Dearborn Co. Plan Commission to Discuss Draft Zoning Map Updates, Alternatives May 31

The public is invited to attend and share their opinions.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – A meeting to discuss proposed updates to the Dearborn County Zoning Map has been postponed.

The Dearborn County Plan Commission is postponing its meeting originally scheduled for Monday, May 23 to Tuesday, May 31 at 7:00 PM in the Henry Dearborn Meeting Room at the Dearborn County Government Center.

At the meeting, the Plan Commission will review and discuss proposed updates to the Dearborn County Zoning Map specific to the Agricultural and Residential Zoning Districts.

The county’s original zoning ordinance and map was created in 1965. Since then, there has always been one Agricultural Zoning District and one Residential Zoning District.

Updates to the zoning ordinance and map could include adding new zoning districts, potential changes to permitted and conditional uses within each zoning district, changes to standards such as setbacks, minimum lot sizes, lot widths, and more.

Interested persons are requested to appear at the public meeting and voice their opinion about the proposed updates. 

The Dearborn County – DRAFT, UPDATED (& Existing) Maps & Text can now be found online at the new link: https://www.dearborncounty.org/egov/documents/1651239381_8144.pdf

Background (via Dearborn County Plan Commission)

Both recent (2019) and previous (2004) housing studies in Dearborn County have identified a demand for more housing options. Since the original zoning ordinance and map were created in 1965, there has always been one Agricultural Zoning District and one Residential Zoning District. As the county ordinances have not been changed to account for certain types of residential uses and structures, these types of development have been limited—in terms of the types of housing that can be built without variances, conditional uses, and / or rezones, and also the options available in the (unincorporated areas of the) county for lots for residential uses and related uses, improvements, and amenities.

Last year, on October 21, 2020, the Dearborn County Plan Commission and staff, along with a consultant team, held 2 public workshops to review and discuss draft changes to the text of the Dearborn County Zoning Ordinance—specifically with respect to Agricultural and Residential Zoning Districts, including: adding new zoning districts, potential changes to permitted and conditional uses within each zoning district, new or expanded or amended definitions of uses and limitations related thereto, and changes to dimensional standards such as setbacks, minimum lot sizes, lot widths, etc. At these 2 previous public workshops and for several weeks before and afterwards, the Dearborn County Plan Commission and staff also conducted an online survey to get the community’s feedback on the draft texts. After seven (7) months of careful consideration and analysis of all of the feedback received from both the workshops and survey, the Zoning Technical Advisory Group, County staff, as well as the Plan Commission and the consultant team made several changes to the draft texts to reflect and address the community’s expressed preferences and concerns—and to address additional internal questions and issues that surfaced.