The Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan

The Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan was endorsed by the Ohio Lake Erie Commission on September 28, 2009. CRWP and Chagrin River watershed communities collaborated to develop the Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan (pdf 14.7MB) and the Chagrin River Watershed Balanced Growth Plan Guidance Document (pdf 1.2MB) to advance the implementation of best local land use practices.

This Plan helps to achieve the goals and objectives of the Lake Erie Balanced Growth Program, the Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan, the Chagrin River Watershed Action Plan, and promotes the conservation and development goals of Chagrin communities. From 2006-2009, CRWP worked with a Balanced Growth Steering Committee and Chagrin River watershed communities to:

• Develop criteria to identify Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs) and Priority Development Areas (PDAs),
• Gain local input on draft maps and revise PCA and PDA maps each watershed community,
• Designate PCAs and PDAs in each community through a resolution,
• Identify implementation measures for each community to realize the PCA and PDA designations as defined in this Plan.
• Incorporate the balanced growth planning concepts and PCA and PDA designations into community comprehensive land use plans.
• Draft this Plan for endorsement by the State of Ohio.

As PCA and PDA maps were drafted and revised, CRWP and the Balanced Growth Steering Committee focused on the goal of balancing the economic development and conservation goals within the Chagrin watershed by asking the question “What Will Chagrin Watershed Look Like in 20 Years?”. CRWP and the Steering Committee determined that the following three goals needed to be accomplished to attain balanced growth in the Chagrin watershed.

• Accommodate reasonable amount of growth.
• Maintain aesthetic appeal of the watershed.
• Maintain watershed hydrologic and ecologic functions.

These goals link to the Ohio Lake Erie Commission’s ten guiding principles for a sustainable Lake Erie Watershed detailed in the Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan and this Plan. This Plan provides a way to coordinate these activities and work together to meet these goals.

CRWP and watershed communities worked to ensure that designated PDAs throughout the Chagrin River watershed linked to transportation, water, and sewer infrastructure and planning. The PCA designations promote the protection of existing green space and preservation of additional critical areas to minimize loss of habitat, farmland, forest, and open space. In addition, the designations of both PCAs and PDAs balance local economic development goals while planning ahead to efficiently use infrastructure and protect the Chagrin River and Lake Erie for future generations. CRWP will continue to work with watershed communities to implement the recommendations from this Plan including the use of best local land use practices, incorporation of concepts into local comprehensive land use plans, coordination of mitigation activities for stream and wetland impacts to further implement PCAs and PDAs, continued open space acquisition, and economic development initiatives.

For more information about this project, please contact CRWP.

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission's Balanced Growth Program

In 2004 the Ohio Lake Erie Commission finalized the Balanced Growth Program, defined as a local planning framework to coordinate decisions about how growth and conservation should be promoted by State and local investments. The Balanced Growth Program produced the following documents:

• Planning Framework: Recommends the formation of Watershed Planning Partnerships to draft Watershed Balanced Growth Plans through which communities designate Priority Conservation Areas and Priority Development Areas. These areas are defined as:
• Priority Conservation Areas are locally designated areas for protection and restoration. They may be important ecological, recreational, heritage, agricultural, and public access areas that are significant for their contribution to Lake Erie water quality and general quality of life.
• Priority Development Areas are locally designated areas where development and/or redevelopment is to be encouraged in order to maximize development potential, maximize the efficient use of infrastructure, promote the revitalization of cities and towns, and contribute to the restoration of Lake Erie.
• Best Local Land Use Practices: Recommends model regulations and programs for better land use and development. These are consistent with Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc. (CRWP) recommendations.

For additional information on the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and the Balanced Growth Program, please see http://balancedgrowth.ohio.gov/

This project is made possible by a grant from the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, Ohio Water Development Authority, and the support of our Members. CRWP received
additional funding for comprehensive plan updates from the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET). CICEET is a partnership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of New Hampshire.