Notes
Outline
Parke County
Comprehensive Plan
October 26, 2006
Agenda
Part 1
Introduction to the Plan
Planning Context
Part 2
Goals and Objectives
Part 3
Future Land Use
Transportation
Part 1: Introduction and Context
Introduction to the Plan
Why Plan?
Why Plan?
What a Comprehensive Plan is…
an adopted, legislative document containing official policy statements for effective decision-making in both private development projects and community expenditures.
a vision of the future based upon the desires of the citizens
the foundation upon which all land use decisions are to be based
What is the Objective of the Comprehensive Plan?
The objective of a comprehensive plan is to establish a long term community vision which defines the quantity of growth, quality of growth, and location of growth that the community desires
Process
Timeline
Planning Context
Part 2: Goals and Objectives
Goals and Objectives
Live
Live
Vision Statement
Parke County will continue to be a scenic rural county of small towns, communities, and rural areas that maintain their heritage and  character while providing a high quality of life in a relaxed atmosphere.
Live
Goal 1:  Encourage preservation and reuse of historic structures throughout the county, with special attention paid to the covered bridges.
Live
Objectives:
Support preservation and reuse of structures and districts listed on or eligible for the State of National Register of Historic Places.
Maintain an inventory of historic properties in the county in conjunction with the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.
Assess vacant historic structures and promote reuse of those that are sound and removal of those that are not.
Live
Objectives (continued):
Promote preservation of the County Courthouse Square.
Implement a building inspection program with certified personnel.
Live
Goal 2:  Maintain the small town and rural character of Parke County, while supporting limited growth in the community.
Live
Objectives:
Protect the visual character of the highway corridors leading into Parke County and to major destinations in the county.
Enhance the attractiveness of the communities through trash removal and recycling programs.
Live
Objectives (continued):
Encourage new building design to be consistent with the character of existing development in the towns.
Encourage industrial development in locations with a high level of accessibility and minimize visibility from scenic corridors.
Live
Goal 3:  Encourage the development of businesses that meet the day-to-day retail and service needs of the local population.
Live
Objectives:
Identify retail businesses that serve the smaller market areas and pursue those businesses.
Encourage business competition to provide high quality products and services.
Live
Goal 4: Encourage growth and development that promotes safe, active, healthy lifestyles.
Live
Objectives:
Promote development that is attractive for both young families and older adults.
Promote facilities that encourage health and physical activity.
Sustain and develop access to adequate medical and dental care.
Live
Objectives (continued):
Provide modern fire protection and emergency response.
Allow innovative housing types such as townhouses where appropriate infrastructure is available.
Adopt a building code and building inspection program
Live
Goal 5: Manage transportation throughout the community to meet the needs of county residents and visitors.
Live
Objectives:
Engage all communities in Capital Improvements Planning for the county to identify needed road repairs and rebuilding, with timelines and funding levels.
Develop a community-wide signage system to direct traffic to tourism destinations.
Live
Objectives (continued):
Implement a system for separating bicycle and buggy traffic from automobile and truck traffic on key transportation corridors.
Live
Objectives (continued):
4. Develop local standards, in conjunction with INDOT, to manage access on key highways outside incorporated communities to ensure appropriate traffic flow.
5. Encourage access to an “on-call” public transportation system
Live
Goal 6: Manage land use in a manner that provides for the efficient use of the community’s resources while remaining flexible so as to meet the needs of local residents and business owners.
Live
Objectives:
Maintain agricultural areas with protection from residential development.
Encourage water and sewer systems, and promote development in those areas.
Encourage cottage industries and home-based businesses while maintaining residential character in established neighborhoods.
Live
Objectives (continued):
Allow for the development of rural homes, businesses, and institutions that are consistent with the needs of the local traditional communities.
Encourage rural residential to follow conservation design guidelines.
Live
Goal 7: Make Parke County more attractive for residents and visitors.
Live
Objectives:
Enforce regulations on trash dumping, junk cars, and other eyesores, and revise regulations as necessary to make them more effective.
Formulate and finance a county trash management plan to facilitate recycling, disposal of appliances, etc.
Support the renovation of the County Courthouse Square.
Live
Goal 8: Promote mechanisms to bring the entire county together.
Live
Objectives:
Encourage civic-minded citizens to participate in local government.
Conduct open community “Town Hall” forums and meetings.
Adult/Youth leadership skills transfer activities.
Youth membership on committees.
Work
Work
Vision Statement
Parke County has a vigorous, work friendly economic environment which supports existing businesses, encourages expansion of local businesses, and encourages entrepreneurs to create businesses, providing a variety of job opportunities that pay competitive wages and offer a comfortable standard of living.
Work
Goal 1: Update and enforce regulations to make the county a “work friendly” place to conduct business and start new businesses.
Work
Objectives:
Stronger zoning, building, and health codes to clean up the community.
Streamlined, more business friendly regulations and processes.
Work
Goal 2: Support business and industrial development and recruitment.
Work
Objectives:
Communicate with, advocate for, and support existing businesses in Parke and neighboring counties, for both retention and expansion potential.
Fund aggressive incentive packages for the recruitment of new businesses and industry.
Establish an industrial park.
Work
Objectives (continued):
Supply appropriate infrastructure, including telecommunications, throughout the county
Establish a Regional Sewer District
Work with providers to ensure high speed internet access to all Parke County citizens
Improve roads at industrial sites
Work
Objectives (continued):
5. Provide workforce development opportunities through Parke County Learning Center.
6. Support home-based businesses and cottage industries through education and business planning assistance.
7. Fund aggressive marketing plan through Redevelopment Commission.
Work
Goal 3: Develop the tourism industry to enhance employment and other year round benefits.
Work
Objectives:
Provide training opportunities for residents to enhance skills to work in the tourism industry.
Provide support for resident to start and develop tourism businesses.
Revise zoning ordinance(s) to encourage destination and agri-tourism while managing impacts on local communities.
Work
Goal 4: Promote Parke County people for key positions to influence or participate in decisions affecting employment in Parke or neighboring counties.
Work
Objectives:
Appointments to state bodies dealing with state properties and facilities, including the women’s prison and state parks and recreation properties.
Meetings on the future use of the Newport Chemical Depot property.
Potential agricultural businesses impacting Parke County.
Play
Play
Vision statement:
Parke County offers year-round nature based recreation, rural/small town history, arts, and handicrafts, for residents and visitors.
Play
Goal 1: Protect and preserve our parks, nature preserves, lakes, streams, and forests for future generations to enjoy.
Play
Objectives:
Manage commercial and residential development through enforceable zoning.
Focus on sustainable development.
Work with Federal and State agencies that manage land in Parke County, and other major land holders, to maximize recreational opportunities.
Play
Objectives (continued):
Educate our youth about the importance of preserving natural resources and the environment.
Play
Goal 2: Protect and preserve our historic and rural heritage
Play
Objectives:
Preserve the rural ambiance of the county by managing residential/commercial development
Support efforts to preserve and maintain historic bridges, mills, barns, and other historic structures.
Play
Objectives:
Appoint and maintain a Historical/Protective Committee as called for in Section XXIV, paragraph B of the existing Parke County Zoning Ordinance to “-review plans for new buildings and structures---for the protection of historic sites and landmarks-”.
Play
Goal 3: Develop additional tourist attractions and coordinate activities of CVC, PCI, Main Street Rockville, Mansfield, Bridgeton, etc.
Play
Objectives:
Promote coordination among the various tourism organizations to minimize overlap and conflict.
Revise zoning ordinance to encourage tourism-based businesses while managing the impact of those activities on local services.
Play
Objectives (continued):
Enhance and maintain the Parke County web site, parkecounty.com or coveredbridges.com, to promote the wide range of attractions, activities, and events – “There’s more than Covered Bridges in Parke County.”
Encourage owners of historic properties to identify tourism opportunities.
Play
Objectives (continued):
5. Encourage the creation of eco-tourism and agri-tourism enterprises.
6. Collaborate with surrounding counties to promote regional tourism.
7. Support the County Parks and Recreation Board’s efforts to provide county-wide recreational opportunities geared to youth and young families.
Play
Goal 4: Preserve and develop our not-for-profit visitor attractions/sites such as the Covered Bridge Art Gallery, Billie Creek Village, the Mecca Schoolhouses, the Ritz Theater, the Quaker Meeting House and the Parke County Historical Museum
Play
Objectives:
Develop funding from new revenue sources, such as a county food and beverage tax and/or an “October option” sales tax.
Create a process whereby these revenues will be available to help maintain these visitor attractions.
Play
Goal 5: Make it easier to find Parke County and to find the various attractions around the county
Play
Objectives:
Work with Federal and State agencies to designate USHWY 41 a Scenic Byway corridor from the 41/63 junction in Terre Haute to the 41/63 junction north of Attica.
Develop additional tour route for historical sights, scenic country roads, old cemetery tours, paved bike routes, paved road tours.
Play
Objectives (continued):
Develop and install new distinctive signage with a logo or common appearance to direct visitors on tours and to attractions around the county.
Play
Goal 6: Make Parke County more attractive for residents and visitors
Play
Objectives:
Enforce regulations on trash dumping.  Revise regulations as necessary to make them more effective.
Support the renovation of the Courthouse Square.
Learn
Learn
Vision statement:
Parke County has multiple educational opportunities including a unified, high-quality public K-12 school district, post secondary education, adult education, alternative education, lifelong learning, and a county-wide library system.
Learn
Goal 1: Support improvement and efficiency of public K-12 schools, including unification of the 3 public school districts.
Learn
Objectives:
Study and develop models to analyze and determine the most efficient school system for the entire county, including curriculum and finance.
Encourage parents and students to take full advantage of educational opportunities within and outside the public school system.
Promote more challenging courses through combining students from each of the educational entities.
Learn
Objectives (continued):
Control drug/alcohol/tobacco use through education and enforcement.
Continue to encourage the private schools that are independent from local public school districts.
Learn
Goal 2: Support development of work skills.
Learn
Objectives:
Provide adequate opportunities for skills development and ongoing education for workforce development.
Support availability of high-speed internet access to homes and businesses.
Encourage use of standardized measurement tools to help students better position themselves for success in the workplace.
Learn
Objectives (continued):
Control drug/alcohol/tobacco use through education and enforcement.
Continue to encourage the private schools that are independent from local public school districts.
Learn
Goal 3: Support development of life skills.
Learn
Objectives:
Work with lifelong learning service providers to identify and market existing programs, and to develop new programs beneficial to county residents.
Increase education on personal finances and lifelong decision-making.
Learn
Objectives (continued):
Increase education on local history and culture to encourage respect and appreciated of Parke County and its various lifestyles.
Increase civic education on how government operated, how programs are funded, and how citizens can participate in local government.
Learn
Objectives (continued):
5. Increase educational opportunities for fine arts and other cultural activities.
6. Encourage dialogue between citizens, including diverse entities in the county.
7. Increase education about drug/alcohol/tobacco use.
8. Market available programs to assure residents are aware of opportunities.
Learn
Goal 4: Support development of a county-wide library system.
Learn
Objectives:
Conduct a library master planning process to determine needs for buildings, staff, and electronic and print resources.
Provide high-speed internet access to residents.
Market available resources to assure residents are aware of them.
Part 3: Future Land Use and
     Transportation
Future Land Use
Future Land Use Plan Principles
New development near existing development
Industrial development near transportation and existing industry
Commercial development near transportation and residential/activity centers
Residential focused where it can be served
Future Land Use Plan
Transportation
Transportation Plan Principles
Arterials connect communities and destinations with one another
Collectors move traffic from local roads to arterials
Local roads serve largely residential needs
Accommodations for buggy traffic are appropriate and can serve auto traffic
Transportation Plan
Questions
Next Steps
Draft plan
Review by Steering Committee
Plan Revisions
Consideration by the Plan Commission
Consideration by the County Commissioners