(A)

(1) Amendments to the zoning resolution may be initiated by motion of the county rural zoning commission, by the passage of a resolution by the board of county commissioners, or by the filing of an application by one or more of the owners or lessees of property within the area proposed to be changed or affected by the proposed amendment with the county rural zoning commission. The board of county commissioners may require that the owner or lessee of property filing an application to amend the zoning resolution pay a fee to defray the cost of advertising, mailing, filing with the county recorder, and other expenses. If the board of county commissioners requires such a fee, it shall be required generally, for each application. The board of county commissioners, upon the passage of such a resolution, shall certify it to the county rural zoning commission.

(2) Upon the adoption of a motion by the county rural zoning commission, the certification of a resolution by the board of county commissioners to the commission, or the filing of an application by property owners or lessees as described in division (A)(1) of this section with the commission, the commission shall set a date for a public hearing, which date shall not be less than twenty nor more than forty days from the date of adoption of such a motion, the date of the certification of such a resolution, or the date of the filing of such an application. Notice of the hearing shall be given by the commission by one publication in one or more newspapers of general circulation in each township affected by the proposed amendment at least ten days before the date of the hearing.

(B) If the proposed amendment intends to rezone or redistrict ten or fewer parcels of land, as listed on the county auditor's current tax list, written notice of the hearing shall be mailed by the county rural zoning commission, by first class mail, at least ten days before the date of the public hearing to all owners of property within and contiguous to and directly across the street from the area proposed to be rezoned or redistricted to the addresses of those owners appearing on the county auditor's current tax list. The failure of delivery of that notice shall not invalidate any such amendment.

(C) If the proposed amendment intends to rezone or redistrict ten or fewer parcels of land as listed on the county auditor's current tax list, the published and mailed notices shall set forth the time, date, and place of the public hearing and include all of the following:

(1) The name of the county rural zoning commission that will be conducting the hearing;

(2) A statement indicating that the motion, resolution, or application is an amendment to the zoning resolution;

(3) A list of the addresses of all properties to be rezoned or redistricted by the proposed amendment and of the names of owners of these properties, as they appear on the county auditor's current tax list;

(4) The present zoning classification of property named in the proposed amendment and the proposed zoning classification of that property;

(5) The time and place where the motion, resolution, or application proposing to amend the zoning resolution will be available for examination for a period of at least ten days prior to the hearing;

(6) The name of the person responsible for giving notice of the public hearing by publication, by mail, or by both publication and mail;

(7) A statement that, after the conclusion of the hearing, the matter will be submitted to the board of county commissioners for its action;

(8) Any other information requested by the commission.

(D) If the proposed amendment alters the text of the zoning resolution, or rezones or redistricts more than ten parcels of land as listed on the county auditor's current tax list, the published notice shall set forth the time, date, and place of the public hearing and include all of the following:

(1) The name of the county rural zoning commission that will be conducting the hearing on the proposed amendment;

(2) A statement indicating that the motion, application, or resolution is an amendment to the zoning resolution;

(3) The time and place where the text and maps of the proposed amendment will be available for examination for a period of at least ten days prior to the hearing;

(4) The name of the person responsible for giving notice of the hearing by publication;

(5) A statement that, after the conclusion of the hearing, the matter will be submitted to the board of county commissioners for its action;

(6) Any other information requested by the commission.

Hearings shall be held in the county court house or in a public place designated by the commission.

(E) Within five days after the adoption of the motion described in division (A) of this section, the certification of the resolution described in division (A) of this section, or the filing of the application described in division (A) of this section, the county rural zoning commission shall transmit a copy of it together with text and map pertaining to it to the county or regional planning commission, if there is such a commission.

The county or regional planning commission shall recommend the approval or denial of the proposed amendment or the approval of some modification of it and shall submit its recommendation to the county rural zoning commission. The recommendation shall be considered at the public hearing held by the county rural zoning commission on the proposed amendment.

The county rural zoning commission, within thirty days after the hearing, shall recommend the approval or denial of the proposed amendment, or the approval of some modification of it, and shall submit that recommendation together with the motion, application, or resolution involved, the text and map pertaining to the proposed amendment, and the recommendation of the county or regional planning commission on it to the board of county commissioners.

The board of county commissioners, upon receipt of that recommendation, shall set a time for a public hearing on the proposed amendment, which date shall be not more than thirty days from the date of the receipt of that recommendation. Notice of the hearing shall be given by the board by one publication in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the county, at least ten days before the date of the hearing.

(F) If the proposed amendment intends to rezone or redistrict ten or fewer parcels of land as listed on the county auditor's current tax list, the published notice shall set forth the time, date, and place of the public hearing and include all of the following:

(1) The name of the board of county commissioners that will be conducting the hearing;

(2) A statement indicating that the motion, application, or resolution is an amendment to the zoning resolution;

(3) A list of the addresses of all properties to be rezoned or redistricted by the proposed amendment and of the names of owners of those properties, as they appear on the county auditor's current tax list;

(4) The present zoning classification of property named in the proposed amendment and the proposed zoning classification of that property;

(5) The time and place where the motion, application, or resolution proposing to amend the zoning resolution will be available for examination for a period of at least ten days prior to the hearing;

(6) The name of the person responsible for giving notice of the hearing by publication, by mail, or by both publication and mail;

(7) Any other information requested by the board.

(G) If the proposed amendment alters the text of the zoning resolution, or rezones or redistricts more than ten parcels of land as listed on the county auditor's current tax list, the published notice shall set forth the time, date, and place of the public hearing and include all of the following:

(1) The name of the board of county commissioners that will be conducting the hearing on the proposed amendment;

(2) A statement indicating that the motion, application, or resolution is an amendment to the zoning resolution;

(3) The time and place where the text and maps of the proposed amendment will be available for examination for a period of at least ten days prior to the hearing;

(4) The name of the person responsible for giving notice of the hearing by publication;

(5) Any other information requested by the board.

(H) Within twenty days after its public hearing, the board of county commissioners shall either adopt or deny the recommendation of the county rural zoning commission or adopt some modification of it. If the board denies or modifies the commission's recommendation, a majority vote of the board shall be required.

The proposed amendment, if adopted by the board, shall become effective in thirty days after the date of its adoption, unless, within thirty days after the adoption, there is presented to the board of county commissioners a petition, signed by a number of qualified voters residing in the unincorporated area of the township or part of that unincorporated area included in the zoning plan equal to not less than eight per cent of the total vote cast for all candidates for governor in that area at the most recent general election at which a governor was elected, requesting the board to submit the amendment to the electors of that area for approval or rejection at a special election to be held on the day of the next primary or general election occurring at least ninety days after the petition is submitted. Each part of this petition shall contain the number and the full and correct title, if any, of the zoning amendment resolution, motion, or application, furnishing the name by which the amendment is known and a brief summary of its contents. In addition to meeting the requirements of this section, each petition shall be governed by the rules specified in section 3501.38 of the Revised Code.

The form of a petition calling for a zoning referendum and the statement of the circulator shall be substantially as follows:

"PETITION FOR ZONING REFERENDUM

(if the proposal is identified by a particular name or number, or both, these should be inserted here) ........................

A proposal to amend the zoning map of the unincorporated area of .............. Township, ................... County, Ohio, adopted ....... (date) .......... (followed by brief summary of the proposal).

To the Board of County Commissioners of .................. County, Ohio:

We, the undersigned, being electors residing in the unincorporated area of ............... Township, included within the ................. County Zoning Plan, equal to not less than eight per cent of the total vote cast for all candidates for governor in the area at the preceding general election at which a governor was elected, request the Board of County Commissioners to submit this amendment of the zoning resolution to the electors of ............. Township residing within the unincorporated area of the township included in the ............... County Zoning Resolution, for approval or rejection at a special election to be held on the day of the next primary or general election to be held on ........(date)......., pursuant to section 303.12 of the Revised Code.

STATEMENT OF CIRCULATOR

I, .....................(name of circulator)..................., declare under penalty of election falsification that I am an elector of the state of Ohio and reside at the address appearing below my signature; that I am the circulator of the foregoing part petition containing .....(number)....... signatures; that I have witnessed the affixing of every signature; that all signers were to the best of my knowledge and belief qualified to sign; and that every signature is to the best of my knowledge and belief the signature of the person whose signature it purports to be or of an attorney in fact acting pursuant to section 3501.382 of the Revised Code.

................................

(Signature of circulator)

................................

(Address of circulator's permanent residence in this state)

................................

(City, village, or township, and zip code)

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."

No amendment for which such a referendum vote has been requested shall be put into effect unless a majority of the vote cast on the issue is in favor of the amendment. Upon certification by the board of elections that the amendment has been approved by the voters, it shall take immediate effect.

Within five working days after an amendment's effective date, the board of county commissioners shall file the text and maps of the amendment in the office of the county recorder and with the regional or county planning commission, if one exists.

The failure to file any amendment, or any text and maps, or duplicates of any of these documents, with the office of the county recorder or the county or regional planning commission as required by this section does not invalidate the amendment and is not grounds for an appeal of any decision of the board of zoning appeals.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.29, HB 48, §1, eff. 7/2/2010.

Effective Date: 08-28-2001; 06-01-2006; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008.