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Spencer Township seeks rezoning of 38-acre Shaffer Road property

Spencer Township officials are seeking to rezone an almost 38-acre property off Shaffer Road from industrial use back to residential, which was the property’s original zoning when it was bought by the township.

“I just don’t see anything industrial going in that area,” said Spencer Township Trustee Michael B. Hood.

During a Lucas County Plan Commission meeting Wednesday, the rezoning proposal was presented to and approved by the commission. Jacob Barnes, zoning inspector for Spencer Township, said next the request will go to the township zoning commission and then ultimately will be decided on by the trustees.

“They just want to return the zoning back to residential,” Mr. Barnes said.

According to county planning records, the township acquired the property, at 10900 Shaffer Road, in 2018. The site sits west of the Westwinds Industrial Park but also borders residential areas and Metroparks Toledo land.

Mr. Hood said officials looked into trading the site to the Metroparks for a portion of land that organization owns within the industrial park.

“We were going to trade 38 acres we had for 38 acres in Westwinds,” he said.

Scott Carpenter, spokesman for Metroparks Toledo, said there were no formal discussions between the Metroparks and the township regarding the trade.

“The land we own, that they inquired about, was purchased with a Clean Ohio Fund grant and had a deed restriction that would have made it difficult if not impossible for us to give up,” he said.

Shawn Valentine, Spencer Township trustee, said without the Shaffer Road property, there are few other options for industrial expansion within the township. And in the long-term, not focusing on industrial expansion would, he believes, be detrimental.

Originally, Mr. Valentine said the Shaffer Road property was going to be an annex of Westwinds.

“There’s really not any room left in our industrial park,” Mr. Valentine said. “[The Shaffer Road property is] one of the few things Spencer Township has left to develop for industrial capacity.”

Mr. Valentine’s trustee term expires on Dec. 31 and he did not seek reelection. On Nov. 2, Steven Kester was elected to the board.

Mr. Hood said he anticipated that the issue would be before the trustees and a final decision made by the end of the year.

Posted By: The Toledo Blade on November 17, 2021.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.

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