Status of density map, county growth policy outlined
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A year ago the Lake County Commissioners held a public hearing to take comments related to a Resolution of Intent to Repeal the Lake County Density Map and Regulations that the commissioners had signed a month earlier. Following the comment period, commissioners voted 2-1 not to move forward with repealing the regulations and the accompanying density map. The commissioner chairman at the time promised those who attended the hearing that further community meetings would be scheduled in an effort to amend the regulations and address the problem areas with the map.
Since the public hearing there have been no follow-up community meetings. One reason why those meetings have not taken place is that the density map and regulations stated that any review was to be done by the Lake County Planning Board and staff, and that following review, the Planning Board would schedule a public hearing and submit written findings to the commissioners. The review and amendment process suggested following the hearing at the courthouse did not fall within the amending process outlined in the regulations, so no further meetings have been scheduled. Since no further meetings have been held, some residents are wondering where the commissioners are currently with the regulations and map.
The commissioners have delayed further action on the map and regulations because the county is currently engaged in writing a new county growth policy to replace the current policy that was adopted in 2003. Following adoption of the 2003 policy, commissioners adopted a density map and accompanying regulations to try to enable the county to reach the goals and objectives of the growth policy. The map and regulations have been contentious since going into effect, and at times have been difficult to interpret and implement by the Lake County Planning Department. The new growth policy will have new goals and objectives and it remains to be seen if the policy will require additional regulations to reach the new goals. One significant criticism of the current growth policy is that several of the stated goals have not been met even with the addition of the density map and regulations. Unless the map and regulations will help the county achieve the goals of the new growth policy, there would seem to be no need to keep them in place. Another option would be to repeal the regulations and retain them and the map as advisory documents.
A final decision as to what to do with the density map and regulations will have to be made once the new growth policy is in final form. Expectations are that the new policy will be ready for adoption late this calendar year. A draft of the new policy is currently being written and the public is encouraged to go the Lake County Planning Department website and provide information that will be helpful in writing the plan. Land Solutions, LLC, has been awarded the contract for the writing of the new policy.
