UDO Amendments Headline Plan Commission Meeting

The Jasper Plan Commission reviewed a rezoning request and proposed changes to the city’s development regulations, including updates aimed at accommodating future housing and business needs. 

Swampy Properties LLC petitioned for rezoning at a property at 2423 Newton Street from R2, Single Family Residential), to B1, Neighborhood Business. Emma Crimp represented the petitioner. She clarified the rezoning was primarily to accommodate signage for a tenant’s roofing business and better align zoning designations with current usage. The request would allow the three lots to match zoning adjacent business properties owned by the business. 

There is no current plan for structural change, and the tenant primarily utilizes it to store materials. The public meeting was closed without additional comments. The Commission approved a favorable recommendation to forward the rezoning request to City Council, with reminders that future tenants’ use must comply with B1 zoning requirements. 

Next, the commission reviewed amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), focusing on updates to zoning classifications and uses. Key topics included exclusion of data centers and battery storage from current permitted uses requiring variances, and explorations into regulations for advanced technologies like small modular nuclear reactors. City attorney Renee Kabrick confirmed that at this time, these uses are not permitted and would require a variance. 

The group also discussed accessory dwelling units (ADUs), expressing concern over potential misuse to circumvent duplex restrictions and suggesting definition refinements to require primary owner occupancy for ADUs to maintain housing density goals. 

Additional discussions surrounded tiny homes’ compatibility within zoning and the prohibition of living in storage containers under current codes. They also highlighted the introduction of two new mixed residential zoning districts (MR1 and MR2) designed to encourage higher density housing by reducing lot sizes and setbacks without displacing existing zones. The Commission approved a favorable recommendation for the UDO amendments, which will be forwarded to the City Council. 

For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.


- By Drew Hasselbring