I believe zoning regulations should reflect the conditions the residents like most about the area and support their vision for how it can be improved. I think our zoning text, which was written in 1994, is a decent attempt at this but changes over the last 23 years, along with some inherent oversights, demand that our zoning policy be updated.

Some of the changes I would push for as trustee are:

• The creation of a Historic District around the downtown area to support mixed-use development allowing for the intermingling of small retail shops, residential homes, and public services while protecting the historic charm of the town square.
• Adjusting setbacks and dimensional requirements to more accurately reflect the elements we all like about our township and not what suburban planners viewed as ideal 30 or 50 years ago. For example, all new homes currently require a 50 ft. setback from the road per the zoning text even though building or rebuilding a house this way in downtown Kingsville would drastically change the character of our streets.
• Cleaning up outdated sections of the zoning text dealing with things like satellite dishes, arcades, pools, signs, and cell towers.
• Possibly creating a new zoning district outside of the downtown area that is more in line with the larger 3-5+ acre lots that give our township it’s rural character.

I don’t think we need more or tougher regulations but rather just simply regulations that better reflect what we like best about our community. Our current zoning text states it best when it says the overall goal is to “promote a community that is residential in character with a rural and historical identity balanced by a strong local economy that supports essential services.”