The Elkhart City Plan Commission voted unanimously June 2 to recommend that the City Council annex roughly 202 acres for Elkhart East Phase 2, a voluntary annexation that would extend municipal water and other services to land north of County Road 6 between County Roads 17 and 19.

Planning staff (Mister Trotter) said the petition, filed under section 29 11 b, covers approximately 202 acres in Oslo and Washington townships and mirrors the 2024 petition that annexed Elkhart East Phase 1. Staff said the property is currently zoned Elkhart County DPUD (detailed planned unit development) and the petitioner intends the land to remain a PUD with uses consistent with the Elkhart County E-3 zoning district. The annexation is voluntary and staff reported the territory meets contiguity requirements for an annexation petition.

Staff reviewed a fiscal plan prepared by Baker Tilly. As presented in the staff report, the fiscal plan projects additional non-capital costs to the city during the initial four years of annexation and projected that starting in the second year the city would receive net annual revenues; Trotter read figures from the report during his presentation and the commission discussed the fiscal-plan findings. A commissioner asked whether Baker Tilly had factored recent legislation (SB 1, passed April 15, 2025) into the fiscal analysis; Trotter said he could not confirm that and would need to check with Baker Tilly.

Staff recommended approval, stating the petition meets the requirements of Indiana Code 36-4-3 and that the annexation would advance the original agreement that enabled municipal utilities to be extended to support the area’s development. Trotter told commissioners the developed portion of the annexation includes existing commercial uses such as Casey’s, Thor, Furrion and the RV Hall of Fame; much of the east and west parcels remain undeveloped.

After opening a public hearing with no speakers, the commission voted 5-0 to forward the annexation petition to the City Council with a “due pass” recommendation. The motion to recommend was seconded by Commissioner Osborne; roll-call votes were recorded as Osborne, Beecher, Lawson, Mishler and Erwin in favor.

Because this is a recommendation to the council, final action on annexation and any zoning or development approvals will occur at later hearings before the City Council and through subsequent PUD review processes.