2 Introduction. 2.1 History. Pre-history: Indian Point, the Erie, and the Whittlesey

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1 2 Introduction 2.1 History Pre-history: Indian Point, the Erie, and the Whittesey Indian Point, a 100 foot ong ridge between Paine Creek and the Grand River, is named for a structure buit by an Indian tribe ong before Europeans setted in Ohio. Two parae mounds, the purpose of which is unknown, are a that remains. The most common theory suggests the structure was a fortification, since it was easiy defended with steep ciffs on two sides. Near the structure, many huts and sma custers of houses have been excavated by archaeoogists, with many sti to be unearthed. However, other structures in the area may have been disturbed by powing and deveopment after European settement. The Erie Indians, sometimes referred to as the Cat Nation, inhabited the area south of Lake Erie near Buffao, and were said to have ived as far west as Sandusky. Estimates of their size put their popuation at about 10,000 to 16,000 peope in The Erie euded European contact, and most information regarding the tribe came from second-hand accounts passed on to historians from other tribes. The Erie supposedy ived in traditiona ong houses ocated in scattered, stockaded viages. They were farmers and hunters, ike surrounding tribes. During warm weather, the Erie grew and harvested corn, beans and squash. Foowing the harvest they woud embark on the winter hunt, iving in winter camps. The Erie exhausted their oca suppies of beaver, which they used to trade with other tribes for the white man s wares. They started to encroach on other tribes hunting areas, eading to warfare. In the mid-1650s, the Erie were aso joined by a number of Huron refugees, feeing from the decimation of their Confederation by the Iroquois. The Iroquois, however, demanded that the Erie give these Huron over to them. The Erie refused. A tense standoff asted for neary two years. It boied over when a thirty Erie representatives at a peace conference were kied by the Iroquois. The Erie inficted heavy osses on the Iroquois but, without the benefit of firearms, they were utimatey destined to faiure. By 1656 the Erie were a defeated peope. The few that were not kied were assimiated into the victorious tribes, most notaby the Seneca. A growing group of historians and anthropoogists beieve the Erie Nation never extended beyond western New York. Instead, they beieve the Whittesey peope were the ast protohistoric residents of Northeastern Ohio. Like the Erie, the Whittesey ived in semi-permanent settements, eading a farming ifestye. Archaeoogica evidence of Whittesey settements have been found in the Chagrin and Cuyahoga River vaeys, aong Grand River, and aong Lake Erie. It is beieved the Whittesey peope ived in the area from about 900 to 1650, after which they moved from northeastern Ohio around 1650 to the Ohio Vaey to join other tribes such as the Shawnee, Seneca and Mingo. With the migration of the Whittesey from the area, other tribes moved in. Cear cutting sections aong the Grand River for growing crops, northeastern Ohio became home to tribes from the Senecas, Wyandots, Ottawas, Chippewas, Cayugas, Tonawandas, Iroquois, and Deawares. The Indian Point area saw ater use as a miitary camp for high schoo boys and a Finnish camp. Indian Point Park, occupying 261 acres, was estabished by Lake County Metroparks in In 1974 Indian Point Park was entered into the US Department of the Interior Nationa Register of Historic Paces. Western Reserve

2 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-2 As we as being occupied by severa Indian peopes, the area that woud become Leroy Township was at one time caimed by Quebec, Virginia, New York, Pennsyvania and Connecticut. The French expored and possiby occupied the region in the 1600 s and eary 1700 s, and caimed it by right of exporation and discovery. The Engish entered the area in batte against the French for contro of the western ands in the ate 1750 s and eary 1760 s. Engand defeated the French at Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh), Quebec, and Niagara, estabishing ownership of the Western Reserve. During the Revoutionary War, pioneers primariy from Virginia estabished themseves west of the Aegheny Mountains, principay in Kentucky. George Rogers Cark, a Virginian who setted in Kentucky, convinced Virginia Governor Patrick Henry of the necessity of obtaining independence for the western ands at the same time the coonies were strugging for their independence. Cark feared that without a presence west of the Aeghenies, the Coonies woud ony extend to the mountains if they won independence. Cark was commissioned by Patrick Henry to capture the miitary ports hed by the British in the Northwest. He enisted seven companies of pioneers and defeated the British. Virginia caimed the territory, incuding the ands of the Western Reserve. At the Treaty of Peace at Paris in 1783, Engand insisted that the Ohio River was the boundary of the United States. The coonies sustained their caim to the northwest and on the basis that Virginia was in undisputed possession at the cose of the Revoutionary War. Athough Virginia caimed the ands in the Western Reserve, New York caimed the and by its charter of 1614 granted by the King of Engand, Pennsyvania by its charter granted to Wiiam Penn in 1664, and Connecticut by its charter granted in A the roya charters granted and caims to the coonies westward to the mythica "South Sea." Indian nations aso caimed these same ands. Western Reserve It became evident that the ony way to open up the Northwest for settement woud be for the states to grant their caims to the United States. Virginia gave up a rights to the and, and Pennsyvania and New York agreed on western boundaries and reeased remaining ands to the federa Congress. In 1786 Connecticut agreed to give up its caim to the portion of the and that crossed New York and Pennsyvania, and remaining and to the west except for a portion west of Pennsyvania ying between 41 and 42 2 atitude.

3 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-3 In 1792, the Connecticut egisature granted 500,000 acres of the western portion of New Connecticut to citizens whose property had been burned by the British during the war. These ands were caed the "Fire Lands." In 1795, Connecticut sod the remaining three miion acres of and to John Cadwe, Jonathan Brace, and John Morgan, trustees for the Connecticut Land Company. The Connecticut Land Company extinguished a Indian tite to the west of the Cuyahoga River, and in 1796 surveyed the area and divided it into townships. A township designated Town 10, Range 7 of the second tier of townships woud be named Chesterfied, after a town in Massachusetts. In 1798, a highway that woud eventuay be known as Girded Road was cut through the township and the Western Reserve. Connecticut ceded the Western Reserve in 1800, with the condition that Congress guarantee and tites aready granted there. The egacy of the region s Connecticut roots can be seen today in pace names, architecture, famiy histories, and a "Yankee" favor instied by its eary setters. Yankee settement When surveyors first made their way to Town 10, they found an area fied with od-growth forest, deer, fow, and, more ominousy, bobcats, ynx, bears, woves and Benjamin Bates and Luther Parsons were named the Township s first Overseers of the Poor in The Overseers duties incuded offering ess than a warm wecome to the poor in Leroy. The Town Constabe had a duty to warn poor peope who did not have ega residence to whee to the right and march without the imits out of our said township. rattesnakes. They aso found we-drained soi, suitabe for farming and not prone to swamp-bred maaria diseases, and waterways that coud provide gravity power for miing and basic industry. The 16,000 acres (6,500 hectares) of Town 10 were divided into eighty 200 acre (80 hectare) ots, sod for the bargain price of $2.50 an acre to buyers competing for the and through a ottery. In 1802, Amasa Capp sent his sons, Pau and Eah, from Massachusetts to cear and improve a tract of and that woud become their farm. The Capps woud be the first setters in the township, and they woud be foowed by many others from Massachusetts. Yankee setters were mosty yeoman farmers of the "midding sort" - the sixth and seventh generation descended from Puritan dissenters, who arrived in famiy groups from a parts of Engand, though predominanty from East Angia. They were diigent, ordery, iterate, with a taent for working wood, and putting things together out of amost nothing. Like the Indians they dispaced, they were practica and fruga. Unike the Indians, they had a strong desire to possess the and, cear it and make it yied. The fedging township was incorporated in The first trustees incuded Hendrick Paine, Soomon Wiiams and Henry Brakeman. The agenda of the first trustee meeting incuded a tax evy for highways, at $1 a frontageacre, paid through the abor of township residents and use of their animas, equipment and materias. Le Roy, New York was originay named Beona, but was ater renamed to honor Herman Le Roy, a weathy businessman from New York City. In the ate 1700s, Le Roy purchased 85,000 acres in what was to become Genesee County, New York from the Hoand Land Company. In the ate 1820s, the township received an infux of setters from Le Roy, New York, a viage ocated between Buffao and Rochester aong the Erie Cana. The name of Chesterfied Township was changed to LeRoy shorty afterwards. To avoid confusion with another LeRoy Township in Ohio, the name is now speed with a owercase r. In 1830, the township was home to 652 residents, just a bit smaer than a viage of 1,075 peope 35 mies to the west named Ceaveand. Industria boom and bust In 1818, Coone Hendrick Paine, nephew of the Genera Paine who is the namesake of Painesvie, acquired a parce at what is now caed Paine Fas. Knowing that the waterfa woud provide good hydrauic power, Paine buit a grain and saw mi at the site. Paine ater estabished a forge, tannery, and charcoa ashery. Paine Hoow, foowing Paine Road northeast of Carter Road, woud ater attract a backsmith shop, wagon shop, too hande factory, tavern and distiery. A schoo opened to educate chidren of workers that ived in Paine Hoow.

4 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-4 No forma viages were patted in the township, but severa other hamets emerged where industria uses were concentrated. Warner Mi, Bates Mi, and a stone quarry operated in southeast Leroy Township, where Painesvie Warren Road crosses Bates Creek. One mie northeast of the mis, aong Leroy-Thompson Road, there was a chair factory

5 Paine Brakeman Brakeman Tayor Midon Caow Caow Indian Point Kniffen Trask Chadwick Jennings tumn Abbey Summer Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-5 H I S T O R I C A L F E A T U R E S Indian Point: - site of Erie Indian viage where earthwork and fortification remains can be found. Bair Rd. Covered Bridge: - Lake County's ast covered bridge repaced in Baker 90 Grand River Seeey Paine's forge & furnace: - prosperous industry founded by Hendrick Paine in 1826; cosed in Bair Ford 90 Paine's Hoow: - beautifu natura area that was the site of an active community from the 1830s - 50s. Bach Eias Farmhouse: - century home buit by Nathanie Vaentine Carter Pine y Hoow Paine Cre ek Trask Carter Shirey Monte 86 Huntoon Vrooman Town Ha: -buit in 1847 Leroy Center Bates Tavern: - buit in 1820 by Jonathan Godsmith. Brockway Leroy Center Od Pank Road Painesvie Warren Horizons Historic Cemeteries: Brakeman: at east 2 Revoutionary War veterans are buried on site. Wiiams: named after first sodier from Leroy kied in the Civi War. Paine Hoow: odest of the three cemeteries with a Revoutionary War veteran buried on site. Girded Ayworth Creek Eagebrook Brakeman Church: - competed in 1832 with oca materias. - today used as South Leroy meeting house Edgebrook Ea st Creek Lester Comstock Togate: - set up in 1849 for to from Trumbu to Painesvie. - served as a post office and store Phe ps C reek 86 Leroy-Thompson Vaentine Proctor Au Spring Mies Source: Lake County Historica Society Date: June 2005 Radciffe Rustic

6 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-6 and a broom factory. The booming township aso had a pocket furnace aong the Grand River, near Bair Road; two cider mis; two basket factories, and a cheese factory The boom woud go bust in the 1850s, after the area was stripped of trees, depeting fue wood and destroying the watershed feeding streams that powered the mis. Paine Hoow and other hamets quicky became ghost towns, and today itte remains of the industria past of Leroy Township. Pease Mi, aong Big Creek at Cascade Fas, operated unti 1890, and was torn down after a heavy snowfa coapsed the roof in In 1911, the Leroy Grange purchased the Harrison Basket Factory buiding, on Brakeman Road south of Leroy Center Road. Leroy Grange is sti used for meetings, dinners and parties. Underground Rairoad Ohio was a free state, where ownership of saves was not aowed. Eary setters of Leroy Township, most from New Engand, never owned saves, and had itte association or sympathy with the save states of the South. One home in the township became a station on the Underground Rairoad. Uri Seeey, namesake of Seeey Road, constructed a hidden room on the second foor of his farmhouse. Saves from Southern states woud stop at Seeey s house, and then continue up the Grand River to Fairport Harbor, and on to freedom in Canada. Another important Leroy Township resident sympathetic to the cause was A.W. Vrooman, namesake of Vrooman Road. Today Leroy Township is the home of severa prominent African-Americans. Athough the township never had a sizeabe back popuation, it was free of the divisiveness that scarred other communities in the region. Agricuture and suburbanization The popuation of Leroy Township dropped through the second haf of the 19 th century, from 1,128 in 1850 to just 632 in The popuation woud not rise above 1,000 residents unti the 1960 Census. Leroy Grange (LCPC) After the fedging industria base disappeared in the 1850s, the township returned to its agricutura roots. Athough Amasa Capp panted wheat when he and his sons estabished their farm in 1802, future wheat crops woud be rare. Hay, corn, barey and soybean crops predominated into the 1950s and 1960s. In the eary 20 th century, weathy Ceveand residents buit sprawing genteman s country estates east of the city; some served as summer retreats, whie other were year round residences. Most country estates were ocated in eastern Cuyahoga County and western Lake County, but there were two in the township, ocated on Vrooman Road near the current ocation of Interstate 90. The 167 acre (67 hectare) estate of Mr. Fohring, owner of SMA Baby Food Corporation, incuded a three hoe gof course. Across the street was the estate of J.K. Patterson, owner of BPS Paints. Many roads in Leroy Township were named after eary setters, incuding Bach, Bair, Brakeman, Brockway, Caow, Carter, Chadwick, Ford, Huntoon, Kniffen, Paine, Proctor, Seeey, Sumner, Tayor, Vaentine and Vrooman. Portions of Perry Township extended south of the Grand River in what is now northeastern Leroy Township. The River was a barrier to those in Perry Township traveing to vote. At the request of Perry Township, the boundary ine was shifted to the Grand River, with and south of the river ceded to Leroy Township. Transportation woud improve in ater years. Hesperian Magazine in 1839 wrote an Ohio road is a thing we known the word over, and sincerey abhorred by a its acquaintances, and Leroy Township provided no exception. Corduroy roads, with wooden poes aid crossways, were suppanted by pank roads, giving farmers access to the markets of Painesvie and Fairport Harbor. These eary privatey-buit roads were paid for with tos; one to gate sti stands on Painesvie-Warren Road west of Bates Creek. The first bridge taking Vrooman Road across the

7 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-7 Grand River was buit in 1879, and repaced in Road paving began in the 1930s, and the township started a road department in the 1950s. Through the 1950s, the Interstate highway system began to take form. In 1959, ODOT began construction of I-90 between Ceveand and the Pennsyvania state ine. I-90 incuded an exit at Vrooman Road, giving township residents easy access to empoyment centers in western Lake County, eastern Cuyahoga County, and downtown Ceveand. With the coming of I-90, the township began to grow again, from 937 residents in 1950 to 1,502 in 1960, 2,505 in 1980, and over 3,000 today. Brakeman Road (LCPC) Growth in Leroy Township woud not come in the form of arge subdivisions, but rather the creation of arge buiding ots carved from arger farm parces. Midde cass peope working in the city coud now have and afford a rura ifestye previousy enjoyed ony by the weathy and those that work the underying soi. However, as demand for exurban buiding sites increased, the price of the and aso rose, making subdivision and deveopment more ucrative than agricuture. In 2000, 8,247 acres (3,337 hectares), or 52.5% of a and in the township, was considered agricutura by the County Auditor. Much of that and is faow or reforested. 2.2 Geography and geoogy Location Leroy Township, Ohio, is ocated 35 mies (53 kiometers) east of downtown Ceveand, in the southeastern corner of Lake County. The 25.4 square mie (65.8 square kiometer) township is bounded by Concord Township, Perry Township and Madison Township in Lake County, and Hambden Township and Thompson Township in Geauga County. At its cosest point, Leroy Township is four mies (six kiometers) south of Lake Erie. The Census Bureau incudes Leroy Township in the Ceveand-Akron Consoidated Metropoitan Statistica Area (CMSA) and the Ceveand- Lorain-Eyria Primary Metropoitan Statistica Area (PMSA). The urbanized area of Lake County has been expanding eastward, with the buk of deveopment between Lake Erie and I-90. Most of the township ies south of I-90 and the Grand River, outside of the more densey urbanized portion of the county. Athough the township is experiencing some growth, soi imitations, ack of utiities, poor accessibiity, and distance from empoyment and retai centers imit the infux of new residents. Cuyahoga County L E R O Y T O W N S H I P L A K E C O U N T Y, O H I O Timberake Viage Lakeine Viage Wiowick Wickiffe Eastake Mentor-on-the-Lake Lake Erie Wioughby Waite Hi Viage Mentor Grand River Viage Kirtand His Viage Kirtand PT PT PT Fairport Harbor Viage Painesvie City Painesvie Twp. Concord Twp. Perry Viage Perry Twp. North Perry Viage Leroy Twp. Geauga County Lake Erie Madison Viage Madison Twp. Ashtabua County Wioughby His

8 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-8 Geoogy Past gaciation contributed to the physica characteristics of Leroy Township; a fatter, unduating andscape punctuated by deep stream and river vaeys. Wisconsonian gaciers moved through the area from the northeast to southwest during the Ice Age, and scoured the andscape when they retreated. This eft the ground covered with sit and thousands of bouders of Canadian rock. The gaciers temporariy hated their retreat just north of Leroy Township, eaving behind a sma ridge of gacia materias caed a recessiona moraine. This was an insignificant feature of the andscape unti the gaciers continued their retreat and the predecessors of Lake Erie were formed. A arge beach ridge and strand ine was formed by the ake on top of this ow-ying ridge. This geoogica formation was responsibe for forming the drainage channe that woud become the Grand River, which runs through a deep ravine and forms the northern boundary of the township. The rock, sit and cay eft behind by the gaciers, combined with the broken down shae bedrock, formed the sois in the township and the surrounding area. The bedrock causes the natura rise of the and towards the south. Reativey soft Devonian Chagrin and Ohio shaes underie the northern haf of the township. Harder Mississippian-age Wavery-Maxvie sitstones and shaes underie the southern haf. The forward edge of the harder shaes forms a distinct rise, known as the Portage Escarpment. Detais regarding soi types and permeabiity, drainage, food zones, watersheds, wetands and other eements of the natura environment that impact deveopment are described in the Natura Resources eement. Cimate The ecoogica subregion of Leroy Township, as defined by the United States Forest Service, is: Humid Temperate Domain: Hot Continenta Division: Eastern Broadeaf Forest (Continenta) Province: Erie and Ontario Lake Pain Section. The cimate in Leroy Township is argey infuenced by Lake Erie. Though some summer days can be hot with high humidity, the usua summer temperatures are F (14-27 C). Spring has the most rainy days, and thunderstorms occur most frequenty in June and Juy. Temperatures range F (8-19 C) in May and F (6-22 C) in fa. Temperatures are often we beow freezing in the winter; F (-5 to 0 C) are January ranges. Average precipitation in Lake County can range from about 30 inches annuay in areas aong the Lake Erie shore, to about 38 inches in the northern end of the township, to 42 inches (106 centimeters) in the south. Leroy Township is ocated in the snowbet of northeastern Ohio, and is more susceptibe to ake effect snow than areas coser to the shore. Leroy Township can receive up to two to three times the snowfa as the rest of Northern Ohio; up to 80 inches (2 meters) or more in a winter. Because Leroy Township has harsher winters and more temperature variation than areas coser to Lake Erie, the microcimate is more suited to growing row crops than the nursery and winery industry that thrives just a few mies to the north. Lake effect snow forms when a cod air mass crosses a warm Lake Erie. The air mass is usuay ony a few thousand feet thick, capped by a ayer of warmer air. Addition of heat and moisture from the unfrozen ake modifies the air mass aowing moisture to condense into snow couds. After moving across the ake, the modified air sows down and pies up as it approaches the downwind shore. The convergence provides additiona ift, further enhanced by the Portage Escarpment and his downwind of the ake. The resut: ake effect snow.

9 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction Chaenges facing Leroy Township Exurbanization Geographers and panners often use the term exurb to describe urbanizing communities in once excusivey rura areas. Tom Danies When City and Country Coide defines an exurb as a pace having the foowing characteristics: Located 10 to 50 mies (16 to 80 kiometers) from urban centers of approximatey 500,000 peope or five to 30 mies (8 to 48 kiometers) from a city of at east 50,000 peope. Commute time is at east 25 minutes each way to work. Communities have a mix of ong-term and newer residents. Agricuture and forestry are active, but decining industries in the community. The Exurban Change Project of Ohio State University aso defines exurbia as: a type of spatia pattern of settement that differ from their suburban counterparts. Exurbs are ocated at greater distances from urban centers than suburban deveopments and are comprised of a different mix of and uses and popuation. Active farms are interspersed with different ages and types of very ow density residentia deveopment, incuding roadside houses, new housing subdivisions, excusive estates, and mobie homes. In addition, exurbia contains sma, rura towns as we as newer edge-of-town retai, commercia, and industria deveopment. Exurbs are areas that are in transition from their traditiona rura setting to something more urban. Leroy Township meets both definitions of an exurban community. The majority of new residents in Leroy Township reocate from other communities in Lake County. Often newcomers are more romantic about rura iving than od-time residents, and have fase hopes about bringing their urban ifestyes to the country. Many expect creature comforts normay taken for granted in urban and suburban areas, such as centra sewer and water, sidewaks, frequent road powing, neighborhood parks, high-speed Internet access, or municipa trash coection. Retai and medica services are ocated a ong drive away. They don t expect seasona variations in water suppy, andscaping damage from widife, heavy rush hour traffic on the ong farm roads where they ive, or neighbors with hobbies that might be considered a nuisance in more popuated areas. Many residents vaue the presence of farmand and other types of rura open space because they contribute to a rura sense of pace and, in some cases, provide other benefits such as habitat areas for widife. The predominant form of deveopment in Leroy Township new houses paced on narrow but deep ots sited aong farm roads impacts the perception of rura character. The scenic quaity of hay fieds and woodots, which gives the township the appearance of a rura community, is disappearing behind new houses. When farmand and open space is ost and and is deveoped, this oss is often fet community-wide. Exurban deveopment can be expensive for both residents and the community. The costs of providing infrastructure, incuding roads and pubic utiities, and of providing pubic services such as poice and fire protection are impacted by the pattern of urban growth. A more dispersed popuation impies higher costs due to additiona infrastructure needs, incuding additiona mies of roads and pipeines. It aso impies onger trave times for emergency service vehices and onger trips for schoo buses. Utiities A fu service restaurant wi generate about 10 gaons of wastewater per customer, or about 50 to180 gaons per seat every day. A 100 seat restaurant can generate enough wastewater to fi a home swimming poo in two days. (various

10 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-10 The ack of sewer and water service in Leroy Township coud be considered both a bessing and a curse. Unavaiabiity of sewer and water service has kept arge-scae deveopment at bay, preserving semi-rura character; a major goa of both the 1984 and 1996 township comprehensive pans. Buiding ots must be arge to accommodate drainfieds required by septic systems. Wes must be paced far from septic drainfieds. The imited groundwater suppy can accommodate a imited number of we owners. Wes are potentiay harmfu at urban or suburban-eve densities, where their cumuative effect woud quicky exhaust groundwater suppies. Many parts of the township have poor groundwater suppies, or sois that require speciay engineered septic systems. Pubic sewer and water woud make residentia deveopment at suburban and urban-eve densities feasibe. However, such deveopment woud aso destroy rura character, and the township woud have ony imited power to contro it. Buiding a pubic sewer and water system woud aso be expensive, because more ines are required to serve fewer residences than in a denser suburban community. Whie it has the effect of maintaining rura character, the ack of sewer and water service coud harm the commercia environment. Most retai and commercia uses desired by town residents generate more wastewater than what can be handed by a septic system. Unsewered commercia districts in other rura and exurban communities are usuay dominated by vehice-reated uses, such as auto and truck deaers, tire stores, gas stations, auto repair and body shops, and heavy equipment renta; and ow-end commercia uses such as mini-storage faciities. Such uses generate itte wastewater, so the ack of a sewer system doesn t render a site as off-imits to them. Such businesses tend to concentrate together, which can discourage other types of businesses from ocating nearby, and utimatey present a poor impression of the host community. The ack of sewers aso imits potentia industria uses to those that generate itte wastewater. Transportation It is easy to drive north and south across the township, but going east or west can be a chaenge. There are ony four east-west routes in the township; Radciffe Road foowing the southern boundary of the township, Painesvie-Warren Road/Girded Road (State Road 86), Huntoon Road/Leroy The average commute to work for a Lake County resident is 22.9 minutes. For a Leroy Township resident, the mean trave time to work is 28.5 minutes just one minute ess than the average commute time of someone iving in the Los Angees area, and three minutes ess than a typica Atanta commuter. (US Census) Center Road, and Carter Road/Ford Road. Northeast Leroy Township is difficut to reach from outside of the community; Leroy Center Road is cosed through He Hoow, and the ony access to the rest of the town is via Ford Road, which connects with Bair Road (which in turn eads to Paine Road and Carter Road) north of I-90 and Paine Fas. Interstate 90 cuts across the northern end of the township, but there is ony one exit, at Vrooman Road in the far northwestern part of the township. Traffic south of the exit is funneed to the Five Points area, where Huntoon Road, Painesvie-Warren Road, Leroy Center Road and Vrooman Road meet. Not surprisingy, Vrooman Road between I-90 and Five Points is the busiest road in the township, foowed by the roads eading from Five Points. Vrooman Road north of I-90 negotiates a hairpin curve, crosses the Grand River on a narrow bridge buit in 1952, twists around another sharp curve, and ascends a very steep sope to South Ridge Road (State Road 84) in Perry Township. This part of Vrooman Road is off-imits to truck traffic. Because most streets in the township are ong, straight twoane rura roads with few intersections, traffic speed is often Five Points (Pictometry) higher than on urban and suburban residentia streets. The farm roads carry more traffic than an urban or suburban residentia street fronted by the same number of houses.

11 Leroy Township 2005 Comprehensive Pan Introduction 2-11 In urban and suburban areas, a 1,000 foot ength of road may be fronted by 20 to 40 houses. In an exurban area ike Leroy Township, ony one to ten houses may front a simiar ength of road. Because there is more pavement spread among fewer homes, exurban residents pay disproportionatey more for street maintenance than their urban and suburban peers. Leroy Township has no sidewaks, pedestrian trais or bicyce paths. An exurban and use pattern, with houses spread over the countryside and few services and commercia uses, is not conducive to heavy foot traffic; most waking is for eisure or exercise. Many roads have no paved shouders, and cycing can be dangerous on busier streets. Unpaved shouders are often used as snowmobie trais in the winter. Zoning and and use reguation As the primary too for comprehensive pan impementation, zoning codes are comprehensive cookbooks for day-today deveopment decisions in a community. They expand on the information in the comprehensive pan by providing parce-specific reguations for the ocation of different and uses, reguation of those uses, and detaied specifications for the site panning and design of proposed deveopment. Leroy Township first adopted zoning reguations in 1949, two years after the Ohio Genera Assemby first authorized zoning in unincorporated areas. The origina zoning resoution is sti in use today, amended many times through the years. Poice power of Ohio townships originates through statutory deegation by the Genera Assemby, instead of through the state constitution as is the case for incorporated municipaities. Zoning authority of Ohio townships is imited to what is specificay granted by the Genera Assemby through state statutes. This imits townships from impementing some progressive and use contro techniques used in other parts of the United States, such as using an architectura review board to review proposed commercia and industria buidings, because the Genera Assemby has not specificay granted townships the power to do so. Townships have no power to contro and subdivision. Ony counties and incorporated municipaities may adopt, enforce and administer subdivision reguations. The Lake County Panning Commission reviews and approves (or denies) requests to subdivide and in the township. Many township residents have cited poor zoning enforcement as an issue that needs to be addressed. Some residents operate home-based businesses such as genera contracting and vehice repair and body work, that are far more intensive than a typica sma home occupation. These uses often invove open storage of vehices, equipment and parts at the house. Such uses are not permitted as home occupations, but they continue unabated.