The Avon Advisory Plan Commission voted to approve a Town Council–requested amendment to the town comprehensive plan that changes the future land-use designation for parcels around the new middle school.

The action came after a public hearing in which property owner Sri Kulkarni said his family owns roughly 120 acres surrounding the middle school and that recent public improvements — including a 15-inch sewer main — make the land suitable for future residential development. "The middle school has 1,200 kids that go to it," Kulkarni said, arguing utilities and public investment support eventual housing.

Planning staff and steering-committee members urged the commission to weigh the plan’s full text as well as the map. "The comp plan is the entire thing," one steering-committee member said; Linda, the planning director, told commissioners that her view during the planning process was that parcels should remain designated agricultural until both sewer and water are available. "If water and sewer are made available, then residential should be considered," she said.

Commissioners debated the practical effect of the map change and the statutory role of the comp plan in future rezoning decisions. Staff reminded the commission that changing the future land-use map does not rezone property; any residential development would still require a rezoning application and approval by the Town Council. Staff also noted a statutory procedural point: if the commission takes no action within 60 days of certification, an amendment is accepted by default.

A motion to reject the Town Council’s revision failed in a roll-call vote; a subsequent motion to approve the council’s revision passed. The commission forwarded the amended comprehensive plan to the Town Council for its final decision and directed staff to record any adopted amendment with the Hendricks County recorder’s office, as required by state law.

What’s next: Approval of the plan amendment by the Town Council would update the town’s policy guidance for the area; any developer seeking residential use would still need to file rezoning petitions and meet statutory criteria evaluated by the council.