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Commissioners approve two rezonings to allow new multifamily and single‑family developments
Summary
Tippecanoe County commissioners approved two rezonings: a roughly 2‑acre change allowing a 10,000‑sq‑ft neighborhood retail node tied to a 250+‑unit multifamily project, and a roughly 75‑acre rezoning for a 240‑lot Lennar single‑family subdivision; both ordinances passed on voice votes (ordinances recorded 2‑0).
Tippecanoe County commissioners voted to approve two separate rezoning requests that participants said are intended to support housing and neighborhood retail near existing development.
A county planner told the board the first petition sought to rezone just over 2 acres from R‑3 (multifamily) to NB (neighborhood business). The planner said the change “kind of clash[es] with” the 2024 Wabash Township land‑use plan’s strict reading, which favors keeping existing residential zoning, but that a small commercial node might be supportable. Drew Tharpe, an attorney from Goodwine Law speaking for the petitioner, said the rezone would permit a roughly 10,000‑square‑foot retail center designed as an amenity for a larger multifamily development of more than 250 units.
"This rezone would permit for a small, roughly 10,000 square foot retail center that would be developed as part of a cohesive design of the larger project," Tharpe said.
In the second case, planners presented a request to rezone about 75 acres from agricultural to R‑1B to allow a 240‑lot single‑family subdivision proposed by Lennar Homes of Indiana LLC. Ryan Munnon of RTS Law, representing Lennar, said the submitted conceptual layout averages 54‑foot lots, exceeding the R‑1B 50‑foot width standard, and noted planned amenities including a community pool.
"Lennar builds quality homes, so we believe that this will be a positive addition to housing options in our community," Munnon said.
Commissioners asked whether acquiring an adjacent parcel would add lots; counsel replied that adding that parcel would require a separate rezone and could increase the total by roughly 20 lots. No members of the public spoke in opposition to either request. The clerk recorded both ordinances as passing 2‑0.
The county planner and applicants emphasized the projects’ relationship to existing neighborhood areas and to the county’s comprehensive planning documents; the planner noted that strict compliance with the Wabash Township plan weighed against one rezone on paper even as staff recommended approval. The board did not attach conditions in the meeting; proponents said subsequent design and permitting steps would follow county processes.
