Testimony — Paul Meisel, Property Owner, on HB 17 (Horsepower Farms)

Summary

Testimony supporting HB 17 from Paul Meisel, Property Owner, concerning garage condos at Horsepower farms. The testimony states that the classification of the garage condos as 455 is sought in Delaware County, while properties with the same use in adjacent Union County are classified as 599-"other residential structures". It states that the classification affects taxes, utilities and insurance costs, that by deed no commercial activities are permitted in the properties, and that the City of Powell zones them as Residential. It asks for support of HB 17 because it clarifies a "gray area" in the Ohio Revised Code about commercial versus residential classification.

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Cite this document

“Testimony — Paul Meisel, Property Owner, on HB 17 (Horsepower Farms).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-10-15-development-testimony-testimony-11342-0b16b08b71/, SHA-256 68223077ff8407e2c1b1aafefbaf653f2de04d2f75deddba5dc2ade51c7a947c.

Full text

I understand that the Delaware CountyAuditor seeks to classify the garage condos at
Horsepower farms as 455-Commerical Garages, which they are not. These properties act
as extensions to their owners’ homes, primarily for storage purposes and act as detached
garages. Properties with the same use in adjacent Union County used for the same
purpose are more appropriately being classiﬁed as 599-“other residential structures”.

This unfair classiﬁcation has a signiﬁcant impact on not only taxes, but also on Utilities and
Insurance costs.

By deed, there are no commercial activities permitted in the properties at Horsepower
farms so ﬁtting them into a “commercial” category is wholly inappropriate. All properties
are owned by individuals, trusts or LLC’s.

Note further that these properties at Horsepower Farms are nestled in the middle of
residential neighborhoods and are not only designed to blend into the community but are
more appropriately zoned by the City of Powell as Residential.

While permanent occupation is not permitted, some of the properties at Horsepower
Farms have been customized with features like o ices, kitchenettes, bathrooms and
entertainment spaces that are very home like allowing them to be uses as extensions of
their homes for entertaining guests.

Please support HB 17 because it clariﬁes a “gray area” in the Ohio Revised Code about how
facilities like Horsepower Farms are to be classiﬁed (commercial vs. residential).

In addition, the properties at Horsepower Farms have language in our Bylaws and
Declaration that prohibit activities that would be deemed “annoyances” by surrounding
property owners.

These properties at Horsepower Farms are built to high quality and high appearance
standards with quality construction, neighborhood consistent landscaping, security and
unobtrusive lighting. Every e ort has been made to make the facility a good neighbor to the
residences surrounding it.

Paul Meisel
Property Owner

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Original: No public link identified.