The Butler Township Planning Commission gave approval to three zoning changes the commissioners will consider at their next meeting.

BUTLER TWP — The recreation area township commissioners plan to install in Pullman Center Business Park got one step closer to coming to fruition Tuesday.

The township planning commission recommended the consolidation of two lots into one 15-acre parcel off Hollywood Drive at its Tuesday meeting. It will be the site of a planned sports complex. The site previously housed a Pullman manufacturing company.

Township manager Tom Knights said in previous meetings that the complex’s base will be an athletic field with artificial turf that can be used for many activities. Additionally, township commissioners were considering installing a walking trail that will surround the main field area.

Knights also said the township already owned both parcels, even though one was within Butler city limits, near Picklegate Bridge. The township also owns another parcel of land adjacent to the consolidated ones.

Knights said the parcels were consolidated in relation to the planned recreation complex, as well as a traffic enhancement project for Hansen Avenue and Whitestown Road.

“We’re going to be building an active recreation complex here,” Knights said. “There is a greater land development solution coming, it involves not only recreation but also traffic enhancement. That’s what this is a precursor for, this traffic enhancement is actually going to cut off part of the property.”

Township commissioners will vote to give final approval on the consolidation at their next meeting.

The planning commission also gave its approval to subdivide a parcel of land near Aubrey Drive into two parcels and to change the zoning of one of the newly subdivided pieces.

Township zoning officer Jesse Hines said the parcel is part of one owned by Butler County, but was cut off into a small “triangle” by Route 422. He said the county made an agreement with Butler Township to transfer ownership of the parcel.

Nearly 0.6 of an acre will become part of a parcel owned by the Jeff Miller family on Dubbs Lane, and .876 of an acre will become part of a parcel housing the Aubrey’s Dubbs Dred Golf Course.

The planning commission also recommended a zoning change for the parcel owned by Miller from single-family residential to multifamily residential, and changing the other parcel from single-family residential to agricultural property.

“We’re looking at a lot consolidation plan that the county is involved in,” Hines said.

The township commissioners will vote on final approval to the subdivision and the ordinance change at their next meeting.