[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6458362,"mediaKeyId","5821538-be4026ef1a6c126a0f61ab2997871eef","parentId",5821538,"title","Town of Zionsville council approves several appropriations and zoning changes; PUD continued","audioSeconds",2203,"startMs",1195000,"endMs",3398000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5821538-be4026ef1a6c126a0f61ab2997871eef&start=1195&end=3398","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5821538-be4026ef1a6c126a0f61ab2997871eef/thumbnail_1195000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6458362/Town-of-Zionsville/Boone-County/Indiana/Town-of-Zionsville-council-approves-several-appropriations-and-zoning-changes-PUD-continued","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458362-4845782a4f16f289543108642a7b9ffc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495678&Signature=UmlsbyH1K8M5jO4kJzcQUa1tF83oAU-fa~WHt~9cIgLdnF4Z24auJU1xBgjHB6Uzcwix5wKHI2lpvnf9NABIMjDjlgTD0mG8LKRi8G4EcqOzPlQB9ZhmitxvwtdEPLYLCMEwDIbuCAmq7WFr-Nr6LYBB9r8l9DQldhH3nX13evHeUKDbMcUZEQHcB3wI8hfGIju0w5YOSrmZxB1VVq8b3cKa0nWeN47W9Sc4evafYNNkRtWQcMRGtFaLZ5IhFAbd8jC4h0mP2l6ji8KTaKOm7EuZo6kgtyZP1JwgDJeKajPDmOKVDoIHERjUHCo6uB0hoQAIyHKfBlbnYQDyol4a0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Zionsville, IN","date","2025-09-22T00:00:00Z","article","The Town of Zionsville Town Council on Sept. 22 approved four agenda items by unanimous votes and continued one major rezoning petition for further review.

Approvals
- Resolution 2025-11 (police department appropriation): Motion to approve made by Councilor Melton, seconded by Councilor Norris; motion passed 5-0. The item was presented as a public hearing with no public speakers and no substantive debate recorded.

- Resolution 2025-12 (road impact fee refund for Harris FLP): The council approved a refund described in staff materials as an overpayment due to a fee-schedule change and internal communication gap; the motion passed 5-0 (moved by the council president; seconded by Councilor Melton).

- Resolution 2025-13 (update to the Town of Zionsville Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan): The council approved the town's updated ADA transition plan, which staff said must now be submitted at least every three years to maintain eligibility for certain federal funds (including Community Crossings). Brad Merriweather, deputy director of DPW, was identified in the meeting as the town's point of contact for ADA coordination. Motion passed 5-0 (mover: council president; seconded by Councilor Norris).

- Ordinance 2025-22 (rezoning to extend Lions Club Park): The council approved an ordinance rezoning two parcels totaling about 7.5 acres to the town's Urban Special Use (SU-7) district to match the existing park zoning. Planning staff said the change is consistent with the comprehensive plan's park designation and the Planning Commission forwarded a unanimous favorable recommendation. Motion to approve was made by Councilor Sampson and seconded by Councilor Melton; vote 5-0.

Continuation
- Ordinance 2020-5-21 (Courtyards / Heritage Trail, Epcon Communities): After extended public comment and technical discussion, the council voted to continue the item to the next regular meeting (motion by the council president; seconded by Vice President Burke). The continuation passed 5-0 to permit additional technical materials and legal zoning clarification to be supplied.

Budget
- Ordinance 2020-5-20 (2026 budget) was introduced (first reading). Tim Berry of Crow, the town's financial adviser, provided an overview and said the draft budget balances with a modest positive operational balance after reductions in capital outlays. That ordinance was introduced by motion and seconded; the council did not adopt the budget on first reading but scheduled follow-up budget work with department heads and staff.

Votes at a glance: all passed motions recorded 5-0 except the Epcon PUD, which the council continued for further review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9/22/2025 Zionsville Town Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its Sept. 22 meeting the council approved appropriations and refunds and amended zoning for Lions Club Park, while referring the large Epcon Heritage Trail PUD for further review. The council also approved an update to the town's ADA transition plan and conducted the first reading of the 2026 budget.","taxTitle","Town of Zionsville, Boone County, Indiana","taxId",55519,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6458367,"Zionsville council continues vote on Epcon's Heritage Trail PUD after hours of public comment and technical questions",1766,1644000,3410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5821538-be4026ef1a6c126a0f61ab2997871eef&start=1644&end=3410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5821538-be4026ef1a6c126a0f61ab2997871eef/thumbnail_1644000.jpg","/articles/6458367/Town-of-Zionsville/Boone-County/Indiana/Zionsville-council-continues-vote-on-Epcons-Heritage-Trail-PUD-after-hours-of-public-comment-and-technical-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458367-7224dcdbcf89333f0e68083fcd972885/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495678&Signature=YrQWQpJzDuLZO9hGcPWkVzqRQ-BXkQlZ7liKT7rNValqyYP3bVP0om0-NX7hbdsWzu2f8zPQqipXofXl2WwaEL4L3sPJE6epYTLbbhJQAnyCp-QnQH5N5rUHF4J7-QsvERYYBTE2u2zq6nHxWAjrxmD1EsKiFw1JehyPdzTDCDmtEYObSloGcLLX0Zi50hwPfHF~u8UzVDyVD5ykkJ2omM-1nESMAY8ofBdqEv-UcdMpKwGZar3fX4RRTS4o6eYN7GymuT1MrQrZq~5c9aT96ii5mBo~OaMPOSYUm3roEWe90w92vZh5APBLHvkCwMkMpGs~fjgDjshicwc3CFnCSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Zionsville Town Council on Sept. 22 continued action on a proposed planned-unit development from Epcon Communities that would rezone roughly 180 acres for a 55-plus neighborhood called Heritage Trail and dedicate 26 acres to the town.

The petition, introduced by Dale Pfeiffer of Epcon Communities, would rezone parcels bounded by County Roads 400 South, 750 East, 500 South (Whitestown Road) and 800 East from Rural R-1 to a PUD to allow 362 age-restricted single-family lots on 180 acres and a 26-acre dedication to the town. The planning department and the Plan Commission forwarded unanimous favorable recommendations to the council; the council chose to continue action to the next meeting after extended questions.

The continuance followed extended public comment from nearby property owners and multiple council questions about sewer service, traffic impacts and the project's density. Dale Pfeiffer, who leads land acquisition for Epcon Communities, described the project as \"an exclusive 55 plus lifestyle community\" and said the homes and design would generate lower service burdens than many conventional subdivisions. Pfeiffer told the council Epcon projects \"$200,000,000 in private investment\" and asserted the development would deliver long-term tax benefits to Zionsville.

Several residents who live adjacent to the site spoke in support at the start of the public-comment period, including Georgiana Kaiser, who identified herself as a landowner on East 500 South, and Duane Jibet, who said he had moved to Zionsville to be near family and supported the younger-retiree product Epcon builds. Jeff Heck, who lives on a property that would border the Epcon community, also asked the council to approve the project.

Council members pressed the petitioner and staff for technical clarifications. Lance (Department of Public Works staff) and the town engineer (referred to in the record as Mr. Lewis) explained the site sits in a patchwork of sewer-service boundaries between Whitestown and Zionsville; Whitestown had earlier amended its master sewer plan to withdraw service for portions of the area, creating what staff described as \"a little bit of a gap\" in service coverage. Lance said discussions with the developer had been \"very productive\" and that Epcon has funded preliminary sewer investigations intended to show how the development could be served without impairing existing customers.

Council members also raised density and traffic. Staff and the petitioner discussed gross and net densities: Epcon said the gross density would be about 2 dwelling units per acre (2.0 du/acre) and that, excluding the 26-acre dedication, the net density would be about 2.4 du/acre. Pfeiffer and planning staff emphasized the age restriction would reduce typical household size and trip generation; Pfeiffer said Epcon's designs \"generate 60% fewer trips than a traditional subdivision of the same size.\" Several councilors said they remained concerned about the jump from the current rural pattern (discussed in the meeting as roughly 1 home per 2 acres without sewer, or about 90 homes on the parcels today) to the proposed unit count.

During debate the petitioner offered a voluntary reduction of up to 40 lots (reducing the proposal from 362 to 322 lots) while keeping the proposed 26-acre dedication. The developer's representative said reducing lots was feasible but would require revisions to the PUD exhibits and likely further review by the Plan Commission. Several councilors and the council president said they wanted legal and zoning clarity on current permitted density under the inherited county-era R-1 rules before voting.

The council voted to continue the ordinance (recorded in the agenda as ordinance 20 20 5-21) to allow time for additional technical clarifications about sewer capacity and service boundaries, a final zoning/density determination from staff and follow-up discussions with the petitioner. The continuation passed on a voice vote, 5-0.

The council president said the item would return at the next regular meeting and urged staff and the petitioner to provide answers on sewer routing, lift-station and collection-system needs, a precise legal interpretation of the site's current zoning and a revised PUD plan if the developer proceeded with the proposed lot reduction.

The developer and several councilors said they would continue to meet with neighborhood representatives and staff during the two-week continuance; the planning commission's prior unanimous recommendation remains part of the record.","After extensive public testimony and technical questions about sewer capacity, traffic and density, the Town Council continued consideration of Epcon Communities' proposed Heritage Trail PUD to its next regular meeting, asking staff and the petitioner for additional clarification.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6458357,"Zionsville council introduces 2026 budget; consultants flag ongoing uncertainty from state tax changes",574,5673000,6247000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5821538-be4026ef1a6c126a0f61ab2997871eef&start=5673&end=6247","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5821538-be4026ef1a6c126a0f61ab2997871eef/thumbnail_5673000.jpg","/articles/6458357/Town-of-Zionsville/Boone-County/Indiana/Zionsville-council-introduces-2026-budget-consultants-flag-ongoing-uncertainty-from-state-tax-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458357-3e5e7efd5371d0b407633cacd4d606f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495678&Signature=muDOZMnc8RHw4jOyleOfF4QGiX4-W~6fkURL6XdDMbBuh1gO~YSluv-maX-ko1p48vo5o1grTOjSKn7oxZsar0L7ZVlKSBWj6OwE6DMz7HpVDAm5inV2nEum5oT6A1k0G01j~nkPwFdGXDUwMDXgey3hAqlLu4JXptF6IpSt1Zjs-jFxz-4-DPZHBzs8VGTmImaWbIwWIl0YexKZKLU~uBptYbsUVRAPANIrQN2K5Nh3HiL3IxYzw01t6CDqoE1Xa6BpuiLutgIXaqa~PKoPZhfrHOt7yqd5v-N1Fq9Nq~CalJ6VDL0UZ7agEFZE-IzZBS7RqQa7RfKjOHayrOM13g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Zionsville Town Council received the first reading of the 2026 budget on Sept. 22 and introduced the ordinance for further review. Tim Berry, the town's financial consultant with Crow, presented the draft budget and five-year projections.

Berry said staff and department heads reduced expenditures to offer a balanced 2026 operational budget after factoring early estimates of the impact of Indiana's Senate Bill 1 (SB1). He reported a conservative supplemental local income tax estimate of $1,850,000 for 2026 and described an estimate of $1,540,000 in potential additional revenue if the town's excess levy appeal is approved by the Department of Local Government Finance. Berry said the town expects a one-time near-term effect from SB1 of roughly $800,100 for the coming year (figure quoted from DLGF estimates) and noted the state-level adjustments will continue to affect property-tax-derived revenues.

The draft 2026 budget reduced capital outlays and some other expense lines from the 2025 budget, while incorporating approximately $725,000 in additional personal-services costs, including $411,000 for longevity pay and $314,000 for a proposed salary adjustment. Berry said the salary adjustment currently is modeled as a $1,500-per-employee addition but noted the council could alter that approach when department-level details are finalized.

Councilors asked for department-level breakdowns and committed to meeting with department heads and the mayor in the two-week window before the next meeting. The council president and the mayor's office confirmed departmental budgets have been entered in Gateway and that the budget advertisement for public hearing is in place.

Berry and councilors noted risk: capital spending reductions are not indefinitely sustainable and SB1's long-term effect on supplemental homestead deductions will grow over time. The council introduced ordinance 2020-5-20 (2026 budget) on a first reading and directed staff to prepare departmental detail and follow-up materials for final consideration.","On first reading the council introduced a balanced draft 2026 budget that reduces capital spending and includes proposed salary adjustments. Consultants warned long-term revenue impacts from Indiana Senate Bill 1 and recommended follow-up steps including a possible excess-levy appeal.","actionData","errors"]

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Town of Zionsville council approves several appropriations and zoning changes; PUD continued

Zionsville council continues vote on Epcon's Heritage Trail PUD after hours of public comment and technical questions

Zionsville council introduces 2026 budget; consultants flag ongoing uncertainty from state tax changes