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Council approves new zoning map for Markle

Residents in Markle will have an easier time of making improvements to their properties, after town council members adopted a new zoning map at their Wednesday, Jan. 15, meeting.

The council agreed by consensus to consider Ordinance 2014-1 in one meeting. The proposed ordinance was presented by Mark Mussman of the Huntington Countywide Department of Community Development, with a favorable recommendation from the Markle Zoning Board.

"Everything was more or less zoned R-2 and anytime anyone wanted to add onto their property they had to get a variance," explains Markle Clerk-Treasurer Shelley Monticue. "So it was to minimize variances and to make things that are ‘legal-non-conforming' just officially legal."

Monticue says most of the older section of the town is properly zoned as R-8, and lot sizes are smaller with smaller setbacks.

Mussman says most of the zoning map changes affect the side of the town located in Huntington County. Much of the R-2 zoning and other zones were changed to R-8, R-4 or made a central business district.

"Essentially, the changes just reflected the land use and lot sizes and structures and the actual, historic use of the property for years and years," he says. "It just assigned a much more appropriate zoning district."

The minimum lot size in the R-2 zone is one-half acre. Mussman says many of the town's 5,000 to 7,000-square-foot lots were zoned R-2 with a minimum front setback requirement of 75 feet from the front property line.

"The smaller lots don't have 75 feet and so in the residential parts that were zoned from R-2 to either R-4 or R-8 reflect the historic lot sizes that were created years and years ago before land use regulations," Mussman explains. "It better reflects the kind of setbacks that a residential development close to the center of a small town in Indiana should be. It shouldn't be 75 feet - that's a suburban or rural setback requirement and not an urban setback requirement."

Mussman estimates about 50 percent of Huntington County residential and business properties within Markle's corporate limits are affected by the new zoning map.

In other business before the council:

• Some freezing that took place at the water treatment plant during the recent cold snap has been resolved and employees have been dealing with snow removal. Town Superintendent Rick Asher reported he will seek reimbursement from the state for overtime spent on clearing streets because of the snow emergency.

• Town Marshal John Markley told the council the new police car is expected to arrive in mid February. Monticue said the vehicle will still need to have decals applied and the light bars installed after it is delivered.

• The issue of leasing space on the town's water tower for was tabled until the next meeting on Feb. 19 to allow time for negotiations between attorneys representing Omnicity, Only Internet and the town.

• Employee handbook and summer sprinkling agenda items were also tabled until the next meeting.