Butler Township Commissioners have approved preliminary plans to rezone a portion of land along Litman Road.

At Monday's meeting, the commissioners unanimously voted to send the application to the planning commission, which will examine it Sept. 1. The board also voted to schedule a public hearing Sept. 21 before the commissioners' next meeting.

Commissioner Dave Zarnick, president of the board, said wanting to find a new use for the South Butler Fire Hall was part of the reason behind the rezoning.

“We don't want a vacant building sitting there for years,” Zarnick said.

The plan calls for rezoning three parcels on Litman Road spanning from Old Plank Road to Route 8, and stopping at the Greater Butler Mart.

Two parcels, one of which includes the South Butler Fire Hall, will move to commercial, C-1, and one will move within residential designations, from R-2 to R-1.

Rezoning to commercial removes restrictions of use on those properties and allows businesses to move in.

“A business could not go in there if it stays R-2,” said Jesse Hines, the township's zoning officer.

Hines said about 135 property owners will need to be contacted and made aware of the zoning change.

“We have to notify property owners within 400 feet of the property affected,” he said.

The public hearing's date and time will be published later in the Butler Eagle.

In addition to the rezoning, Zarnick also drew attention to township residents' participation in the census.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's website, Butler Township has a completion rate of 79.6 percent with a majority of the responses coming by internet submission.

Zarnick reiterated that participation is mandatory by law, and each person that participates helps the township.

“We're trying to get our goal of 80 percent,” Zarnick said.

Census takers in March moved to door-to-door and community interactions for anyone who did not submit their information online.

The results of the 2020 Census help determine where federal funding goes locally for the next decade.

Zarnick said any resident who is struggling with the process or who has been unable to participate thus far is invited to the township building, where staff will assist them in filling out the online form.

“We have offered to do that,” he said. “We will help them in this building here, online.”