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Debate over the continued use of the residential-ag zoning known as Ag2 surfaced again this week when the Kosciusko County Commissioners rejected a recommendation from the plan commission.
The plan board's recommendation came on a 5-3 vote, and sought to change 18 acres south of Warsaw from agriculture to Ag2.
But after hearing concerns, including drainage, the commissioners denied the rezoning.
The controversy underscores the growing debate over Ag2, which county leaders may soon decide whether to eliminate as a zoning option.
One farmer, speaking to the commissioners, worried about rainwater runoff onto his property and the loss of the private, rural atmosphere. He embraced a growing sentiment that shrinking farmground needs to be protected. Some of the property was farmed as recently as last year.
"Let the country be the country and let the farmer be a farmer," said Bill Stofer, a cattle farmer who predicted new neighbors would complain about his operation.
However, the commissioners' decision wasn't totally surprising, and was based more on specific problems with the property than whether Ag2 is good or bad for long-range development of the county.
"There were serious physical limitations involving low land, drainage and high tension wires that made it not worthwhile to rezone," said plan director Dan Richard.
One of the underlying concerns involved questions about how many homes would eventually be constructed on the 18-acre tract east of Ind. 15, between county roads 300S and 350S.
Ag2 zoning permits homes to be built on tracts as small as one acre.
Poor drainage would likely limit the amount of development, and even though the petitioner planned only two or three homes, the possibility of more homes being constructed existed.
Under area plan commission ordinances established by the state, zonings cannot be approved with accompanying conditions such as number of homes proposed for construction.
Newly elected commissioner Brad Jackson earlier voiced opposition to Ag2 and abstained from taking a stand on Tuesday's request. He said he would have preferred a compromise in which only two or three homes could have been constructed.
Commissioners Avis Gunter and Eddie Creighton opposed the rezoning.
Jackson said he believes Ag2 is an inefficient use of land. While 50 acres can yield about 90 homes in a typical residential development, the most one can get under Ag2, including streets, would be about 40, he said.
"To me it's almost like we're wasting land. That's a very valuable commodity in our county," Jackson said.
He noted that Kosciusko County has lost almost 65,000 acres of farmland from 1950 to 1992, according to statistics from Census of Agriculture.
The future of Ag2 will likely be decided this year.
The zoning became one of the chief issues of concern during a public hearing on a county land use plan three months ago. Land use is part of the overall county master plan under revision.
A large number of people at the public hearing said they believe Ag2 is a poor use of agriculture land and others say it often leads to spot zoning.
Two committees, including one with representatives from the county Extension office, are looking into the issue, and the plan office has sought an opinion from the plan commission. Input will be formulated into a recommendation that will be prepared for public review probably in late February, said assistant planner Tonya Ford.
Eventually, a recommendation will be forwarded to the commissioners, who have final authority on zoning issues.
Richard said he's unsure what will happen, and says more input is needed.
"When it was created, I thought it filled a real necessary void because there were areas out there in the county that are not truly fine producing ground ... They were in isolated areas that made ideal residential ground," Richard said.
However, he said property owners have turned to Ag2 after exhausting the allowed number of 5-acre selloffs permitted in an agricultural zone for residential purposes.
"It's maybe gone away from what its original intentions were."
