Warrick County plan commission approves five primary plats, forwards rezoning to commissioners

At its September meeting, the Warrick County Plan Commission approved five primary plats—PP-25-08, PP-25-09, PP-25-10, PP-25-11 and PP-25-12—and took a separate vote to forward a rezoning recommendation (PC-R-25-08) to the county commissioners for final consideration.

The plats approved divide property ranging from about 16 to 104 acres for commercial and recreational uses. Jim Marley Jr., project engineer, described PP-25-08 as “5 commercial lots ranging in size from 1.97 to 5.59 acres” on property owned by Deaconess Hospital Inc. That item, and the other plats, passed on motions from commission members after planners confirmed required notices and that drainage and street-plan approvals had been handled by the relevant boards.

Why it matters: the plats and the rezoning set the legal framework for future development—commercial lots near Epworth Road, multiple large recreational lots near Turpin Hill and State Road 61, and an expansion of an existing commercial subdivision. The rezoning item PC-R-25-08 would change about 0.58 acres from agricultural to C-4 (general commercial); the commission voted to forward that rezoning to the county commissioners, who will consider it at their Oct. 15 meeting.

Key approved items and details

- PP-25-08 (Deaconess Hospital Inc.): Approximately 16.4 acres on the east side of Epworth Road; staff described five commercial lots for future buildings and parking. Planner Jim Marley Jr. testified that “this is all Deaconess property that they just want to split up into lots” for separate development. The commission approved the plat by voice vote.

- PP-25-09 (Grasslands at Turpin Hill, American Land Holdings Viviana LLC): About 103.52 acres south of Turpin Hill Road divided into three recreational lots (sizes reported from about 22 to 43 acres); the drainage and street-improvement waivers were noted as approved by the respective boards before the commission voted to approve the plat.

- PP-25-10 (Lake Forest, American Land Holdings LLC): Approximately 53.55 acres on the west side of State Road 61; a single recreational lot was described and approval was granted. Staff noted DOT driveway permits would be required for any future access to State Road 61.

- PP-25-11 (4 Lakes at the Interchange, American Land Holdings / United Minerals Company): About 74.59 acres east of State Road 61 near I-64; proposed two recreational lots including one with an existing single-family dwelling. Commissioners discussed possible future donations of some parcels to the town of Lynnville and confirmed site grading and drainage work were complete.

- PP-25-12 and PC-R-25-08 (Effort Development LLC / rezoning): A primary plat of approximately 36.26 acres on Epworth Road and a companion rezoning request to change roughly 0.58 acres from agricultural to C-4 general commercial. Staff described a base flood elevation issue that will require structures to be built at or above flood protection grade or require a letter map amendment. The commission approved the primary plat and voted to forward the rezoning recommendation to the county commissioners.

Procedure and next steps: The commission handled the plats as final-approval items; rezonings were treated as recommendations to the county commissioners. The commission recorded voice votes of “aye” on the plats and the rezoning motion; the rezoning will appear before the county commissioners on Oct. 15.

What was not decided: The commission did not authorize any specific building permits, site plans or driveway permits during the meeting. Several approvals included conditions or downstream requirements (e.g., DOT driveway permits, flood-protection elevation certification, drainage-board approvals) that must be satisfied before development or construction proceeds.

Ending: The approvals advance multiple subdivision and rezoning proposals in Warrick County; commission staff and applicants will follow up on the site-specific permitting and any commissioner-level hearings for rezoning.