APC Approves Funneling Law

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer-

An ordinance regarding lake access developments was approved by the Area Plan Commission Wednesday.

Kosciusko County commissioners will consider the proposal at their Sept. 19 meeting.

Nicknamed the "funneling" ordinance, this addition to the county zoning ordinance was studied for months by a citizen-led committee established by the plan commission.

Oswego-area resident David Tyler, who, in addition to being a member of the Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners' Association, sits on the state Lakes Management Work Group, led 10 meetings held by the Lake District Committee.

Plan commission members Dick Kemper, Larry Coplen and Charlie Haffner were appointed to the committee. Each man backed the revised amendment as presented.

The proposed ruling limits the practice of funneling numerous lake users through a single waterfront lot intended for residential use.

According to the amendment, funneling promotes very high density use of limited lakeshore property.

It often results in undesirable overcrowding, access conflicts, sanitation, noise, parking and public safety problems.

Under the ordinance, a developer "shall" provide 50 feet of shoreline for the first residential district; 25 more for the second unit and 15 feet for each additional unit. A three-lot subdivision "across the street" from a lake would require 90 feet of shoreline.

The linear footage requirement was a change from last month's proposal, which read 75 feet for the first unit; 50 feet for the second; and 20 for the third unit.

The stipulations also apply to any apartment building development, condominium, cooperative, club, retirement community, mobile home park and the like.

In other business, the plan commission:

• Denied a request by Sandy Hall to rezone property on the north side of Pierceton Road from agricultural to residential.

Hall said she planned to divide 30 acres west of CR 500E into 60 lots.

Adjacent property owners spoke against the proposal, saying the area was agricultural in nature and unsuited to such a subdivision.

The county commissioners will hear this request at the Sept. 19 meeting.

Plan commission members are Vic Virgil, Haffner, County Surveyor Kemper, County Commissioner Avis Gunter, Don Ahrns, Norm Lovell, Kevin McSherry and Larry Coplen. Charlene Knispel was absent. [[In-content Ad]]

An ordinance regarding lake access developments was approved by the Area Plan Commission Wednesday.

Kosciusko County commissioners will consider the proposal at their Sept. 19 meeting.

Nicknamed the "funneling" ordinance, this addition to the county zoning ordinance was studied for months by a citizen-led committee established by the plan commission.

Oswego-area resident David Tyler, who, in addition to being a member of the Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners' Association, sits on the state Lakes Management Work Group, led 10 meetings held by the Lake District Committee.

Plan commission members Dick Kemper, Larry Coplen and Charlie Haffner were appointed to the committee. Each man backed the revised amendment as presented.

The proposed ruling limits the practice of funneling numerous lake users through a single waterfront lot intended for residential use.

According to the amendment, funneling promotes very high density use of limited lakeshore property.

It often results in undesirable overcrowding, access conflicts, sanitation, noise, parking and public safety problems.

Under the ordinance, a developer "shall" provide 50 feet of shoreline for the first residential district; 25 more for the second unit and 15 feet for each additional unit. A three-lot subdivision "across the street" from a lake would require 90 feet of shoreline.

The linear footage requirement was a change from last month's proposal, which read 75 feet for the first unit; 50 feet for the second; and 20 for the third unit.

The stipulations also apply to any apartment building development, condominium, cooperative, club, retirement community, mobile home park and the like.

In other business, the plan commission:

• Denied a request by Sandy Hall to rezone property on the north side of Pierceton Road from agricultural to residential.

Hall said she planned to divide 30 acres west of CR 500E into 60 lots.

Adjacent property owners spoke against the proposal, saying the area was agricultural in nature and unsuited to such a subdivision.

The county commissioners will hear this request at the Sept. 19 meeting.

Plan commission members are Vic Virgil, Haffner, County Surveyor Kemper, County Commissioner Avis Gunter, Don Ahrns, Norm Lovell, Kevin McSherry and Larry Coplen. Charlene Knispel was absent. [[In-content Ad]]

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