Published: September 16, 2008 01:39 pm         

Public previews proposal

Boone County Comprehensive Plan Draft

Lebanon — A draft of the Boone County Comprehensive Plan was presented to the public during an open house Monday.

Information about the proposed plan — including detailed maps — was set up in the community building at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds. Dozens of residents were on hand at 6:30 p.m. at the start of the open house, to learn how the plan was put together, and what it might mean for their homes and businesses in the future.

Those who came to view the plans were placed in small groups, and the groups were directed through five different stations set up around the room. At the stations, those who came to views the plans were given a general introduction, an overview of background and analysis, a look at how the public has participated in the planning so far, and a summary of the vision for the county along with goals and objectives for the next 20 years. The last station presented the maps, broken into townships with specific, detailed information.

Steve Niblick, Area Plan Commission executive director, said it was important to break the overall map down into townships for detail purposes, because agriculture in one area of the county doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing in another part of the county.

“One size doesn’t fit all,” he said.

The plan’s purpose is to chart the county’s development, in rural areas as well as in Advance and Whitestown, over the next five years, and to set guidelines to direct growth through 2035. Lebanon, Jamestown, Thorntown and Zionsville all have their own planning agencies.

The draft was prepared by the APC, the Boone County Economic Development Corp. and consulting firm American Structurepoint Inc.

Presenters were taking comments and gathering input from the session and will take that information into consideration before finalizing the plan to be presented in a public hearing, likely this fall.

Niblick said that after hearing from the public a final time at the hearing, officials will decide whether to make additional changes, or proceed with the plan. To proceed, the plan will have to be adopted by the Boone County Commissioners, and the Advance and Whitestown town councils before it could be enacted.

The last plan for Boone County was done in 1996, and an attempt to update it in 1999-2000 was not successful.

A copy of the new draft of the comprehensive plan is available at the Area Plan Commission office in the Boone County Office Annex, 116 E. Washington St., Lebanon. Copies are also available in town halls and libraries in the county, and posted on the Internet at www.boonecounty.in.gov.

     

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