Strategic Planning Committee

On January 21, 2022, the Intel Corporation announced it would be making a $20 billion investment in microchip manufacturing plants in neighboring Jersey Township – a project that would impact the entire Central Ohio region – and which is just a few miles from Harlem Township. Township officials quickly understood that the development risks have never been greater.  In March 2022, the Board of Township Trustees appointed the Strategic Planning Committee to serve as their advisory body and hired a consulting firm, Crossroads Community Planning, LLC, to help identify specific strategies to implement the 2020 Comprehensive Plan, while acknowledging the fact that the Township is on the cusp of development.

In August 2022, the Strategic Planning Committee held a large Community Meeting to inform residents of the information gathered to date on the extent of these development pressures, particularly when paired with the extension of sanitary sewer service to the southern portion of Harlem Township from Columbus (in partnership with Delaware County and outside of Harlem Township's authority).  The upcoming availability of sanitary sewer service significantly impacts the types of growth pressures and development Harlem Township will see.

For the next several months, the Strategic Planning Committee held regular public meetings and drafted a Quick Strategy Guide to supplement the 2020 Comprehensive Plan.  The Quick Strategy Guide provides additional recommendations in the areas of land use, communications, and administrative capacity to outline steps that the Township should take to be prepared for these development pressures.

The Strategic Planning Committee held a further series of Community Meetings in January/February 2023 to present to Township residents the recommendations in the proposed Quick Strategy Guide.

The narrated presentation from these Community Meetings can be viewed here:
⏯ Harlem Township January 2023 Community Meetings Presentation

The Quick Strategy Guide was reviewed and recommended for approval to the Trustees by the Zoning Commission in February 2023, and adopted by the Trustees on March 22, 2023.

A PDF copy of the adopted plan can be accessed here:
2023 Harlem Township Quick Strategy Guide

Now that the recent series of Community Meetings has wrapped up, future meetings will continue to be on the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 PM.

The meetings are open to the public and are also available to attend via Zoom.  The Zoom link can be found on the Township website under Government / Official Notices / Public Notices, and also on the Township calendar on the main page of the website.

Meetings will be focused on the development of new and/or updated Zoning Regulations and other economic development tools as outlined in the Quick Strategy Guide.  The Strategic Planning Committee is an advisory body only and has no legislative authority.  Adoption of any Zoning Regulation changes or other economic development tools will follow appropriate procedures for adoption by the Board of Township Trustees, in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code.

We hope to see you at an SPC meeting soon!

2023
2023-05-16	Minutes
2023-05-02	Minutes
2023-04-18	Minutes
2023-04-04	Minutes
2023-03-21	Minutes
2023-03-07	Minutes
2023-02-21	Minutes
2023-01-03	Minutes