HIGHLANDER POINT: A GATEWAY - Floyd County Indiana

Land Use 12expand their houses and neighborhoods(Northcutt, 2006).Historic StructuresThe area is home to limited historicstructures. The Mt. St. Francis chapel andformer seminary and the Augustus LambHouse US 150 Greek Revival (1860) arethe only known official historical buildingswithin the study area (Sekula 2006).The Highlander Point Gateway Districtlacks a current record of historicallysignificant structures and features. As thecommunity continues to grow, this maybecome a point of contention betweenresidents and developers. An adequateassessment of the historically significantstructures found in the community wouldbe helpful in planning future growth.CommercialThe gateway has a existing commercialnode at the intersection of Old VincennesRoad and US 150. The existingcommercial developments are automobileorientated, with poor pathways forpedestrians. The development consists ofa series of disconnected buildings, withamble parking and connecting lanes. Thereare five entrances into the development,two off Old Vincennes Road and three offSchrieber Road.The development is primarily composed oftypical commercial establishment’srestaurants, dry cleaners, grocery but italso contains some office and retailservices.The existing commercial area has fewpedestrian paths between existingstructures for patrons. As the commercialdevelopment continues to expand, it willbegin to encroach upon the surroundingresidential developments. The new zoningordinances need address settingstandardized buffering requirementsbetween the low-density residential andcommercial uses.Encroaching Commercial DevelopmentIndustrialCurrently there are no existing industrialdevelopments in the Highlander PointGateway.Public/Semi-Public SpacesThe community is home to the Mount SaintFrancis Retreat Center, which has a naturepreserve, including a lake and walkingpaths, which are open to the public. Thefriary is also home to the Mary AndersonCenter for the Arts, founded in 1989. TheMary Anderson Center offers studio spacefor local writers, visual artists, and