Leadership Medina County holds discussion on future land use

GRANGER TWP. — Medina County public officials discussed the importance of smart development in the county's future to meet residents' needs while preserving the county's rural character. Leadership Medina County invited the public to a land-use discussion, which was held at Allardale Park on Friday. Jeff Holland, the founder of the Medina County Land Conservancy, led attendees in a hands-on land-use exercise. Participants were tasked with developing an oddly shaped parcel of land. The first time, participants were challenged to fit as many 2-acre lots into the space, and the second time they were given more freedom to change the density and preserve green space. "I've done the activity at least 20 times, and every time I do it, every table decides they're not going to do 2-acre zoning," Holland said. "They're going to leave a significant amount of the land open for preservation, and it's not allowed in most townships in Medina County. Why is that? Folks take charge. If this is what people want, do it." Commissioner Steve Hambley provided a history of land use in Medina County. He said northern Medina County was once projected to grow to the size of Akron in population. "That never happened because people decided it wasn't going to happen," he said. "Property owners, as well as zoning, as well as the local process, said that's not the direction we want to take. That's the message: What is the direction we want to take?" Director of Planning Services Denise Testa said smart growth comes from collaboration, and strategies can be implemented to affect the availability of affordable housing. The average permit for a new single-family home in Medina County is now over $400,000. "How do we balance development and maintaining our agriculture, maintaining our parks, which is why people move here, but also giving more opportunities for housing diversity within our communities, so that our families, our children, our parents, our grandparents can age in place?" she said. Medina County also recently developed a land bank, which could have an impact on affordable housing, Testa said. "One of their priorities is to identify parcels that may have current houses on them that might be uninhabitable, remove those houses and then rebuild a house on that parcel," she said. "It's reusing the land we have." A discussion was also held regarding ways the county can make it more attractive for farmers to keep their land as farmland rather than develop it. Medina County Park District Director Nate Eppink said in 2026, the park district has more than 500 acres of land being farmed by local farmers. "They pay $1 a year for that agreement, and the benefit is mutual," he said. "They're able to keep land in production, and it costs us a lot of money to develop a park to restore a farm field. While they're farming it, they're keeping out the invasive species that would only cost even more to develop because of the aggressive plants." Testa said the county received a $45,000 land-use planning grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and the commissioners have pledged $5,000 for the local share. "That guides the community's future development by outlining decisions, goals and policies for land use, infrastructure and public facilities in relation to our agricultural land," she said. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.