Supporters called the proposed Lake Access Development Amendment "vitally important to Kosciusko County's lake communities" at the Area Plan Commission meeting Wednesday.

Plan commission members tabled a decision after hearing about an hour and a half of comments for and against the zoning change.

Plan commission Director Dan Richard welcomed the more than 100 citizens who attended the meeting, saying their presence was fantastic.

He also said more than 50 letters were received in support of the amendment and the planning office received a copy of one letter to the Times-Union editor which was not in favor of the amendment.

Four people spoke in favor of the amendment, a couple of people had questions, and four people spoke against it.

David Tyler, representing the Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners Association and that organization's lake development committee, spoke in favor of the amendment.

Tyler, an Oswego Lake resident, also belongs to the lake management advisory committee for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Since October 2005, he has served on the plan commission's lake district subcommittee and kept the board up to date regarding the committee's decisions.

Plan commission members Larry Coplen, Charles Haffner and Dick Kemper also serve on the lake district subcommittee.

The agendas and minutes of the lake district meetings have been posted on the county's Web site.

The plan commission received a copy of the Lake Access Development Amendment at the July 6 meeting.

The proposed legislation addresses how much shoreline should be secured to make the lake accessible to people who live in a subdivision away from the lake.

Lake access for property owners who live in developments will require 75 feet of shoreline for the first residential unit, 50 additional feet for the second residential unit and 20 additional feet for all other residential units.

"It (the amendment) would sensibly limit a developer's practice of funneling numerous lake users through a waterfront lot designed for a single household," he said. "Funneling promotes very high density use of limited lakeshore property. It results in overcrowding, sanitation, noise, parking and public safety problems that usually occur within an established lake residential neighborhood."

Dan Lee, president of the Chapman Lakes Conservation Association, also spoke in favor of the amendment, as did David Doctor of the Barbee Lakes Property Owners Association and Bob Smith and Gary Calhoun, both former presidents of the Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners Association.

Lois Smith and Doug Harvey had questions about their easements to the lake and were assured all properties with deeded easements would not be affected by the ordinance.

Attorney Steve Snyder spoke against the amendment as presented, saying if the piece is intended to limit subdivision access to a lake, to be anti-funneling, it fell short of the mark.

He presented changes to the proposed ordinance as well as an entirely different draft of the ordinance.

Kay Ellis, president of the Wawasee Lake Property Owners Association, said her group backed Snyder's proposal(s).

Donyel Byrd read her three-page letter against the amendment and a Loon Lake property owner also spoke against the proposal.

Haffner, Coplen and Kemper each cautioned their fellow plan commission members against a hasty decision and suggested more time be spent in review and research.

Plan commission members are Vic Virgil, Don Ahrms, Avis Gunter, Norm Lovell, Charles Haffner, Kevin McSherry, Larry Coplen, Dick Kemper and Charlene Knispel. [[In-content Ad]]