The residents needed 308 valid signatures to add a referendum to the ballot, and 585 were filed, according to the Board of Elections.
The commissioners voted in June to approve the rezoning of 42 acres in Mad River Township from an agricultural district and a rural residence district to a planned district residential to be used for a housing development proposed by Hillside Creek Farms LLC, a development company, on the corner of Stine and Enon-Xenia Rd. for 160 new homes.
Michael Baer, a Hillside Creek Farms development partner, did not return a request for comment on the development.
Kathleen Baber, who helped spearhead the initiative to file petitions for the referendum, noted a few major concerns that community members have in regard to the project deal with stormwater drainage, the overall density of the proposed development and increased traffic to the area that would result from the new housing.
Drainage issues in particular created from previous developments have been ongoing for years, she said.
Baber and other Mad River Twp. residents gathered in early July to discuss the development project, with more than 60 people attending the meeting. Out of the pool, Baber said, 42 people said they would like to see a referendum on the rezoning on the ballot this fall, while five opposed the inclusion of a referendum, with the remaining portion of attendees being unsure.
In under a week’s time, Baber and other volunteers gathered more than 600 signatures by setting up petition stations and canvassing the area.
“Not everyone who signed the petition has made up their minds about how they will vote in November,” Baber told the News-Sun, “but they all wanted a voice in the matter.”
Baber warned that she and others who led the petition filing are unsure of what language the referendum will include, and thus she and others are waiting to create signage and other materials alerting residents of the area to the referendum.
Several other communities in Clark and Champaign counties also have issues on the ballot. They include issues for both counties’ health districts, school renewal levies, money for fire and EMS, roads and bridges and operations.
Issues on Clark County ballot. List may be updated
| Jurisdiction | Purpose | Type | Length | Increase | Millage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmony Township | EMS | Renewal | 5 years | no | 1 mills | |
| Southeastern Local School District | School | Renewal | 5 years | no | 3.69 mills | |
| Tecumseh Local School District | School | Renewal | 5 years | no | 2.13 mills | |
| Clark - Shawnee Local School District | School | Substitute | 12.5 mills | |||
| Clark County Combined Health District | Health | Replacement | 5 years | 1 mills | Excludes the city of New Carlisle | |
| Village of Enon | Police | Renewal | 5 years | no | 2.5 mills | |
| Village of Donnelsville | Operating | Renewal | 5 years | no | 7 mills | Including the Village of Clifton |
| Green Township | EMS | Renewal | 5 years | no | 1.5 mills | |
| Green Township Fire District #2 | Fire | Additional | 5 years | 2 mills | ||
| Bethel Township | Fire | Renewal | 5 years | no | 2 mills | Unincorporated Area. Including the Village of Donnelsville |
Issues on Champaign County ballot. List may be updated
| Jurisdiction | Purpose | Type | Length | Increase | Millage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign County Health District | Health | Renewal | 5 years | No | 0.4 mills |
| Northeast Champaign County Fire District | Fire and EMS | Replacement | 3 years | 4.5 mills | |
| Mechanicsburg Exempted Village School District | Gernal permanent improvements | Additional | Continuing | 3 mills | |
| Mad River Township | Fire | Renewal | 5 years | No | 0.5 mills |
| Rush Township | Roads and Bridges | Renewal | 5 years | No | 1 mills |
| Salem Township | Fire and EMS | Renewal | 5 years | No | 3 mills |
| Wayne Township | Roads | Renewal | 5 years | No | 2.5 mills |
About the Author
