U.S. 31 zoning ruling may go into ’09

By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune staff writer

December 01, 2008 06:14 pm

— A zoning moratorium along the corridor of the new U.S. 31 route could be extended for another year.
Howard County Commissioners were asked to consider extending the moratorium, which was put into place in 2005, through 2009.
Glen Boise, executive director of the Kokomo/Howard County Planning Commission, said the Plan Commission has already approved the extension.
The moratorium is scheduled to expire Jan. 1.
Boise said the moratorium was implemented to prevent speculative development along the new U.S. 31 corridor.
He said the intent is to keep developers from purchasing land, developing it and then selling the property to the state at an inflated cost.
The zoning moratorium extends for one mile on either side of the planned route, except for some areas close to the Kokomo city limits.
Commissioner Brad Bagwell said there has been some discussion about reducing the moratorium area on both sides of the planned route to a half-mile.
“The idea is to protect the state from having to purchased rezoned property to the higher commercial designation,” he said.
Bagwell said an option the commissioners could consider is extending the moratorium until the Indiana Department of Transportation purchases all the right of way needed along the route.
Earlier this year the Plan Commission hired American Structurepoint to study future zoning and land use along the expressway.
Boise said the study will include the existing U.S. 31 bypass route and the four county roads leading to interchanges on the expressway route.
The study and recommendations will include interchanges at Boulevard, Markland Avenue (U.S. 35/Ind. 22), Touby Pike and Ind. 26.
The study will take up to two years to complete.
The federal government is providing 80 percent of the estimated $95,000 cost through a Surface Transportation Planning grant. The remaining funds are coming from the Planning Department and the Kokomo/Howard County Governmental Coordinating Council.
Boise said the intent is to have American Structurepoint recommend land use along the expressway following a series of public hearings.
Ken de la Bastide can be reached at (765) 454 -8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com