Transfer of zoning-related activities to Area Plan Commission from the Building Department

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RE-ALIGNMENT AND TRANSFER OF ZONING-RELATED ACTIVITIES AND PROCESSES TO THE ST.JOSEPH COUNTY AREA PLAN COMMISSION FROM THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT Area Board of Zoning Appeals Statutory Basis: The Area Board of Zoning Appeals (ABZA) is established by I.C. 36-7-4-901. Since zoning ordinances are in place for the member jurisdictions of the Area Plan Commission(APC),the legislative bodies of those jurisdictions must establish a board of zoning appeals-I.C. 36-7-4-901 (a). History: Between 1966 and June of 2009,there were two boards. A South Bend Board of Zoning Appeals,which heard appeals(variances)within the city limits of South Bend, and an Area Board of Zoning Appeals,which heard appeals for unincorporated St.Joseph County and the member towns of the APC. The boards were combined to ease the administrative burden of coordinating two boards, which met on different dates every month. In 2012,the APC implemented a Combined Hearing Procedure where petitioners seeking a zoning change could also request a special use and variances. Responsibilities: The ABZA hears petitions for variances from the development standards of the Zoning Ordinance, special uses/special use exceptions and conditional uses within the established zoning districts. Use variances are not permitted as long as a jurisdiction is a member of the Area Plan Commission. Administration: The Building Department administers the appeals process, from intake of petitions to file closure. Bldg. Dept. Tasks: Address initial owner inquiries that could result in an application for relief from the development standards—height, area and bulk; process applications; staff review; site visits;notifications and agendas;ABZA meetings;transcribe minutes; post- meeting tasks. Current APC Tasks: Coordinates with the Building Department to ensure sufficiency of the application; provide a staff report to the ABZA, and attend the meetings. Increased Tasks for Staff: Staff would assume all administrative duties relative to the application process, administrative duties,ABZA meetings,minutes,and file closure. The added burden is in the administrative duties and the time involved in transcribing the minutes. Support& Task Requirements: 1. Develop a proprietary data base. Will require IT support. 2. Additional PTE to attend meetings and transcribe minutes. 3. Possibly change meeting date and time of ABZA meetings. 4. Increase filing fees for 2018. Page 217