Findlay seeks more control of business locations

FINDLAY — Proposed new zoning rules would require several businesses to seek city approval before setting up shop, but they're not the only ones. Earlier this month, Findlay City Council's Planning & Zoning Committee voted to advance the proposal to the Findlay Planning Commission for further review. Once reviewed by the planning commission, the recommendations will return to the committee, if necessary, before moving on to Findlay City Council for a vote. Committee members include Dennis Hellmann, R-2, Dan DeArment, R-4, Jim Niemeyer, R-6, and Grant Russel, R-at-large, with Brian Bauman, R-5, chairman. Under the proposed new business zoning, fueling stations, oil change facilities, and small box retail stores, zoned "C2" commercial, would all be considered "conditional uses," meaning that the businesses would have to seek city permission before being established. Pawn shops, zoned "C2," had been included in the original conditional use language, but the committee agreed to remove them. Current zoning gives them the "inherent right" to operate within a "C2" zoning district, Matt Cordonnier, director of Hancock Regional Planning Commission, has said. Self-storage units, zoned "I-1" light industrial, would also be considered a conditional use, under the recommendation. The city already requires about 15 different types of businesses to seek permission to operate in the "C2" zoning district. The list includes sports and recreational facilities, bars, night clubs and taverns, funeral services, building material sales, drive-thru beverage stores, contractor equipment, rental and supplies, car washes, drive-thru lanes/windows, parking garages, off-premise signs, recreational vehicle sales, major automobile repair, borrow pits, mixed use commerical/residential and electric vehicle charging stations. Previous attempts to limit the establishment of small box retail stores in the city in 2022 were not supported by council. Regional Planning had asked the city to cap the number of small box retail stores to no more than four within city limits, or one store for every 10,000 Findlay residents. Established stores would have been grandfathered and allowed to remain in operation.