June 10, 1999
Landowner seeks zoning change through annexation
By Erik Burriss
Staff Writer
Steve Ley, owner of American Armature Corp., came before the Tiffin Planning Commission Wednesday afternoon to discuss annexation of 28.6 acres north of US 224 along SR 18.
Hopewell Township has the area zoned for agricultural use. Ley wants to move American Armature from its 980 Morgan Ave. location to the site along SR 18.
He also is asking the city to annex about half of his 72-acre lot and zone it for commercial use. Ley plans to sell the remainder of the annexed area for commercial development.
"I really wanted the township to have the tax base," Ley said. He went on to say that Hopewell Township refused to change the property's zoning.
Hopewell Township Zoning Inspector Harold Kinn denied any knowledge of the proposal.
The main question planning commission members had was if American Armature's business &emdash; rebuilding industrial electric motors &emdash; was service, which could be done in an area zoned commercial, or manufacturing, which could not. The consensus among members was that American Armature could operate in a commercial zone.
In its other business, Mayor Bernie Hohman, the commission chairman, introduced a draft copy of a proposed new Tiffin Zoning Code.
The new code "gives more power to the planning commission," Hohman said, and makes zoning "more user friendly."
The new code would take several months to be approved.