Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
By unanimous decision Wednesday, the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission voted to recommend changes in the county's zoning ordinances to the county commissioners.
The three changes are regarding minimum lot size on lots without public sewer, defining mailboxes as structures as defined by ordinance and allowing for manufacturing in a commercial district by exception.
The commissioners will consider the recommendations at their June 18 meeting at approximately 10 a.m.
At a previous plan commission meeting, Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver told the plan commission the health board unanimously approved recommending the plan commission make the ordinance change.
Currently, a lot must be a minimum of 15,000 square feet to have an on-site sewage system. The health department wants to increase that to 20,000 square feet. The change in minimum lot size would be only for new homes on new lots.
Plan commission chairman Vic Virgil said the health department is going to require 20,000 square feet eventually but wants the plan commission's cooperation in the matter.
However, since some surveyors and developers are already working on developments with a minimum lot size of 15,000 square feet, the plan commission will allow for some leeway in the minimum requirement.
If the commissioners approve the ordinance change, the 20,000-square-foot minimum will go into effect July 15. Any surveyor or developer who has plans in the developing stage must contact the plan commission before then to be on a list for the 15,000-square-foot minimum and provide the name of the property owner, location of property and size. The property must already be properly zoned. That list will remain in effect until the plan commission's March 2003 meeting. If the property has not had its preliminary plat hearing by then, the property will be taken off the list and then must meet the 20,000-square-foot minimum lot size.
As for mailboxes, plan commission assistant planner Matt Sandy said the ordinance is in regards to "big brick monuments to mail." He said the large mailboxes are "popping up more and more" and can be hazardous. The plan commission wants to regulate them in such a way as to define them as structures.
Mailboxes would be listed under the definition of a structure. The definition of a mailbox would then be a "mail receptacle mounted upon a post that is either 6 inches by 6 inches wood or plastic breakaway posts or 2-1/2-inch diameter metal breakaway posts."
Charlie Haffner, plan commission member, said people think their mailboxes are covered by their homeowner's insurance but if someone were to crash into one of the large brick mailbox structures, they will find out they are not.
Sandy said it's not their intention to regulate the "everyday" mailboxes but just the "big brick ones."
"I agree with the intent," said county surveyor Dick Kemper. "I just hope it doesn't cause a lot of problems."
Sandy said existing brick mailboxes will be grandfathered in but if they are torn or knocked down, they can't be replaced.
The third ordinance revision recommendation is to list manufacturing under exception uses for commercial districts. The commercial district is primarily for retail or service uses.
A handful of citizens asked the plan commission what ordinance the county could formulate to address problem mobile homes in the county.
One of the concerned citizens, Jerry Hand, said on CR 400E, between CRs 800S and 850S, two house trailers and mobile homes were moved in and don't have water or sewage. The total value of the homes is probably around $500, he said. The county needs an ordinance on the age or/and value of mobile homes allowed in the county.
Virgil said the county has a rule regarding age of a mobile home in a mobile home park. They can't be more than 10 years old. However, maybe they can extend that rule to mobile homes out in the county.
Plan commission director Dan Richard said his office is now looking at what other counties are doing in regard to mobile homes. By next month's meeting, he said, they hope to have a synopsis of what those other counties are doing.
Sandy said Weaver has sent the property owner referred to by Hand, a letter of condemnation.
Kemper said most of the surrounding counties are addressing the minimum housing standards issue.
The plan commission meets at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month in the county courthouse, Warsaw. Members are Vic Virgil, Charlie Haffner, Norm Lovell, Don Ahrms, Hal Strong, Dick Kemper, Barbara Carwile, Kelly Easterday and Kevin McSherry.
