Section 519.141. Conditional zoning certificates for surface mining activities

(A) If a township board of zoning appeals considers conditional zoning certificates for activities that are permitted and regulated under Chapter 1514. of the Revised Code or activities that are related to making finished aggregate products, the board shall not consider or base its determination on matters that are regulated by any federal, state, or local agency. However, the board may require as a condition of the approval of a conditional zoning certificate for such an activity compliance with any general standards contained in the zoning resolution that apply to all conditional uses that are provided for in the zoning resolution and, except as provided in division (C) of this section, may require any specified measure, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

(1) Inspections of nearby structures and water wells to determine structural integrity and water levels;

(2) Compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations;

(3) Identification of specific roads in accordance with division (B) of section 303.141 of the Revised Code to be used as the primary means of ingress to and egress from the proposed activity;

(4) Compliance with reasonable noise abatement measures;

(5) Compliance with reasonable dust abatement measures;

(6) Establishment of setbacks, berms, and buffers for the proposed activity;

(7) Establishment of a complaint procedure;

(8) Any other measure reasonably related to public health and safety.

(B)

(1) Prior to the submission of an application for a conditional zoning certificate, an applicant, in accordance with division (B) of section 303.141 of the Revised Code, shall send written notice to the county engineer of the applicant's intent to apply for a conditional zoning certificate. The county engineer and the applicable board of county commissioners shall proceed in accordance with divisions (B)(1) to (3) of section 303.141 of the Revised Code. As provided in division (B)(3) of that section, the applicant or an affected board of township trustees may submit written notice of appeal regarding a decision of the board of county commissioners under division (B)(2) of that section.

(2) An applicant or a board of township trustees that submitted written notice of appeal under division (B)(3) of section 303.141 of the Revised Code may appeal a decision of a board of county commissioners under that division to the court of common pleas of the county in which the activity is proposed to be located or expanded pursuant to section 2506.01 of the Revised Code.

(C) When granting a conditional zoning certificate, a township board of zoning appeals shall not require the identification of specific roads, as otherwise authorized in division (A)(3) of section 303.141 of the Revised Code, and the identification of specific roads in accordance with division (B) of that section shall not apply, for any of the following:

(1) The transfer of unfinished aggregate material between facilities that are under the control of the same owner or operator;

(2) The loading or unloading of finished aggregate product within a ten-mile radius of a surface mining operation;

(3) The expansion of an existing surface mining operation when the specific road that is used as the primary means of ingress to and egress from the operation will be the same road that is used for that purpose after the expansion of the facility.

(D) The identification of specific roads in accordance with this section and division (B) of section 303.141 of the Revised Code to be used as the primary means of ingress to and egress from a proposed activity becomes effective only upon the granting of a conditional zoning certificate.

(E) As used in this section, "surface mining operation" has the same meaning as in section 1514.01 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 04-06-2007