Joseph Wood Testimony in Support of HB 17 — Horsepower Farms, Powell, Ohio

Summary

Testimony in support of HB 17 from Joseph Wood, a property owner at Horsepower Farms in Powell, Ohio. The testimony states that the Delaware County Auditor classifies the properties as commercial garages, which it says drives up property taxes, utilities, and insurance, while Union County classifies similar properties as residential structures. It states that the properties are deed-restricted from business use under association bylaws and that the City of Powell zones Horsepower Farms residential. It states that HB 17 brings clarity to a "gray area" in the Ohio Revised Code and urges support.

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“Joseph Wood Testimony in Support of HB 17 — Horsepower Farms, Powell, Ohio.” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-10-15-development-testimony-testimony-11428-0d07ac4f47/, SHA-256 fc97eb0c41a112c8775f98ef1ec08884279e4ff9ab3ee7204604787d2e146551.

Full text

Joseph Wood Testimony in Support of HB 17

My name is Joseph Wood, and I am a property owner at Horsepower
Farms in Powell, Ohio.

Horsepower Farms properties are used as extensions of our homes—
like a detached garage or carriage house. They are not businesses, not
storage rentals, and not places of commerce. Many are customized with
kitchens, lofts, and entertainment spaces, and are used for hobbies or
to host family and friends.

Despite this, the Delaware County Auditor classifies our properties as
commercial garages. This misclassification has a significant impact,
driving up our property taxes, utilities, and insurance. By contrast, Union
County correctly classifies similar properties as residential structures.

Ohio law is unclear on how to classify facilities like ours. But when
commercial activity is expressly prohibited—as it is at Horsepower
Farms—it makes no sense to label them as commercial. Our properties
are deed-restricted from business use under our association bylaws,
and we even prohibit nuisances that could bother neighbors.

Horsepower Farms is zoned residential by the City of Powell and
designed to blend into surrounding neighborhoods with quality
construction, landscaping, security, and unobtrusive lighting.

HB 17 brings needed clarity to this gray area in the Ohio Revised Code.
It ensures that properties like ours are treated fairly, consistently, and in
line with their true residential use.

I urge your support for HB 17. Thank you for your time, and I’d be happy
to answer any questions.

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