Instead of making changes to Kosciusko County's subdivision and zoning control ordinances piece by piece, the county commissioners said Tuesday they'd rather see a complete package of changes.

Matt Sandy, Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission assistant planner, presented the commissioners with a proposed ordinance that would change the definition of a subdivision to a parcel of land divided into three or more parcels.

Currently, a subdivision is defined as a unit of land divided into four or more parcels. If the commissioners approve it, Sandy said, the activation date for the change would be July 1.

At their April 3 meeting, the plan commission approved the change unanimously.

County commissioner Brad Jackson said the consensus of the commissioners now is that they don't agree or disagree with the recommendation but they want to see more thought on how "this is all going to fit together."

Ron Truex, commissioner, said the county has a comprehensive plan. The commissioners' preference, he said, is to not piece-meal a new comprehensive plan. He said he did not think there was any documented support for this change by itself.

From the audience, Kelly Easterday, a member of the plan commission, said when the plan commission, the board of zoning appeals and commissioners met together in a joint meeting, no one ever mentioned a new comprehensive plan.

She asked, "When is the process for a new plan going to happen?"

"I think that's happening now. You have the first step," said Truex. By not approving the ordinance, he said the commissioners were not stopping the process.

Jackson said the county's ordinances can be their own worst enemies at times. He said he wants to see the county look not only at number of sell offs but size of sell offs and Ag II rezonings as well.

When changing the ordinances, Truex said, the commissioners can't just look at the changes from an agricultural perspective. Easterday countered that very few people ever show up to give their input unless it's in their own backyard.

Truex said if the process of making changes to the county's subdivision and zoning ordinances comes to an end, "then the area plan let it die."

Easterday said at the joint meeting last month it was obvious that the plan commission was not given a clear direction from the county commissioners.

Jackson suggested the plan commission meet two more times to discuss the issues and then they, the BZA and the commissioners can have another joint meeting, possibly in July. He said they didn't need to "reinvent the wheel," but some issues just need to be further studied.

Another issue for the plan commission to consider, commissioner president Avis Gunter said, is old mobile homes being brought into the county. "Some of our residents are very upset about what's being done at some places."

In other business, the county commissioners:

• Approved a resolution changing the lease on the Justice Building expansion project to allow for refinancing of the project.

In a meeting by the Board of Directors of the Kosciusko County Justice Building Corp. at 9:30 a.m., the corporation board also approved the refinancing and refunding of bonds for the project.

By refinancing and paying $3.2 million on the principle, the Kosciusko County Commissioners hope to pay the bonds off on the Justice Building project five years sooner than anticipated.

The commissioners will pay $2.6 million towards the principle from the Economic Development Income Tax. Another $600,000 will be paid towards the principle from leftover construction costs. The bid for the expansion project was estimated at more than the actual cost.

The bond issue will thus be lowered from approximately $19 million to $16.885 million.

By refinancing, the interest rate for the bonds will be lowered from 5.68 percent to 4.57 percent.

The county will save approximately $4 million.

• Approved to make the intersection of CR 300S and County Farm Road a four-way intersection.

• Approved a petition by Woodrow Everly to rezone approximately 15 acres from an environmental district to an agricultural district. The property is 345 feet east of CR 780W and 1,550 feet north of Ind. 25 in Harrison Township.

• Approved a petition for Howard Jr. and Mary I. Smith to vacate 150 feet of alley and 300 feet of road right of way off of Monoquet Road in Monoquet subdivision near the Warsaw Racquet Club.

• Approved for county administrator Ron Robinson to purchase 200 folding chairs for the county for $4,400.

Kosciusko County Commissioners are Avis Gunter, Brad Jackson and Ron Truex. They meet every other Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw. [[In-content Ad]]