(Publisher’s Note: Ken Prielipp was selected as the secretary of the Lima Township Planning Commission. This error has been corrected in the story.)
By Lisa Carolin
The Lima Township Planning Commission postponed taking any action on a preliminary site review for Cobblestone Farm at its Feb. 1 meeting via Zoom.
After nearly two hours of discussion, planning commission members voted unanimously to postpone approval of Application 2019-002 until there is a site plan showing a new barn.
Applicants Jim and Darlyn Daratony, who own the property formerly known as Reddeman Farms, requested the use of the existing barn through 2023, but commission members are giving them until October of 2021 at which time the status of the new barn will be reviewed. An annual review is built into the special use permit.
Issues include an agreeable timeline, capacity limits in the existing historic barn, and a further look at the definition of activities in the historic barn. It will be up to both the fire marshal and the commission as to how many people will be allowed in the barn at one time.
Several neighbors of Cobblestone Farm sent letters to the planning commission stating concern about noise from events that are permitted on the property. A special land use application states that there can be no more than 12 non-equestrian events per year, only low intensity recreation activities, and no amplified music permitted outdoors. Planning commission members want to be sure to define exactly what an equestrian event is.
Jim Daratony told the commission he would also like a driving range to be considered on the property.
The planning commission approved a preliminary site plan for Application 2020-003, the Coy family project land division. Ashley Coy owns close to 77 acres of land that he would like to divide among family members. Wetland delineation and stormwater management have complicated the project, along with the construction of a private road and erosion control methods.
In other action, the commission approved its 2021 meeting schedule and chose to retain current officers-Marlene Consiglio as chair, Ed Greenleaf as vice chair, and Ken Prielipp as secretary.
