Twenty acre site of the former Gray's Turkey Farm south of Delphi Community High School on U.S. 421 at CR 100N. is shown in the striped area above. Carroll County Economic Development Corp. is working to make it a shovel-ready industrial site. The black lines indicate the proposed route of the Hoosier Heartland Highway. Carroll County Economic Development Corporation was granted a request for a favorable recommendation by the Carroll County Area Plan Commission to rezone two local farms from agricultural to light industrial at last week's meeting.

The two properties included 80 acres of H&W Johnson Farms in Monroe Township near Flora, and approximately 20 acres of the former Gray's Turkey Farm in Deer Creek Township near Delphi. According to EDC representative Bret Rinehart, the sites were chosen because of their potential for development due to their physical characteristics. Both are located near municipalities, utilities, highways, and other ongoing development. The properties are level and uniform with no open ditches. All land owners have agreed to sell options on their properties to EDC, Rinehart said.

According to Rinehart, the rezoning is necessary to qualify the properties as "Indiana Shovel Ready" sites. The parcels of land need to be prepared and available before being offered for sale to industry.

"We make terrible decisions when we wait until the last minute," Rinehart said, "Growth has to be planned not reacted to."

Property owner Dean Overholser questioned how the land would be used.

"I just wanted to point out that there is a wide latitude of options," he said. "You're giving up your authority. It might be better to have an idea what might be placed there. You're giving blanket authority without knowing what's going in there." Overholser said he was not necessarily speaking against the rezone.

Rinehart replied while there were a few control measures in place, it was important to remain flexible. He said one of the properties is located in a protected area, so that whatever goes in there must operate cleanly. He added that either municipality could deny utilities to a business that did not meet qualifications.

Delphi Mayor Randy Strasser said Delphi supports the rezone. He also noted that the property was located in the county.

Flood Hazard Ordinance

Zoning administrator Kathy Mylet presented an updated version of the flood ordinance. She indicated only slight changes. Comprehensive land use plan steering committee representative Miriam Robeson explained there could be $1,000 fine for building in a flood plane included in the ordinance.

The APC voted to send the ordinance to commissioners.

The commission tabled a request from Mylet to issue temporary permits for recreation vehicles, campers or similar road ready vehicles to park in floodways.

According to Mylet, the DNR permits people to park these types of vehicles in a floodway for a period of 180 days, but Carroll County does not.

Billboards

The commission tabled a decision to limit the number of new billboards erected in the county.

Land use plan

Robeson announced recently held county public meetings were "very well attended… there was a lot of good discussion." There was also a recent meeting for public officials. Robeson said the committee incorporated some suggestions into the plan. She expected it to be presented to the APC in October.

The public can view the document at www.carrollcountyzoning. wordpress.com.

The next meeting will be Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.