Jackson Township officials are laying the groundwork for long-term infrastructure and recreational improvements along the growing Gudekunst Road corridor through a neighborhood improvement district.

Township manager Chris Rearick said the district serves as a funding mechanism to support future projects without requiring the township to take on additional debt service.

“This is a long-term plan and a long-term funding mechanism,” Rearick said.

Under the neighborhood improvement district, property owners within the designated corridor agreed to assessment fees that are collected as building permits are issued.

Rearick said the district was established with majority approval from property owners, as required under state law.

As each building permit is pulled for a lot within the district, an assessment, which is similar in structure to a tap-in fee, is paid and placed into a separate account managed by the township’s municipal authority.

Those funds will accumulate over time and be used exclusively for projects identified within the corridor plan, Rearick said.

“It will take some time as the lots are absorbed to amass sufficient funds,” he said. “We’ll accumulate the funds and then plan to spend them on particular projects.”

Among the improvements slated for the corridor are construction of a roundabout at Seneca Trails and Paige Point, development of a neighborhood park and upgrades to the intersection of Gudekunst, Zehner School and Lutz roads.

Rearick said final design work for the intersection improvements has not yet been completed and will depend on further assessment of traffic and corridor needs.

The corridor includes several approved residential developments, including multiple phases of Seneca Trails. When fully built out, Rearick said the area is expected to include several hundred housing units.

As development continues, each lot assessment will help build the funding base for the improvements, he said.

Under the Neighborhood Improvement District Act, the township was required to hold a public hearing for the improvements during a meeting on Thursday.

Rearick said the township previously held a hearing at the preliminary approval stage and has made no changes to the draft plan since that time.