APC board members Doug Ruch, Mike Kissinger and Lee Harman listen as a case is heard at its meeting Wednesday, Aug. 7. InkFreeNews photo by Phoebe Muthart.

By Phoebe Muthart
InkFreeNews

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission heard potential zoning ordinance changes at its Wednesday, Aug. 7 meeting.

The list of the four proposed zoning ordinance changes was for discussion only at this time. The potential changes were created by Andy Heltzel, assistant director of the APC.

APC Director Matt Sandy said it is a good idea to review county zoning ordinances from time to time.

“We should re-evaluate our ordinances sometimes,” Sandy said. “Our subdivision ordinance needs to be looked at, too, as well as food trucks.”

The four changes are proposed for a lake residential district; downtown, central and mixed-use district; agricultural/industrial district; and some other minor changes.

There are some possible changes with the lake residential district ordinance. One is reduced setbacks and more restrictive uses. There would be no agriculture or commercial-type uses, and no home occupations.

The qualifying criteria is the property must be on sewer or have future access to sewer and must be under one acre.

There are three possibilities for downtown, central and mixed-use districts. These are reduced setbacks, reduced minimum parking requirements and joint parking with the towns, and mixed commercial and residential types uses.

The qualifying criteria is that the property must be located within corporate boundaries.

There are three potential changes to agriculture/industrial districts. The purpose of such a district, if adopted, would be to allow home-based businesses to operate as a permitted use.

The second purpose is more limited than an industrial one zone but less restrictive than an agricultural zone.

The third purpose is to allow those who are in an agricultural dominant area to see where “home-based businesses” are currently operating.

The fourth potential zoning ordinance change is for minor changes, such as definition changes for stairs to make the ordinance more clearly defined.

Another minor change is to add wheelchair ramp to the “no permit required” category and add the definition to the ordinance.

The next proposed minor change is adding some uses to districts under the “exception category,” such as wedding venues and other types of commercial recreation, etc.

Also, another change is to redefine the “routine maintenance” section of the ordinance. Also suggested is to possibly require permits for fences.

These potential zoning ordinance changes were only discussed and not approved, nor has a hearing or a meeting been set for these changes.

In other news, the board approved a vacation request for property owned by Janet Walton, who lives on EMS B61I Lane, Barbee Lake, a county-maintained road.

“We are eliminating the public right of way and rededicating a portion of it,” said her attorney, Steve Snyder.

Walton’s case will next be heard by county commissioners at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27.

The next APC meeting is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, at the county courthouse in Warsaw.