'You have to plan for change' | Anderson Township drafts plan for future growth, housing and traffic safety

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Over the past year, Anderson Township leaders and residents have collaborated on drafting a new comprehensive plan. It's something the township does every five years to outline how the community could grow and change in the years ahead. Recently, a 208-page draft of the newest plan was completed. Sarah Donovan, the township's assistant director for planning and zoning, said residents helped shape the plan through surveys, public open houses and involvement on the steering committee. WATCH: See how Anderson Township residents helped shape the community's vision for the future New plan outlines Anderson Township's future She said township leaders use the plan as a guiding document. “When developers come in and have a proposal, we look at the comprehensive plan and say, 'Hey, does it match the community’s vision for the future,'" Donovan said. Donovan said one of the biggest focuses in the plan is housing. Right now, more than 90% of the township's existing housing stock is single-family homes. The plan recommends exploring more options, including the possibility of allowing modifications to existing homes and creating smaller starter homes. “We heard a lot of empty nesters and wanting to transition to smaller houses, and there just not being that housing stock," Donovan said. The plan also addresses safety concerns along one of the township's busiest corridors: Beechmont Avenue. From 2022 to 2024, there were 618 crashes within 80 feet of Beechmont Avenue. That's about 25% of all crashes reported in the township during that time. Resident Richard Wendel said it's become a clear problem. “I could talk all day about Beechmont," Wendel said. Wendel also served on the plan's steering committee. While Beechmont Avenue is controlled by the Ohio Department of Transportation, the plan recommends exploring ways to reduce problems along the corridor. That includes consolidating driveways, connecting parking lots between businesses and improving intersections and traffic signals. “Reducing the number of curb cuts actually makes it easier for pedestrians to just like walk around without the fear of being run over all the time," Wendel said. Beyond housing and traffic safety, the plan also emphasizes preserving Anderson Township's natural spaces, including trees, wooded hillsides and existing greenspace. The township's Greenspace Program currently protects about 780 acres, and the draft recommends strengthening tree-preservation efforts and tracking tree-canopy loss as development continues. Resident Susan Wheatley, another steering committee member, said it's important to manage climate concerns. "Anderson's lucky to have the green infrastructure or natural infrastructure that can already help manage these climate issues," Wheatley said. "So, let's not make it worse; let's make it better." The plan now heads to the township's zoning commission, then to the board of trustees. If approved there, the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission will have the final vote. “You have to plan for change, and that’s what this plan helps to do," Wendel said. More local news: Ohio expects $319M from Meta settlement, Butler Co. youth groups hope to benefit Former Sardinia officer says exposing police misconduct cost him his job 'Connecting Cultures: Cincinnati to Guatemala' airs Thursday at 8 p.m. on WCPO 9