County backs off some proposed rules for neighborhood business zones

Changes to a neighborhood business zoning in Bartholomew County will be blunted somewhat, after county commissioners had time to consider the issue.

The city-county planning department proposed changes to the county’s Commercial Neighborhood zoning designation to make it more consistent with the similar zoning in the city of Columbus. Jeff Bergman, director of the city-county planning department, said that the Commercial Neighborhood zoning is fairly rare in the county but it includes businesses located right beside homes.

Under the proposal, which was presented for final approval at Monday’s commissioners meeting, changes would include making uses inconsistent with a neighborhood setting as conditional uses or even prohibited entirely in the CN zoning districts. Those would include fitness centers, night clubs, bars, parking lots, athletic complexes, and liquor stores.

The commissioners dropped the requirement for bicycle racks and sidewalks in the zoning district, and agreed to allow drive through windows at businesses.