Proposed rezone request for Madison Township development receives unfavorable recommendation
More than 40 Madison Township residents spoke out against the rezoning of about 80 acres of property during a meeting of the Morgan County Plan Commission Wednesday.
Owners of the property are seeking a zoning change from agricultural to rural residential, which would allow the property to be subdivided.
The meeting began late as many people had to wait in line to sign up to speak to the commission.
More:As peak approaches, check out these spots to observe fall colors around southern Indiana.
After more than an hour and a half, commission members voted 6-0 to send the rezone request to the county commissioners with an unfavorable recommendation.
The property, owned by Terry Johnson and Randall Adkins is located at the northeast corner of Watson and Kitchen Roads.
The owners were represented Wednesday night by Mooresville-based firm Holloway Engineering.
While a firm idea on the future plans for the property was not presented, the plan commission presented a conceptual plan of a subdivision with 29 residential lots.
The lots would be around 1.75 acres each, with five lots being larger.
The property has access to city water but would have to have a septic system for each home.
The owners acknowledged there are drainage issues with the problem and that the issues would be dealt with during the development stage.
The county has an ordinance implemented that requires drainage issues to be corrected before the property can be developed.
The homes would be custom built.
Opposition from planning department
Morgan County Planning Director Laura Parker read the county's planning department staff's recommendation on the rezoning request.
The county's planning department conducts a review of all rezoning and variance requests to determine if they meet the requirements of the county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
Local news:Morgan County Fair Board sets tentative 2023 schedule of events. Check it out.
According to the UDO, the area where the proposed development would be located had been designated as an area for "more dense types or residential development." The reasoning behind the designation was an effort to save farm land.
The report states, "The county has an equally important goal of preserving agricultural ground." The report goes on to say that county officials refer to the "Comprehensive Land Use Plan for guidance and direction about the best locations to encourage or discourage development."
The staff report concluded the commission give an unfavorable recommendation on the rezoning request.
Residents speak
A line of residents opposed to the rezoning and development of the property made their way to the microphone.
Their concerns included the following:
Drainage: Many residents told about drainage problems in the area. They talked about their property being flooded by rain water flowing off the property. They were concerned the development would add to their flooding problems.
Traffic: Several said the main roads to the development, Watson and Kitchen, were not well developed and additional traffic would make them worse. They cited many traffic crashes in the area and the lives lost in those crashes.
Destruction of farmland: Several people brought up the loss of farmland the future problems the loss would cause.
Major gas line under property: Several people asked if anyone had checked to see about the gas line installed across the property. According to them, it was either a 36 inch or 42 inch diameter line.
Water problems: More than one resident told commission members about the low water pressure they have in the area. The additional homes would put a strain on the existing system. Some said they have their own water wells on their land.
Septic problems: Some said the land was not good for septic systems. They were concerned that failed septic systems would pollute their water wells.
Fire concerns: More than one person expressed concerns that with the low water pressure, the fire department would have trouble fighting fires in the area.
Lights a problem: Several said there were no street lights in the area.
Property values: More than one resident voiced concerns about how the development would affect their property values.
Schools: Several people said the school in the area was crowded and could not take many more students. They wanted to know who was going to pay for expanding the existing school.
After more than an hour and a half, with no discussion, commission members voted to give the request an unfavorable recommendation.
Rezoning and plat approved
Commission members gave a favorable rezoning recommendation for around 16 acres of property located on Watson Road in Madison Township. The owners, Robert and Dawn Phillips and Vernon and Donald Swigert, wanted to rezone the land from agricultural to R-1 residential. The owners wanted to subdivide the land into six lots for their children to live on.
This request had a favorable recommendation from the planning department.
Others are reading:IHSAA Football: Breaking down Monrovia, Indian Creek, Owen Valley's sectional matchups.
Commission members gave it a favorable recommendation to be rezoned.
The commission also approved the plat which divided the land into six lots.
The next scheduled meeting of the Morgan County Plan Commission is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14, at the Morgan County Administration Building, 180 S. Main St., Martinsville.
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Madison Township rezone request gets unfavorable recommendation
