Plan Commission backs rezoning of 14.35-acre parcel near Garrett to A2 agricultural

DEKALB COUNTY, Ind. — The DeKalb County Planning Commission on Feb. 19 recommended that county commissioners approve a zone map amendment to change about 14.35 acres south of Garrett from R1 (low-density residential) to A2 (agricultural).

The applicant, identified in the hearing as Joe DeBrisco of Fort Wayne, told the commission the change is intended to allow a single-family home and to keep the land in agricultural use. "The intended use is strictly for residential," DeBrisco said. "I wouldn't want to be in a spot where down the road, they said, well, it's residential. You gotta quit farming it." The parcel is at the southeast corner of County Road 327 and County Road 68, roughly three miles south of Garrett and adjacent to Holiday Lakes.

The rezoning is the first step to make the property buildable; staff told commissioners the parcel will also need minor-subdivision approval from the plat committee. The staff report noted the future land-use designation for the area is mixed agricultural and rural residential and recommended a favorable recommendation to the commissioners.

Commission discussion centered on what A2 zoning allows. Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about confined feeding operations (CFOs) and other more intensive agricultural uses because of the parcel's proximity to Holiday Lakes and an older subdivision to the west. A commissioner asked whether "confined feeding operations would be allowed," and staff replied that such uses can be permitted in agricultural districts, prompting questions about buffers, covenants and state law protections for agricultural uses.

DeBrisco told the commission he did not intend to operate any large-scale animal facilities. "I can certainly assure you there's no plans for any volume of animals to be there," he said, adding that his immediate plans were for a home, some storage for personal vehicles and to continue farming the ground at current levels.

Procedural and technical items noted on the record included non-objection letters received from the county board of health, the county highway department, the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District and the county surveyor, and staff said the DeKalb County Airport Authority found the matter not applicable. Staff also identified wetlands and a small pond on the parcel and said those features could affect siting of any future structures or animal facilities.

A motion for a favorable recommendation to the county commissioners carried in a roll-call vote, with seven commissioners voting yes and one voting no. The plan commission vote recorded: Angie Holt (yes); Frank Pulver (yes); Bill Van Wy (yes); Sandy Harrison (yes); Suzanne Davis (yes); Bill Hartman (no); Jerry Yoder (yes); Jason Carnahan (yes).

The plan commission’s favorable recommendation will be forwarded to the DeKalb County commissioners, who are scheduled to hear the petition on March 3 at 9 a.m. The applicant also faces a March 4 review by the plat committee for the minor subdivision needed to create a buildable lot.

Questions that remained on the record included whether covenants recorded with Holiday Lakes or other historic plat restrictions would limit future agricultural uses, and whether the county’s development standards (UDL/UDO and state law) provide sufficient setbacks or buffers to address neighbors’ concerns. Several commissioners said broader changes to setback or UDO standards could be discussed by the commission at a later date but were not part of this petition's decision.

Votes at a glance: The commission made a favorable recommendation for Petition 2058 (rezoning R1 to A2 for a 14.35-acre parcel near Garrett); roll-call vote 7–1 in favor. The planning commission’s action is a recommendation only; the Board of Commissioners will make the final zoning decision at a later public meeting.