Months of planning and meetings were all for naught as a "misunderstanding" will keep zoning off the ballot in Brookfield this fall.

Township trustees missed the deadline to file paperwork necessary to get the controversial issue on the Nov. 5 ballot, according to Brookfield Trustee Chairman Phil Schmidt. The Ohio Revised Code states that issues and candidates must be registered with the county board of elections 75 days before the election, which was 4 p.m. Aug. 22.

"It just got overlooked," Schmidt said. "It was a misunderstanding."

Because there is no primary in the spring, zoning won't get on the ballot until next November.

"I am really very disappointed... We had more public support this year," said Nancy Straka of Third Street, secretary of the zoning commission. "I felt really sure it would've passed if we had it on the November ballot."

Local supporters worked to get land-use rules on the ballot this year after zoning failed to be enacted by 169 votes in last year's general election. In four previous elections, zoning failed by a large margin.

"Would you want someone controlling your land who can't even meet a deadline?" said Robert Maskrey of 1175 state Route 7, a long-time zoning opponent. "That's kind of ridiculous."

Schmidt said that the trustees talked with the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office to see if there was any way to get the issue on the ballot past the deadline and got word Friday that there wasn't.

"I knew pretty much that there was nothing they could have done," Schmidt said.

Schmidt said the zoning resolution was taken to the prosecutor's office to be drafted in the proper language and was not picked up and taken to the election board in time.

"It was an unfortunate mistake," Schmidt said.

Asked if she was going to continue to work on the zoning commission, Ms. Straka said, "Oh you bet, you bet. I'm in it for the long haul. I guess, looking on the bright side, that'll give us another whole year to work on it, fine-tune it, and make it more compatible. Hopefully something the community will respond better to by then."