HIGHLANDER POINT: A GATEWAY - Floyd County Indiana

Planning Process 9Developer MeetingOn March 8, 2006, several developerscurrently working projects in the HighlanderPoint area were also asked about theirideas for future commercial and residentialdevelopment. Attendees offered input oninfrastructure, residential and commercialdevelopment and transportation issues.All agreed on a need for higher-densitymixed income housing in the area, to belimited to small, specific sites, as a meansof increasing overall density whilemaintaining the rural character of themajority of developable land. They arealso in favor of Planned Unit Developments(PUDs) and mixed-use development asapproaches that will encourage housingappropriate for residents of diverse agesand income levels and increaseconnectivity. There is also someagreement that regulations encouragingthe use of front porches would helpencourage a sense of community amongHighlander Point residents. As for housingoutside of the limited high-density areas,developers recommend a minimum lot sizeof 12,000 square feet. They expect to seegreen space, continuity and designstandards included in the new countyzoning ordinances. While they anticipatepublic resistance to these ideas, theybelieve that it would be lessened if thepublic were educated as to the positiveaspects of zoning, planning anddevelopment.The developers recommend thatcommercial development be concentratedalong Highway 150 near the I-64interchange, consisting of retail and servicebusinesses to meet the daily needs of arearesidents. Some additional commercialoffice space might be of value, but wouldprobably require some sort of financialincentive to project developers. They sawno need for industrial development in thearea.Transportation was also a major issue fromthe developers' point of view, and theyrecommend that a transportation masterplan be developed. They see the peaktime traffic bottlenecks at the Highway150/I-64 interchange as a majordisincentive to further development, andsuggest that the one-lane ramp fromHighway 150 onto I-64 East be increasedto two. Although they did not object toimpact fees, they seemed to feel that therewas some inequity in the current feeassessment process. They would like tosee a new procedure in place that puts allcounty developers on equal footing.