Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Warren County Planning Director Michael Lyon explains a request for rezoning nearly 600 acres of Pleasant Twp. during a public hearing at the courthouse on Wednesday.

The former Pleasant Elementary School and several hundred adjacent acres were rezoned by the Warren County Commissioners on Wednesday.

The request was to change the zoning district from residential to ACR – agriculture, conservation and recreation.

Warren County Planning Director Michael Lyon said during a hearing prior to the decision that the request includes a total of 15 parcels and about 600 acres.

“Every single one of the parcels, the owners signed agreements to have those rezoned,” he explained.

Lyon told the commissioners that schools are permitted within a residential zoning district but that the “use of the large buildings” for other purposes is “not compatible” in that district. A deed restriction prohibiting the building from being used as a K-12 school “limits it even more.”

The Times Observer previously reported that the change was sought to allow the former school to become a warehouse.

In addition to the school parcel, Lyon said the request includes the parcel behind the school up to Elk Rd.

“Back in 1965, those parcels were zoned (residential),” he said, under the assumption that additional housing development may take place in the area. Over the last 60 years, that never happened.”

Lyon told the commissioners that the County Planning Commission recommended the change, and that staff have met with Pleasant Twp. officials who are in favor and that over 150 letters were sent to adjoining property owners.

“Our office has received probably a dozen calls, a couple people came in,” Lyon said. “Most are asking ‘how does this affect my property?’ I don’t believe we had anyone that was objecting to it.”

Commissioner Dan Glotz noted that the zoning designation will have no impact on taxation and said the notices were sent to all adjoining property owners within 300 feet of the parcels to be re-zoned.

“This is by far the largest number of letters we’ve sent out,” Lyon added.

He noted that rezoning the larger parcels results in a situation where the parcels that are farm land or forested are “more compatible” to the uses in an ACR district.

Some concern was expressed about whether the change would result in development on the larger tracts.

John Stewart, who owns the larger tract, said during the hearing that “we do not want to develop it into residential property.”

“The intent is no different than the current intent by the current property owners,” Zoning Officer Ben Mahaffey explained.

The commissioners approved the rezoning request without discussion.