Elkhart County commissioners approve traffic-rule changes, three rezonings, GIS work order and authorize bid reviews

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. — On April 21, 2025, the Elkhart County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt multiple traffic- and annexation-related ordinance amendments, approve three zoning map changes, authorize a work order for GIS services and send two highway procurement bids back to staff for review and recommendation.

The actions followed routine presentations from county staff and brief public hearings. County Attorney Steve Olson summarized a contract action: “Aben Marsh Consultants is under a master product and services agreement dated 05/06/2024 and a system services agreement supplement dated 05/06/2024... Work order number 4 is for the purposes of GIS data migration to continue assisting on an on call basis with the GIS department for that services.” The board moved and approved the work order unanimously.

Why it matters: Many of the traffic rule changes reflect annexations by the City of Elkhart and reassign local regulatory control. The rezoning decisions change land-use designations for specific parcels and consolidate zoning for a county complex that includes the landfill and other county facilities.

Major actions and votes

- GIS services work order: The board approved Work Order No. 4 with Aben Marsh Consultants, under existing master product and services agreements dated May 6, 2024, to assist the county GIS department with data migration and on-call services. Motion carried unanimously.

- Highway procurement: The board opened bids for the 2025 pavement wedging program and received two bids: Niblock Excavating for $575,422.87 and Ruth Riley Construction Company for $663,723. Commissioners authorized staff to review the bids and return with a recommendation. For the 2025 striping program the county received a single bid from CE Hughes Billing (formerly Air Marking Company) for $782,393.33; commissioners likewise directed staff to review and report back.

Highway Department planner Kyle Wagner described wedging as “a pretreatment before chip and seal. It's where the horses and buggies run. It leaves a trough in the road... We fill that with asphalt before chip and seal.”

- Traffic and signage ordinances: A series of ordinance amendments were approved that remove or modify entrance, one-way, parking, traffic signal, size-and-weight, speed, stop, turning and yield regulations. Several actions reflected parcels and intersections that now fall within Elkhart City limits following annexation. Key items approved (all motions carried unanimously unless noted): • Remove entrance/exit restrictions at Amberwood Terrace Shopping Center (655 County Road 17) that are now under city control. • Add one-way regulation requiring counterclockwise travel at the new peanut roundabout at County Roads 13/15/18. • Remove parking regulation on Winding Waters Lane (County Road 6 to Belvedere Road). • Remove traffic-signal regulation for the intersection of County Road 6 and County Road 17 because that intersection fell into Elkhart City annexation and the highway department no longer controls the signal. • Remove a posted 13-ton weight restriction for Bridge 102 (County Road 35 between County Road 8 and State Road 120) after inspection indicated the structure can hold more weight; the regulation (not the bridge) was removed. • Modify speed limits so that County Road 7 (Haley Road to Elkhart City limits and from city limits to Michigan state line) and County Road 17 (Elkhart City limits segment) have a maximum speed of 45 mph. • Remove multiple stop, turning and yield regulations at intersections that transferred to Elkhart City jurisdiction, including several stops on Elkhart East Boulevard, Discovery Drive, Endeavor Drive, Market Court, Monterey Drive, Pine Brook Drive and Winding Waters Lane.

- Rezoning and planning items: The board held brief hearings and voted to approve three zoning map changes: • Robert D. and Jacqueline Asseline: rezoned from R-2 and R-3 to A-1 for property at 51601 East County Line Road in York Township. The plan commission and staff recommended approval. Applicant Jacqueline Asseline told commissioners she plans to continue farming and homesteading on the family property, saying it is “the last of, a legacy.” • Linda K. Awold: rezoned from R-1 to B-3 for property at 3401 Pleasant Plain Avenue in Concord Township; Danielle Richards of the county planning department said the request had staff and plan commission approval and that “there were no remonstrators, no issues.” • Board of Commissioners (county-initiated): rezoned a parcel from A-1 to M-2 at 59530 County Road 7 in Concord Township to consolidate zoning for the Encore County Landfill and adjacent county complex. Zoning staff and plan commission recommended support; the plan commission vote was six in favor, one against. Jason Veil, zoning administrator, said the rezoning “puts all the property together in one zoning district” for an intensive land use that has been in place since the late 1960s/early 1970s. Staff noted that approvals for landfill-type uses also require separate Board of Zoning Appeals review.

- Weights and measures: The March 17–April 16 weights and measures report was accepted.

What commissioners asked and noted

Commissioners repeatedly framed the traffic and signage amendments as administrative follow-ups to annexations by the City of Elkhart; staff explained the county typically removes signs and transfers them to city control while leaving signage in place until the city acts. For the Bridge 102 weight limit the county noted that the change was based on the bridge inspection result.

Public comment and hearings

Public hearings on the three rezonings produced no remonstrators in the Asseline and Awold cases; the landfill rezoning produced questions from a few nearby residents who were concerned that a different, closed Waste Management landfill might be reopening. Staff and zoning officials said those concerns were questions and did not reflect a formal remonstration to the rezoning before the board.

Next steps

Staff will return to the board with recommendations on the pavement wedging and striping bids. Other ordinance updates took effect as reflected by the board’s unanimous votes. The meeting adjourned after routine closing business.