Preliminary approval was given Monday to some of the most significant zoning changes considered in Bartholomew County over the past 11 years, county officials say.
The proposed changes received a favorable recommendation from the Bartholomew County Plan Commission in August, said city and county planner Jeff Bergman.
However, more changes will likely be considered before the amended zoning ordinance is given a final vote by the Bartholomew County Commissioners two to three weeks from now, according to the commissioners.
Some significant revisions involve accessory dwellings that are frequently constructed for elderly or ailing family members, Bergman said.
Currently, those dwellings are required to either be attached to the house or built above unattached garages or workshops, he said.
Since several variances are granted annually that allow an unattached accessory dwelling on the ground floor, Bergman said one of the proposed zoning changes would eliminate the second floor requirement.
Another proposed revision allows the construction of a accessory dwelling or workshop to be built between the main residence and the road, the city/county planner said.
Variances are regularly granted by the Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals in cases where the house is placed far back on a large piece of rural property, he said.
“That leads us to question whether (the current requirements for rural home sites) should be a law or not,” Bergman said.
However, this requirement would remain for homes located in platted subdivisions, where accessory buildings erected in front of main houses are more objectionable to the neighbors, he said.
Another change involves non-conforming site features. For example, Bergman said if additions to a commercial structure are larger than the original building, the entire property has to be brought into compliance with local ordinances.
Describing the current requirement as unpopular, Bergman said businesses could be forced under the current regulations to change out all exterior light fixtures, or remove asphalt and add landscaping.
“The proposal (in the amended ordinance) is to eliminate the requirement to bring the entire site into compliance,” Bergman said. “The addition would still have to comply, but the company wouldn’t have to go back and retrofit the rest of the property.”
Finally, after a number of neighbors voiced concerns about one particular location near Newbern, planners are proposing new regulations that would tone down the brightness of outdoor signs at night, the planner said.
Most of these revisions will be for all of Bartholomew County, including Columbus, he said.
While there are a number of other proposed changes, Bergman said most of them simply clarify existing language or comply with changes in state regulations.
During discussions, commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said he would also like to eliminate or modify requirements regarding the size of accessory dwellings. Currently, those buildings must be either 800 square feet or 65% of the size of the main home, he said.
Property owners are often forced to demolish an older home if they wish to build an additional modern residence on their property.
“I hate to see a usable house torn down simply because it goes against the rules,” Kleinhenz said.
Easing those requirements outside subdivisions could create more affordable housing that is badly needed in the area, the commissioner said.
Kleinhenz said he also questions requirements regarding a separate septic system for detached accessory buildings.
In response, Bergman said health officials have said that while there are circumstances when a shared septic system works, “there’s a lot more times that it doesn’t work.”
The discussion came to a close when commissioner chairman Rick Flohr suggested that research be conducted into the suggestions, in order to determine why those zoning regulations were created in the first place.
Since that research may take some time, the second reading of the revised zoning ordinance won’t be scheduled for at least two weeks, Flohr said.
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A complete list of proposed amendments to the Bartholomew County Zoning Ordinance can be found online.
- Go to the Columbus Indiana website (Columbus.in.gov)
- Under Departments, click on Planning
- Under Planning, click on Bartholomew County
- In the right side menu, click on Meetings. Scroll down to the Bartholomew County Plan Commission – August 14, 2019.
- Click on General Resolution #2019-02: Zoning Ordinance Revision Materials.
- In the upper right hand corner, click on download to see the complete document.
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