Comprehensive Plan
The Vision - Keeping Bath Township Rural
The vision statement of this comprehensive plan update is to “Keep Bath Township Rural”. The rural character of the Township is what has shaped Township development in the past and how the Township seeks to remain going forward. The open spaces, preserves, parks, and low-density developments within the Township are assets that contribute to that character. With that in mind, we cannot ignore the fact that development pressures within and around the Township are real and will continue in the future. Knowing this, the focus of this plan will be to identify areas where future development is most probable and develop strategies in those areas to limit, control, and shape future growth. By providing these strategies in these areas the Township will have tools at their disposal to maintain and enhance its rural character.
The goals of this Plan will mimic the goals from the previous comprehensive plan update in 2011. The goals are listed below.
- Rural, Single-Family Character
Goal: Low-density, single-family land use will continue to be the prevailing pattern in Bath Township, other than in the existing business or hamlet portions of the township.
- Protected Natural Resources
Goal: The valued natural resources of Bath Township, such as water resources, floodplains, riparian corridors, wetlands, soils, slopes, and tree canopies, will be preserved, enhanced, and mitigated from potential negative impacts of existing and future development.
- Open Space, Greenways, and Trails
Goal: Bath Township will have a connected system of preserved open spaces, greenways, and trails.
- Preserve and Enhance Hamlets
Goal: The hamlets of Ghent and Hammond’s Corners will be preserved, enhanced, and developed to have a vibrant historic hamlet atmosphere with enhanced walkability and accessibility.
- High Quality Corridors
Goal: State Route 18, Cleveland-Massillon Road, and the township’s Heritage Corridors will reflect high design quality in both the public and private realm.
- Sustain Neighborhood Values
Goal: The residential neighborhoods, including those abutting Route 18 along the southern portion of the township, will remain stable and attractive residential environments for families.
- Sustain Business Vitality
Goal: The businesses and nonresidential areas of the township will be a prime source of economic development for the community and will contribute to the strong sense of place that is Bath Township but shall be limited to those areas where business uses are recommended in this plan.
- Public Facilities that Reinforce Overall Growth Management Goals
Goal: Public facilities will be provided in a fiscally responsible manner with adequate levels of service and will be coordinated with land use planning and development decisions.
- Multi-jurisdiction Cooperative Planning
Goal: Land use planning and public facilities planning will be reviewed with adjacent and relevant jurisdictions and agencies, especially near township borders, to support complementary zoning.
- Sustainability
Goal: The township will continue to act as a role model incorporating sustainable practices within the township as well as embracing, educating, and encouraging sustainable development practices throughout the community.
February 2024 Steering Committee Meeting
At the February 2024 steering committee meeting the comprehensive plan consultant, Envision, was introduced to the steering committee. Envision reviewed the approach to the planning process, public engagement strategy, and plan schedule with the group. The presentation from this meeting is attached within the link below. Envision anticipates a 4-phase approach to this planning process with a draft plan document complete by the end of 2024. The anticipated plan schedule is illustrated below.
021424_Bath-Township-CP-SC-Meeting-1Presentation.pdf
Focus Area Determination
As the overarching mission statement for the Township’s comprehensive planning process is to “Keep Bath Township Rural”, a priority of this process was first to determine locations where development has occurred and where it is anticipated to spread in the future. By identifying these areas, the Plan can then develop strategies to control and restrict development to meet the desires of the steering committee and the general public.
In December of 2023 the steering committee completed a workshop to identify areas within the Township that they thought were vulnerable to future development. The committee was divided into three groups and each group was asked to highlight areas on the Township map in
- red that they considered “developed”;
- yellow that they considered “vulnerable” to further development; and
- green that they considered “rural” and did not anticipate future development.
Mapping from this workshop was consolidated and analyzed by the consultant team to identify focus areas for the comprehensive planning process. Five unique focus areas were identified all with distinct characteristics and different development characteristics.
The five focus areas are:
- Northern Cleveland-Massillon Road/Hammond’s Corners Hamlet
- Ghent Hamlet
- Ghent Interchange/Ghent Road Corridor
- Springside Drive/Montrose
- State Route 18/Medina Line Road
A map highlighting the focus areas is below.
Upcoming Public Participation Opportunities
There will be many opportunities throughout the planning process for public participation. Listed below are the upcoming public participation opportunities:
- Steering Committee Meeting – May 22nd @ 6:00 PM at Bath Township Hall
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
1997 Bath Township Comprehensive Plan
