County adopts new comprehensive plan

Putnam County has now completed the first step in updating its out-of-date zoning regulations.

On Monday, the Putnam County Commissioners formally adopted the Putnam County Comprehensive Plan during their second regular October meeting.

The county’s zoning ordinance, now called the unified development ordinance (UDO) has not received a significant overhaul since the county initially adopted zoning back in 1992. The adoption of the comprehensive plan and the upcoming adoption of the UDO, anticipated for spring 2024, is the summation of a process started early in 2022, with the county contracting with HWC Engineering to draft the comprehensive plan and UDO.

County Plan Director Lisa Zeiner explained that the comprehensive plan “is an official policy document guided by the collective insight of elected officials, community leaders and residents. The goal of the comp plan is to create a long-term vision for the community and to inform land use, infrastructure and other development decisions.”

The comprehensive plan covers topics such as economic development, land use, housing, infrastructure, natural resources and quality of place. Per Indiana Code, it also includes a statement of objectives on future development, a statement of policy for land use development and a statement of policy for the development of the public ways, public places, public lands, public structures and public utilities.

One unique aspect of the Putnam County comprehensive plan is that it encompasses not only unincorporated areas, but also the towns of Bainbridge, Cloverdale, Roachdale and Russellville. Of these, Bainbridge, Cloverdale and Roachdale each has its own subarea chapter within the plan. Russellville is governed by the general county comprehensive plan.

The City of Greencastle has its own comprehensive plan, while Fillmore has chosen not to participate and has no such plan.

Cloverdale has already adopted the plan, with each of the other three towns expected to adopt it within the next month.

The commissioners voted 3-0 to adopt the plan.

“We are on the correct path,” Commissioner Rick Woodall said.

The last big step in the process, UDO will combine the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations and other land use ordinances into one set of regulations. These regulations cover aspects of the built environment, including what can be constructed (such single family, stores, offices and other structures); size, height and placement of buildings; how much parking is needed and standards for parking design; design standards for landscape, lighting and signs; and the design of stormwater management and utilities.

“The comp plan is the framework for the UDO,” Zeiner explained to the Banner Graphic.

The UDO will also apply within the town limits of Bainbridge, Cloverdale, Roachdale and Russellville.

“This helps to streamline the process for development within the county and towns,” Zeiner explained. “Currently each town, with the exception of Russellville, has its own zoning ordinance. Each town’s ordinance is completely different.”

For example, the Residential 1 (R1) standards in Bainbridge are not the same as R1 standards in Cloverdale.

“The proposed UDO will make it easier for developers, who may want to build in Cloverdale and Bainbridge, for example, to know that the zoning districts and requirements are the same in each town,” Zeiner said. “This is also a new concept for the Town of Russellville as it currently does not have zoning regulations.”

Zeiner also noted that the proposed UDO will bring the two-mile fringe around the City of Greencastle under county jurisdiction, as the county becomes an Area Plan Commission. Currently the County Plan Commission is advisory, with each town (except Fillmore, Roachdale and Russellville) having its own plan commission.

Roachdale and Russellville will have representatives on the Area Plan Commission, as they plan to adopt an ordinance for the county to enforce the zoning ordinance as it pertains to new development. Russellville will also have a representative on the County Board of Zoning Appeals.

The towns of Bainbridge and Cloverdale will retain their own plan commissions and BZA boards with the county taking over administrative duties — application filing, permits issuing and so on. Roachdale will retain its BZA with the county taking over the administrative duties.

More information on the proposed UDO, visit the Planning & Building Department website at https://co.putnam.in.us/building-and-planning and review the UDO and proposed zoning map.

There is also a public hearing on the UDO and zoning map set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the Putnam County Courthouse.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved a request to grant the Town of Fillmore $92,255 from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The money should provide the final piece of funding for a project to replace 2,190 lineal feet of stormwater piping on the north side of town.

Kristy Jerrell of Jerrell Consulting as well as HWC Engineering have been working with the town to get grants from the Indiana Office of Rural and Community Affairs (OCRA) for the $796,255 project.

However, even with OCRA and local funding, the town found itself short by $92,255.

The stormwater project is the first step in multiple water projects, which should also include a wastewater project in late 2024 or early 2025.

The idea is to implement these projects without asking Fillmore residents to pay higher utility rates, which are already $174 a month on average.

Before this expenditure, the county still had $645,000 in its ARPA funds, all of which have to be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

• Gave permission for the Putnam County Fraternal Order of Police to use the courthouse lobby on Saturday, Dec. 16 for its second-annual Santa Claus visit.

More details on the event will be provided later.

• Appointed Toni Ford to the Putnam County Cemetery Board, replacing David Heavin, who recently resigned.

Ford’s appointment lasts through the end of 2024.