WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- A southern Indiana planning commission is rethinking a proposed zoning ordinance after getting hundreds of complaints from neighbors.
Many members of the Washington County community raised concerns about the ordinance, calling it vague and saying could be open to interpretation.
They voiced those concerns at a meeting last month, demanding more clarification from county leaders who they claimed had not provided sufficient information. They also feared the ordinance would disrupt small businesses and agricultural livelihoods in the county.
Now, the planning commission is splitting it up, and will get public input on one part of it first. Many members of the community credited citizens getting together and showing up as a reason for the move.
"Citizens got together, showed up, and the government backed down," said Lucy Brenton.
Brenton was among hundreds of other residents voicing concerns over the ordinance. For her, it centered around the nursery she runs out of her home.
The proposed ordinance lists nurseries as one of 18 types of businesses that could “increase beyond the limits” and potentially disturb neighbors. Also included in this category are houses of worship, raising concerns that home-based religious gatherings, such as Amish services, may be affected.
Others were worried about the ambiguous wording of the ordinance, and said it could've caused issues for homesteaders.
"So many people in this county are really good people, and they want to raise their kids and their grandkids in a rural community that they're proud of," Karen Wischmeier, with the county's Fourth District, said Monday.
Since WDRB's report Monday, the planning commission wrote in a letter that it has heard from many in the community, and recognizes the concerns expressed over the proposed zoning ordinance.
The Washington County Planning Commission wrote in this letter, dated Feb. 6, that it has heard from many in the community, and recognizes the concerns expressed over the proposed zoning ordinance.
"It feels like victory, but I'm not actually sure that that's what's happening," said Brenton. "In fact, I suspect that what we may actually be seeing is a tactic by our local planning commission and commissioners to let us go back to sleep. They've poked the bear. Now, we're awake. Are they really just backing down hoping that we'll forget? Not this time."
The planning commission has canceled the upcoming meetings and postponed the ordinance. It said it plans to separate the subdivision control ordinance, which states that land should not be subdivided unless drainage, water and sewage are set up.
"We have had people in the past that have come, bought large tracts of land, subdivided it, and then left the people that bought those subdivided tracts hanging, so they're really concerned another company might try to do that in the future, so they're looking out for the citizens," Brenton said.
The commission said it will make changes and get public input on that specific part of the ordinance. It also said it hopes this will promote restored trust, healing, and an opportunity for quiet reflection.
It's unclear when the planning commission will reconvene on this ordinance, but did say the intent of it was to protect and not hurt anyone.
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