The Hoosier Heartland Corridor (HHC) District Overlay was presented to Carroll County Area Plan Commission last week.

Carroll County Zoning Ordinance Update Steering Committee member Miriam Robeson explained the purpose was to regulate development in 1,000 feet on each side of the state right-of-away of the new highway. She said the document would ensure that future development within the corridor would be compatible with the Carroll County Comprehensive Plan.

Robeson said existing zoning and structures would not change, but the document "overlaid" current zoning. She said if a structure suffered damage of more than 50 percent, the new structure would be required to comply with the new standards. Also, if an addition exceeded more than 35 percent of the existing building's gross floor area, the addition would be required to comply with the new standards.

The document sets three acres as minimum tract size for new lots within the overlay district instead of one acre.

Robeson said billboards and signage were addressed in detail in the document. Billboards must comply with the INDOT Outdoor Advertising Control Manual, must have a sign plan, LED billboards or electronic lighting is prohibited, and lighting must face downward. Maximum surface area, spacing, setbacks and aesthetics were detailed in the document.

Properties currently zoned and used for agriculture would be considered as conforming according to Robeson. She said the document can be found at www.carrollcountyzoning. wordpress.com.

Robeson reported the committee met with two Purdue professors who demonstrated a "wonderful tool" which provided a variety of land use variables to help evaluate options. The "Local Decision Maker" tool can be found at http://ldm.agriculture.purdue.edu/.

Other business

Officers elected for 2009 were: Bob McCain, president; county surveyor Wayne Chapman, vice-president; and Larry Jones, secretary. Jones was appointed to the board of zoning appeals.

Zoning administrator Kathy Mylet and attorney Cynthia Harmon were reappointed to serve for 2009.

Compensatory time, time off for extra time worked, for Mylet was approved.

Mylet announced that the Comprehensive Development Plan was complete.

Board of Zoning Appeals

The board of zoning appeals approved a variance for Jennifer Hahn for a 14-foot setback, instead of 20, for a garage.

Moore Limited Partnership was granted a three-foot variance lakeside, and seven foot roadside, to tear down an old structure and for a larger house.

Chris Nipple of Rockfield was informed the only remedy for a potential zoning violation of horses kept within Rockfield limits was for the horse owner to comply with current zoning regulations or apply for the property to be rezoned.

The next meeting will be April 28 at 7 p.m.