By Marie McCain
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ANDERSON TWP. - Township leaders are asking residents to speak up about the future of the community.

Since May, they've been working on Anderson Township's first comprehensive plan, a document intended to guide development through the next 20 years.

In a series of four public hearings, residents will get a chance to offer their ideas. The first meeting begins at 7 p.m. tonight at Nagel Middle School, 1500 Nagel Road.

"This will be the document that pulls everything together," said township Administrator Henry Dolive. "If it's going to accurately do what we need it to do, we need to have (resident) participation.

"In the long run, this lays out how the community sees itself and where it's going. It will also have a long-term impact on property values and how well the community is run."

The document will include a land use plan, as well as an analysis of the township's natural resources, community facilities, transportation patterns, and infrastructure capacity. The resulting plan will guide development and other decision-making activities.

The township of about 40,000 people covers 31 square miles. About 11 percent of its land (about 2,000 acres) remains undeveloped.

"Under Ohio law, because we have zoning, we should also have a plan to guide zone changes and decisions made in that area," said Steve Sievers, township development services director. "We have done smaller plans for different areas of the township - for Beechmont Avenue, the riverfront, a neighborhood, or an industrial district - but we've never done a township-wide plan, let alone a land use plan."

Officials hope to have the final plan approved by fall 2004.

Other public hearings

• Sept. 23, 7-9 p.m., Mercer Elementary School, 2600 Bartels Road.

• Sept. 25, 2-4 p.m., Anderson Senior Center, 7970 Beechmont Ave.

• Sept. 29, 7-9 p.m., Maddux Elementary School, 943 Rosetree Lane.

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E-mail mmccain@enquirer.com