farm Structure” and “Residence/Dwelling.” The draft is in the commission’s Oct. 19 minutes.
- Pending
The board’s November meeting, moved from Nov. 9, is a joint meeting with the Planning Commission to discuss the zoning ordinance and its redraft with the township attorney. The township says the agenda will be available at the meeting.
- Approved
Recommended that draft rules for utility-scale solar and battery storage (sections 7.17 to 7.22) be updated as the township’s attorneys advised and prepared as a zoning amendment. Not adopted yet.
- Approved
Adopted Ordinance No. 09-14-2026, a zoning change in Centennial Hills, 5–0 roll call. Also approved removing and chipping a willow at the township’s Lake Bellaire access. A board member asked about a proposed data-center working group.
- Info
Shanty Creek Resort’s owner recorded a mortgage of up to $9.5 million with an Ohio bank, after a $7 million mortgage in April. The resort’s main parcels are in the township.
- Discussed
Discussed the need for a data-center moratorium; the supervisor is to follow up. No moratorium has been voted on.
- Info
Health Department staff updated the board on the TCE groundwater plume and the area covered by the Well First Policy.
- Info
A representative of Shanty Creek’s new ownership asked the commission chair about creating a planned unit development, the minutes say. Later minutes mention a cell tower at the resort; as of Oct. 19, no rezoning or special use request had been received.
- Approved
Approved ballot language for an extra-voted road millage (Resolution 04-06-2026), 5–0 roll call. The minutes don’t give the rate, the term or the election.
- Approved
Adopted the 2026–27 budget, 5–0 roll call, drawing $373,432 from the General Fund balance. Decided not to appeal FEMA’s new flood maps. The supervisor reported that the township attorney suggested adding a moratorium on data centers to the zoning ordinance “at some point.”
Projects in this township
- Shanty Creek Resort’s sewage plantPermits expired in 2020; phosphorus over the limit
When it meets
| Township Board | Usually the first Monday, 7 p.m., Township Hall, 4820 Aero Park Dr., Bellaire. November’s meeting moved to Wed., Nov. 4; then Mon., Dec. 7 |
|---|---|
| Planning Commission | Usually the third Monday, 6 p.m., Township Hall (Nov. 16 and Dec. 21) |
| Zoning Board of Appeals | Second Monday of January, 7 p.m., and as needed |
County commissioner: District 3, Terry VanAlstine. District map · What the county board decides
Where to find the records
Official website: kearneytownship.org
Take part
Township meetings are open to the public and start with public comment. Written comments go to the township clerk or, for zoning matters, the zoning administrator. Official notices of hearings are published in a print newspaper, which must also post them free on mipublicnotices.com. For a zoning request, neighbors within 300 feet are also sent notice by mail. Townships often post the notice on their own website too. We aren’t a paper of record (why). Know something we should look at here? tips@torchlakeobserver.com. A correction: corrections@torchlakeobserver.com.