Comprehensive Land Use Plan

What will Sugarcreek Township look like in 5, 10 or 15 years from now?

A community's long-range land use plan sets the stage for how development, if planned, should occur. It addresses issues of land use and also provides direction on transportation, housing and a variety of other topics. In 2023, Sugarcreek Township began work on updating the plan governing development in the township. Updates to the plan were necessary to ensure that it was in concert with current policy and to capture changes in conditions that may have altered the assumptions and forecasts used to develop the previous plan last updated in 2013. At the first meeting of the advisory group tasked with reviewing and proposing updates to the plan, it became evident that the overall goals of the 2001 plan (reinforced in 2013 update) had seen little change. Issues addressed in the 2025 update include the evaluation of land uses in certain planning areas.  The eight Planning Areas were maintained almost entirely intact, except for changes to the floodplain map impacting the boundaries of Planning Area 6: Little Miami Corridor.  Changes to the boundaries of Planning Area 1: Northcentral Sugarcreek were also made.  Here all the acreage planned for neighborhood retail/service uses at the Feedwire/Upper Bellbrook Road, the South Alpha Bellbrook/Upper Bellbrook Road, and the Pine Court/Feedwire/Upper Bellbrook Road intersections were brought into Planning Area 1, moving a handful of parcels from Planning Area 8: South Alpha Bellbrook into Planning Area 1.  This plan update acknowledges the success of the 2013 plan in addressing annexation threats, sets the stage for additional development in key areas of the township, and introduces a little more clarity and guidance regarding connectivity and planned road improvement projects.  Finally, this plan discusses property taxes, taking a deeper dive into historical patterns locally versus where the township falls regionally.  The fundamental concepts embodied in the plan are threefold. First, as development occurs in the coming 20 years, the inherently attractive rural character of the township should be retained and protected. Second, the township’s zoning regulations should ensure that there are options for more diverse housing choices to promote housing diversity and affordability that accommodate the needs of all of the township’s population groups. Third, development should be arranged to minimize the costs associated with the delivery of public services and capital investment in infrastructure, thereby protecting the taxpayer's interest and the township's fiscal health

2025 Long-Range Land Use Plan (PDF)

Comments or questions may be directed to Cara Tilford via email.