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eight residences.” She pointed out that having a mining operation in that area is deleterious to the city’s intention to eventually develop the area for residential use.

Although the BZA meeting discussed and restricted IMI on several points, but the enforcement of the company’s development standards and plan on the southern half of the property will be left to the City of Plymouth. Other matters such as employee parking, hours of operation, customer visitation hours haven’t been addressed by the city. “We’d like to know when these issues would be addressed and who would address them,” she said.

She went on to ask for one more thing. “We are here this evening to ask for your help and support in our effort to repeal Indiana Code 36-7-4-11.03, to return that control over the two-mile extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction to the City of Plymouth Planning Commission under the Indiana Code 36-1-3-1, Indiana’s Home Rule Act.” She went on to strongly suggest that the commissioners write letters to State Senators Mike Bohacek and Representative Jack Jordan to request a repeal of the code and their support to lower the eight residences requirement to one residence. The Vanvactors have already done so and reported that Bohacek is already writing an appeal. “One resident should have the same expectation of being protected by the Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals as eight.”

John reiterated his wife’s assessment that control over the R-1, including mining operations, must be returned to local government. He pointed out that there are several areas within the R-1 that has fewer than eight houses. “It could be a gravel pit tomorrow and you wouldn’t have any control over it. Isn’t that what we want here? The best government is your local government. It’s not the state who doesn’t care, isn’t here, doesn’t see what goes on. We would like to have it back to you folks,” he said. “If you folks aren’t interested, then I can guarantee we won’t be successful with the state, trying to get anything change. Because we’ve already been told it’s an uphill battle. We’re fighting big dollars, big attorneys, and everything trying to get this law changed.”

He went on to explain that he understands that there will be a gravel pit on this property, but would like to see changes come regardless. “Even if the state legislature does something, they won’t make it retroactive. But what we’re looking for here is the future of the two mile zone and what’s going to happen around Plymouth for the Marshall County residents.”

The issue will be put on the agenda for the Aug. 1 meeting and will be discussed more in depth then.