Trustees Corner – Trustee John Zaccardelli

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Sagamore Hills zoning:

Fences: Fences located behind the front face of the home may not exceed 6 feet. Front yard fencing shall not exceed 4 feet. They must be installed a minimum of 1 foot from property line.

Accessory buildings: Square footage is based on lot size. The height shall not exceed the lesser of the main dwelling or 18 feet and must only be located on a lot with an existing principal structure. All accessory buildings must be 10 feet from side and rear property lines and not be placed in front yards.

Swimming pools: All in-ground swimming pools and above-ground pools 4 feet in height must have a fence and gates only where there is pool access. Pools shall be located in the rear yards 10 feet from side and rear lot lines.

When Sagamore Hills Zoning issues a zoning permit on a new home, accessory building, or home renovations, the Summit County Building Department has final authority on those projects. Sagamore Hills Township has no statutory authority to intervene on a homeowner’s behalf.

Sewer connections are regulated by the Department of Environmental Services; natural gas by Dominion Energy; septic applications by Summit County Health Department; and water by the city of Cleveland. Sagamore Hills Township has no oversight on any of these agencies.

Please check with your HOA and Sagamore Hills Zoning Inspector Ray Fantozzi at 330-467-0900 for additional regulations in PUDs and cluster developments. Please visit mysagamorehills.com for additional information.

Roads

Road-related questions that are asked on a frequent basis:

Sagamore Hills does not post speed limit signs or regulate. All signage and regulations are per the Summit County Engineer. Alan Brubaker was elected to office in 2009. One of the first items he dealt with was educating Summit County townships on townships’ responsibility with regards to ditch cleaning and maintenance of water drainage.

Under the Ohio Revised Code, opinions of the Ohio Attorney General and case decisions of the Ohio Supreme Court, townships have no authority for correcting private drainage problems and are prohibited by law from entering upon private property for the purpose of alleviating drainage problems. Even if there is an easement, a township may not enter private property. Townships are only responsible for roadside ditching to protect township roads from erosion. Private property owners are responsible at their own expense to clean and maintain all drainage and natural watercourses located on their property to provide for the free flow of excess surface water.

A property owner may submit an assessment petition to Summit County. The county engineer will study the situation, prepare plans, cost estimates, administer the project, inspect the work and upon completion, perpetually maintain improvement. Property owners benefiting from the improvement pay the cost of improvement and perpetual maintenance through assessments levied by Summit County. County roads in Sagamore Hills are: Chaffee, Brandywine, Highland, Dunham, Valleyview, Olde 8 and South Boyden. On behalf of the board, we wish everyone a happy, festive and healthy Thanksgiving!