The Balanced Growth Best Land Use Practices Workshop
Clermont SWCD held a Balanced Growth Best Land Use Practices Workshop on March 10, 2011 to promote awareness of the statewide Balanced Growth Program and build support for current balanced growth planning efforts in the Middle East Fork Watershed. Commissioner Bob Proud welcomed over 40 participants to the workshop and expressed the County's support for balanced growth planning and watershed protection.
Kirby Date, a landscape architect and community planner with Cleveland State's Countryside Program, was the keynote speaker. Ms. Date explained the link between land use and the quality of water resources and described how the Balanced Growth Program encourages jurisdictions to evaluate land use decisions based on impacts to local water resources. She later introduced the Balanced Growth Best Local Land Use Practices, which includes a variety of land use planning tools that can help communities achieve development and conservation goals. Ms. Date faciliated a hands-on exercise to allow workshop participants to explore the concepts of Conservation Development and Compact Development.
The workshop was very successul in building awareness and support for Balanced Growth. Workshop participants included township representatives, local planners, developers, builders, engineers, as well as representatives from local government departments, including the Farm Service Agency, Stormwater Management, Planning Commission and others. Participants indicated interest in future workshops; Clermont SWCD is considering holding another workshop later this year.
Special thanks goes to Union Township for use of the Civic Center. We would also like to thank Commissioner Proud, Kirby Date, Don Feller, Leslie Kohli, Peter McGarey and Mike Grever for presenting!
Click here to view or download copies of the workshop presentations.
Ohio Balanced Growth website
Project Background
In January 2010, the Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District and Clermont County Planning Department were awarded a grant through the Ohio Water Resources Council to develop a Watershed Balanced Growth Plan for the Middle East Fork, a sub-watershed of the East Fork Little Miami River Watershed. The Balanced Growth Program is a new statewide initiative designed to help growing communities balance development and natural resource protection through regional land use planning.
A Watershed Planning Parternship (WPP) has been formed to oversee the initial planning process from January 2010-December 2011. The WPP is comprised of representatives from each Township/Village in the planning area, along with representatives from public agencies and private organizations.
The Watershed Planning Partnership is working together to:
- Obtain community input/feedback
- Develop criteria to identify priority areas for development and conservation
- Develop implementation tools/strategies and incentives
- Submit draft plan for review by local jurisdictions
- Submit final plan for State endorsment
- Creata a WPP sub-committee to oversee implementation
The Middle East Fork Balanced Growth Plan will harmonize with and strengthen existing land use/growth management plans. The Balanced Growth Plan will also incorporate local watershed management plans, as well as transportation and sewer infrastructure plans.