Title: B.J. Alan Co. v. Congress Twp. Bd. of Zoning Appeals

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as 
B.J. Alan Co. v. Congress Twp. Bd. of Zoning Appeals, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-5863.] 
 
 
NOTICE 
This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in 
an advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports.  Readers are requested 
to promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 
65 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, of any typographical or 
other formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be 
made before the opinion is published. 
 
SLIP OPINION NO. 2009-OHIO-5863 
B.J. ALAN COMPANY, D.B.A. PHANTOM FIREWORKS, ET AL., APPELLEES, v. 
CONGRESS TOWNSHIP BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS ET AL., APPELLANTS. 
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it 
may be cited as B.J. Alan Co. v. Congress Twp. Bd. of Zoning Appeals,  
Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-5863.] 
Township zoning — R.C. 519.02 — Township’s adoption of county’s 
comprehensive plan upheld — Comprehensiveness of plan determined. 
(No. 2008-0306 — Submitted December 17, 2008 — Decided  
November 12, 2009.) 
APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Wayne County, No. 07CA0051,  
2007-Ohio-7023. 
__________________ 
 
PFEIFER, J. 
{¶ 1} We address today the “comprehensive plan” requirement of R.C. 
519.02.  R.C. 519.02 allows township trustees to create, by resolution, zoning 
regulations to cover the unincorporated portions of townships.  The statute 
requires such zoning resolutions to be “in accordance with a comprehensive 
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plan.”  This case presents the question of whether the comprehensive plan 
required by the statute must be a plan developed by the township itself or whether 
the township may rely on a comprehensive plan created at the county level.  We 
hold that a countywide comprehensive plan can fulfill the “comprehensive plan” 
requirement of R.C. 519.02. 
Factual and Procedural Background 
{¶ 2} This case arises out of the attempt of appellees, B.J. Alan 
Company, Phantom of West Salem, Inc., and Zoldan Family Ohio Limited 
Partnership (collectively referred to as “Phantom”), to construct and operate a 
state-licensed fireworks store at the intersection of Interstate 71 and State Route 
539 in Congress Township in Wayne County.  At the administrative level, 
Congress Township zoning regulations thwarted Phantom in its attempt to build 
the store. 
Congress Township Zoning Resolution 
{¶ 3} Congress Township has an area of approximately 43 square miles 
and a population of about 4400.  http://www.city-data.com/township/Congress-
Wayne-OH.html.  Three incorporated villages lie within the township: West 
Salem, Congress, and Burbank; collectively they account for less than two square 
miles of land area and less than half of the total township population.  (Area and 
population 
data 
for 
the 
three 
towns 
is 
found 
at 
http://www.city-
data.com/city/Burbank-Ohio.html, 
http://www.city-data.com/city/West-Salem-
Ohio.html, and http://ohio. hometownlocator.com/oh/wayne/congress.cfm.) The 
bulk of the residents of Congress Township reside in the 41 square miles of 
unincorporated areas of the township. 
{¶ 4} In 1992, Congress Township established the Congress Township 
Rural Zoning Commission to create a zoning resolution that would cover the 
unincorporated areas of the township.  The commission’s chairman at the time, 
William Cletzer, testified that the commission had relied upon the Wayne County 
January Term, 2009 
3 
 
Comprehensive Plan in drafting the zoning resolution: “We actually, we used the 
Wayne County comprehensive plan as our comprehensive plan, to follow suit in 
their planning of an agricultural county for agricultural use.”   Township electors 
approved the zoning resolution in 1994. 
{¶ 5} The zoning resolution contains two zoning districts: A-Agricultural 
and B-Business/Industry.  The zoning district map, incorporated into the zoning 
resolution, designates all land in the unincorporated areas of the township as A-
Agricultural; no land is mapped B-Business.  This meant that although the zoning 
resolution allowed B-Business/Industry development, no landowner could simply 
obtain a zoning certificate for such development from the zoning inspector.  
Instead, a landowner seeking to undertake business or industrial development 
would have to either apply to the zoning commission for a change of district 
boundaries on the zoning map or seek from the board of zoning appeals a 
variation from the zoning resolution. 
Fireworks 
{¶ 6} When Phantom purchased the property in question, it knew that the 
land was zoned A-Agricultural.  Still, Phantom applied for a zoning certificate for 
its fireworks store.  The zoning inspector denied that application, and Phantom 
subsequently filed an appeal and request for a use variance with the Congress 
Township Board of Zoning Appeals (“BZA”). 
{¶ 7} The BZA held an evidentiary hearing on November 20, 2006.  At 
the hearing, Phantom urged the board either to overrule the zoning inspector’s 
decision to deny a zoning certificate or to grant Phantom a use variance.  Phantom 
also argued that Congress Township’s zoning resolution violated R.C. 519.02 
because it was not in accordance with a comprehensive plan, both because 
Congress Township did not have its own comprehensive plan and because the 
resolution contained only one zoning district and was therefore “by definition * * 
* not zoning in accordance with the comprehensive plan.”  Following the hearing, 
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the BZA affirmed the zoning inspector’s decision denying the zoning certificate 
and denied Phantom’s request for a variance. 
{¶ 8} Pursuant to R.C. Chapter 2506, Phantom appealed that decision to 
the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas.  On June 15, 2007, the trial court 
affirmed the decision of the BZA.  Phantom appealed that decision, and the court 
of appeals reversed the trial court. B.J. Alan Co. v. Congress Twp. Bd. of Zoning 
Appeals, 9th Dist. No. 07CA0051, 2007-Ohio-7023.  The appellate court held that 
the trial court erred in affirming the BZA’s opinion “because the township’s 
zoning resolution is an invalid exercise of the township’s authority under R.C. 
519.02.” ¶ 11.  The court based its decision on its finding that Congress Township 
lacked a comprehensive plan: “In the absence of a comprehensive plan, a 
township zoning resolution is an invalid exercise of the township’s authority 
under R.C. 519.02.” ¶ 12.  The court pointed to Cletzer’s BZA hearing testimony 
that the township did not have its own comprehensive plan but that the 
commission “looked to the Wayne County comprehensive plan and ‘molded or 
formed’ the township resolution ‘based on that plan.’ ” ¶ 14.  The court found that 
the county plan that Congress Township had relied upon did not set forth goals or 
recommendations specific to Congress Township: “The Wayne County 
comprehensive plan reports submitted as part of the record are from 1977 and 
note that Congress Township is one of nine townships in the county which were 
merely requesting rural zoning at that time.  The county comprehensive plan does 
not set forth goals or recommendations specific to Congress Township.” Id.  The 
court concluded: “Because the zoning resolution does not regulate the use of 
unincorporated township land in accordance with a comprehensive plan, the 
resolution is invalid. * * * The trial court ignored the requirement of R.C. 519.02 
that the township resolution be adopted ‘in accordance with a comprehensive 
plan.’  The failure of the township to have a comprehensive plan renders the 
zoning resolution invalid.” ¶ 16. 
January Term, 2009 
5 
 
{¶ 9} The cause is before this court upon the acceptance of a 
discretionary appeal. 
Law and Analysis 
{¶ 10} First, we consider whether a township must develop its own 
comprehensive plan in order to conform to the dictates of R.C. 519.02, or whether 
the township may rely on the comprehensive plan developed by its county.  
Second, we determine whether the Wayne County Comprehensive Plan 
constitutes a comprehensive plan for purposes of R.C. 519.02. 
The Comprehensive-Plan Requirement of R.C. 519.02 
{¶ 11} R.C. 519.02 allows for zoning in unincorporated areas of 
townships.  It provides: 
{¶ 12} “(A) * * * Except as otherwise provided in this section, in the 
interest of the public convenience, comfort, prosperity, or general welfare, the 
board [of township trustees] by resolution, in accordance with a comprehensive 
plan, may regulate the location of, set back lines for, and the uses of buildings and 
other structures, * * * and the uses of land for trade, industry, residence, 
recreation, or other purposes in the unincorporated territory of the township, and 
may establish reasonable landscaping standards and architectural standards 
excluding exterior building materials in the unincorporated territory of the 
township.” 
{¶ 13} R.C. 519.02 requires a township’s zoning resolution regarding 
unincorporated areas of the township to be “in accordance with a comprehensive 
plan.”  The parties agree that Congress Township did not have its own 
comprehensive plan in place at the time it created its zoning resolution.  But this 
is not a significant fact under R.C. 519.02, despite the appellate court’s contrary 
determination.  R.C. 519.02 does not require that a township create its own 
comprehensive plan – it requires only that a zoning resolution be “in accordance 
with a comprehensive plan.” (Emphasis added.)  To require each township to 
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create its own comprehensive plan is to read additional language into R.C. 519.02.  
We cannot do that: “In matters of construction, it is the duty of this court to give 
effect to the words used, not to delete words used or to insert words not used.” 
Cleveland Elec. Illum. Co. v. Cleveland (1988), 37 Ohio St.3d 50, 524 N.E.2d 
441, paragraph three of the syllabus. 
{¶ 14} Congress Township asserts that it did follow a comprehensive 
plan: that created by Wayne County.  But the appellate court found that the 
countywide plan did not set forth goals or recommendations specific to Congress 
Township, and held that it thus could not function as a comprehensive plan that 
would meet the requirements of R.C. 519.02.  We find that the court erred in 
making that determination. 
{¶ 15} Countywide planning is encouraged by law in Ohio.  Counties are 
equipped for developing broad, big-picture plans encompassing all the 
communities within their jurisdictions.  R.C. 713.22 allows for the creation of 
county planning commissions; R.C. 713.23 sets forth their powers and duties: 
{¶ 16} “(B) The duties of the planning commission include, but are not 
limited to: 
{¶ 17} “(1) 
Preparing 
the 
plans, 
including 
studies, 
maps, 
recommendations, and reports on: 
{¶ 18} “(a) Regional goals, objectives, opportunities, and needs, and 
standards, priorities, and policies to realize such goals and objectives; 
{¶ 19} “ * * * 
{¶ 20} “(c) The general pattern and intensity of land use and open space; 
{¶ 21} “(d) The general land, water, and air transportation systems, and 
utility and communication systems; 
{¶ 22} “(e) General locations and extent of public and private works, 
facilities, and services; 
January Term, 2009 
7 
 
{¶ 23} “(f) General locations and extent of areas for conservation and 
development of natural resources and the control of the environment; 
{¶ 24} “ * * * 
{¶ 25} “(2) Promoting understanding of and recommending administrative 
and regulatory measures to implement the plans of the region; 
{¶ 26} “ * * * 
{¶ 27} “(4) Contracting with and providing planning assistance to other 
units of local government, councils of governments, planning commissions, and 
joint planning councils; coordinating the planning with neighboring planning 
areas; cooperating with the state and federal governments in coordinating 
planning activities and programs in the region; 
{¶ 28} “(5) 
Reviewing, 
evaluating, 
and 
making 
comments 
and 
recommendations on proposed and amended comprehensive land use, open space, 
transportation, and public facilities plans, projects, and implementing measures of 
local units of government; and making recommendations to achieve compatibility 
in the region; 
{¶ 29} “(6) 
Reviewing, 
evaluating, 
and 
making 
comments 
and 
recommendations on the planning, programming, location, financing, and 
scheduling of public facility projects within the region and affecting the 
development of the area; 
{¶ 30} “(7) 
Undertaking 
other 
studies, 
planning, 
programming, 
conducting experimental or demonstration projects found necessary in the 
development of plans for the region or county, and coordinating work and 
exercising all other powers necessary and proper for discharging its duties.” 
{¶ 31} County planning commissions are charged with creating a 
framework for development within a county.  A county or regional 
comprehensive plan can address zoning goals like conservation and controlling 
sprawl that townships within the region share but cannot achieve alone.  The 
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countywide view accounts for the interrelationship of communities and marshals 
resources and expertise.  We thus conclude that a county comprehensive plan that 
sets forth county land-use goals and recommendations can constitute a 
“comprehensive plan” for purposes of R.C. 519.02. 
Wayne County Comprehensive Plan 
{¶ 32} The next question is whether the Wayne County plan is a 
comprehensive plan and whether its breadth includes Congress Township. 
{¶ 33} The Wayne County Regional Planning Commission created the 
Wayne County Comprehensive Plan in 1977.  At the time of the development of 
the plan, the county estimated its population at 102,051; its 2008 estimated 
population is 113,812. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/39169.html.  
Less than 2 percent of the 555 square miles in Wayne County consists of urban 
areas. Ohio Historical Society, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec= 
2032. 
{¶ 34} The over-200-page plan makes numerous recommendations for all 
of Wayne County, including Congress Township.  In developing the plan, the 
commission prepared separate reports titled “Community Facilities and Land 
Use,” “Land Use Plan,” “Regional Housing,” and “Land Use and Housing 
Implementation.”  The plan highlights the importance of regional planning:  
{¶ 35} “The purpose of a regional comprehensive development plan is to 
provide a blueprint for the region’s urban and rural development.  It must be 
comprehensive in three ways: (1) Areawide – it must cover the entire region, (2) 
time wise – it must cover the short and long term future, and (3) subject wise – it 
must cover urban , rural, agricultural and natural resource aspects. 
{¶ 36} “ * * * 
{¶ 37} “ * * * This plan is general in nature and yet it recommends 
specific direction and magnitude to urban growth and retention of rural lands. * * 
* This will provide an equitable basis for staff recommendations and Commission 
January Term, 2009 
9 
 
decisions on public and private investment policies.  It also provides a basis for 
zoning and subdivision decisions which are not possible without an adopted plan. 
{¶ 38} “This adopted plan is a guide for the next several decades of 
development in Wayne County.” 
{¶ 39} The overriding goal of the plan is to retain the rural character of 
the county.  The plan’s proposed regional land-use and development goals include 
the retention of “the better agricultural areas, as exclusively as possible, for food 
and fiber production,” the direction of additional urban growth “in and around 
existing centers to provide economies of scale to benefit present and future 
residents,” including “economies in land use, utilities, investments and services,” 
and the improvement of the quality of the environment “through reasonable water, 
air and solid waste solutions.” 
{¶ 40} The plan states that in conjunction with the comprehensive plan, 
the regional planning commission has drafted a model zoning text for the 
townships in Wayne County to use, which included recommended districts, lot 
dimensions, and administration procedures.  The plan also sets forth a zoning-
adoption procedure for townships. 
{¶ 41} The plan includes numerous references to Congress Township.  It 
introduces Wayne County Planning Areas, “discrete units which will be used 
throughout this study for the purpose of detailed population and housing analyses 
of the Wayne County region.”  The plan notes that “[t]he Areas were aggregated 
based upon economic, social, and physical similarities among the political units 
within each; they have been used for discussion of local planning and zoning 
issues.” Id.  Congress Township is in the Northwest Planning Area, an area 
described as one of the “key sectors” the plan recommends for distribution of 
federal low- and moderate-income housing-assistance funds.  Congress Township 
is included in the comprehensive development plan maps and regional strategy 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
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map for housing.  The plan also discusses the effect of Interstate 71 on Congress 
Township. 
{¶ 42} We conclude that the Wayne County Comprehensive Plan presents 
a thorough study of the region and sets forth comprehensive land-use goals for the 
county.  Further, it demonstrates an intent to include Congress Township within 
its purview.  Therefore, we conclude that the Wayne County Comprehensive Plan 
constitutes a comprehensive plan for purposes of R.C. 519.02. 
Conclusion 
{¶ 43} Our decision today is limited.  We have determined that a 
countywide comprehensive plan can meet the comprehensive-plan requirement of 
R.C. 519.02 and that pursuant to that statute the Wayne County Comprehensive 
Plan qualifies as a comprehensive plan encompassing Congress Township.  
Among the issues we have not determined today is whether the Congress 
Township zoning ordinance is indeed “in accordance” with the Wayne County 
Comprehensive Plan.  Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the court of 
appeals and remand the matter to that court for further consideration consistent 
with this opinion. 
Judgment reversed 
and cause remanded. 
 
MOYER, C.J., and LUNDBERG STRATTON, O’CONNOR, O’DONNELL, 
LANZINGER, and CUPP, JJ., concur. 
__________________ 
Roetzel & Andress, L.P.A., Stephen W. Funk, and Paul W. Lombardi, for 
appellees. 
Manley Burke, L.P.A., Timothy M. Burke, Emily T. Supinger, and Daniel 
J. McCarthy; and Martin Frantz, Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney, and 
Katherine Gallagher and Latecia Wiles, Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys, for 
appellants. 
January Term, 2009 
11 
 
Loveland & Brosius, L.L.C., Donald F. Brosius, and Peter N. Griggs, 
urging reversal for amici curiae Ohio Township Association, Ohio Farm Bureau 
Federation, Inc., and Wayne County Farm Bureau. 
Nick A. Selvaggio, Champaign County Prosecuting Attorney, and Scott D. 
Schockling, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, urging reversal for amicus curiae 
Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys’ Association. 
Berns, Ockner & Greenberger, L.L.C., Sheldon Berns, and Gary F. 
Werner, urging affirmance for amicus curiae Ohio Home Builders Association. 
Law Office of Gary E. Powell and Gary E. Powell, urging affirmance for 
amici curiae American Planning Association and Ohio Planning Conference. 
______________________