Oxford Township to hold public meeting on updated land use plan

Oxford Township is set to introduce a draft of its new Comprehensive Land Use Plan during a public forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in Talawanda Middle School.

The township first created its land use plan in 2008 and updated it in 2015. James Rubenstein, a professor emeritus of geography at Miami University, chaired the committee responsible for drafting and updating the plan and again chaired the 2024 committee to draft a new plan once more.

The draft plan consists of eight sections: rural character, conservation development, utilities for conservation development, population diversity, rural economy, transportation network, local cooperation and implementation and fulfillment. Each section lists goals, objectives, discussion and recommendations.

The draft also lays out principle recommendations for Oxford Township including the preservation of farmland, conservation of sensitive environmental features and developing properties consistent with Conservation Development principles. Under Conservation Development, houses are clustered away from environmentally sensitive areas which then receive permanent protection through an easement, according to the plan.

During the meeting Oct. 24, Oxford Township residents will have a chance to hear from the committee involved in creating the draft plan and offer their own feedback.

Kate Rousmaniere, president of the Oxford Township Board of Trustees, said the plan offers a way for residents to set the township’s priorities. After the forum on Oct. 24, she said the committee will meet at least one more time to implement feedback, and then the trustees could vote to adopt the plan in December or January.

Editor’s Note: James Rubenstein is president of the Board of Directors for the Oxford Free Press. Board members do not oversee content and are not permitted to review stories prior to publication.