by Toni Takacs | Jan 11, 2022
Whitestown, IN
Legacy Core Plan
Prior to becoming the fastest growing community in Indiana, Whitestown was a small 1,000-person town along the Big Four railroad. Whereas previous planning efforts envisioned the “Legacy Core” as the civic core of the larger community, the rapid pace of growth made that impractical. HWC was engaged to help establish a new vision for the Legacy Core as a live/work/play district centered around the Big Four Trail. The plan’s recommendations focused on preserving historic buildings, promoting residential infill development, and developing market-driven economic development policies that minimized capital expenditures by Whitestown to attract private investment.
by Toni Takacs | Jan 11, 2022
Montgomery, IN
Comprehensive Plan
The largest barrier to economic development in Montgomery County was the lack of county zoning. This made prospective businesses uncomfortable with what might happen to neighboring properties. However, there was resistance to zoning among some residents. HWC worked to build consensus on “common sense” zoning regulations, leading to adoption of the county’s first comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance. With this key issue resolved, Montgomery County was able to attract $138 million in investment along with 300 new jobs.
by Toni Takacs | Jan 11, 2022
Martinsville, IN
Interstate 69 Economic Development Plan
When Interstate 69 was expected to radically change transportation routes and development patterns in Martinsville, the community partnered with HWC to plan its response. HWC crafted an economic development plan to guide the changes and demonstrate the need for key interchanges that were proposed. When budget cuts threatened to eliminate key interchanges, HWC’s plan was used to demonstrate their long term value to the city and State. Additionally, the city was able to use HWC’s plan to secure nearly $15 million in funding for road improvements that supported community connectivity goals.
by Toni Takacs | Jan 11, 2022
Batesville, IN
Unified Development Ordinance
With a Zoning Ordinance approaching 34 years of use, the City of Batesville recognized the need for updated development and design standards. With the strong support of Batesville Main Street, a primary goal of the City of Batesville’s Unified Development Ordinance update was to preserve the unique character of downtown Batesville. To accomplish this goal, a new downtown district was created that included development standards reflecting the existing development patterns. Furthermore, the Walnut Street Corridor Overlay was developed to conserve the character of the City’s primary corridor connecting downtown Batesville to I-74. These pieces better prepare the City to maintain and expand on the world-class charm found only in Batesville.
by Toni Takacs | Jan 11, 2022
Whitestown, IN
Unified Development Ordinance
Whitestown has been the fastest growing community in the State of Indiana for the past eight years.
HWC has led key planning initiatives to help them manage that growth, including updates to their comprehensive plan, economic development plan, thoroughfare plan, and downtown (Legacy Core) plan.
The Town’s key existing ordinances were not delivering the development product that they desired. To update the ordinances, HWC and Civic Blueprint partnered on the preparation of a new Unified Development Ordinance. The updated ordinance first focused on aligning comprehensive plan goals with development regulations. Next, the ordinances were updated to use plain English so that they were clear, direct, and easy to use. Graphics were added to further enhance clarity.
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