APC stalls countywide rezoning of prime farmland after outreach, solar concerns

The Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission’s Ordinance and Bylaw Committee on May 7, 2025, moved to delay final action on a staff proposal to rezone dozens of parcels in Wabash and Tippecanoe townships to Select Agricultural (AA), voting to continue discussion for about 90 days and direct staff to refine outreach.

The committee’s pause followed an extended staff presentation and about two hours of public comment. Amanda (staff planner) told the committee that staff mailed 159 letters covering 353 parcel ID numbers about the proposed rezoning and removed properties from the proposal if owners asked: “We received approximately 10 phone calls or emails from property owners since that notices were mailed. 2 of them were in support of the rezone, and 8 of them were against and wanted their properties removed from this rezone,” Amanda said. She described AA as intended to “provide areas identified within the adopted comprehensive plan as having either highest or a combination of high and highest potential for agricultural use,” and said the proposal excluded small (6-acre or smaller) nonfarmed parcels.

Why it matters: staff told the committee the rezoning…