Porter County, Indiana A Coastal Community Smart Growth Case Study Author: Rebecca Pearson Editor: Victoria Pebbles, Great Lakes Commission Porter County is one contributed to a of Indiana’s three regional waterfront coastal counties that plan in 2005 and hug the shores of streamlined its codes Lake Michigan and and regulations to is located about 50 position the county miles east of to better achieve the Chicago. During the goals set forth in late 1900s and early both plans. 2000s housing boom, Porter County Comprehensive experienced pressure Plan to convert its The 2001Porter farmland and open County Land Use & spaces to urbanized Thoroughfare Plan development. guides the county’s Between 1990 and growth into the 2000, nearly 45 future by creating a percent of residential framework for unit constructed in communities to the county were in implement smart unincorporated areas. growth elements related to mixed land uses and compact building Around the same time, residential and commercial design as well as preserving and protecting the development strained the county’s transportation county’s existing character. The comprehensive infrastructure as traffic volumes on the region’s plan was developed with significant public and highways rose by 50 percent from 1980 to 20001. In stakeholder input. Five focus groups representing 2006, nearly 33.6 percent of the county residents— economic, development, agricultural and about 35,000 people--commuted outside the county environmental interests in the community, met to for work. Of that, 6.5 percent (6,800) commuted determine the strengths, weaknesses, daily to Illinois, and 21 percent (21,900) commuted opportunities and threats (SWOT) within Porter to neighboring Lake County, Indiana. This increased County. The Plan aims to: dependence on automobile travel has placed an increased demand on the existing transportation “continue a commitment to preserve and enhance the unique infrastructure as localities, counties and states and diverse character of the County… emphasize a compact struggle with maintaining and improving roads, urban form while recognizing that adequate infrastructure highways and bridges to keep up with increased is imperative for guiding growth. vehicular travel needs. The Plan also promotes intergovernmental In light of these trends and in anticipation that they cooperation and efficiency to preserve open space, would continue, Porter County embarked on agriculture and natural resources, provide developing a comprehensive plan in 2001, additional recreation opportunities and ensure an efficient transportation and infrastructure network. 1 Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. 2007. 2030 Regional Transportation Plan. http://nirpc.org/transportation/2030.htm Coastal Community Smart Growth Case Study – Porter County, Ind. 1 Michigan waterfront as a livable, sustainable waterfront to work, play and stay. The Plan covers Indiana’s three coastal counties: Lake, LaPorte and Porter. To help realize this vision, the Marquette Plan establishes comprehensive land use goals for the larger Indiana Lake Michigan watershed area. The Marquette Plan was developed in two phases, with Phase I released in 2005 and Phase II in 2008. Funding to develop both phases was provided through a grant from the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program with matching funds from local communities. Porter County Shoreline Initiated by First District Congressman Peter Source: Porter County Tourism Visclosky, the first phase of the plan addresses public access and redevelopment of the lakeshore Marquette Plan from the Illinois state line to the Port of Indiana, The Marquette Plan: The Lakeshore Reinvestment Strategy, sets forth a regional vision for Indiana’s Lake including Lake and Porter counties. The plan limit, except for incorporated cities and towns, outlines opportunities for industrial land no longer which develop their own land use plans and in use that could be converted to public parkland regulations. and a continuous pedestrian and bicycle trail along the shoreline. The goals are to recapture 75 percent From 2006 to 2007, Porter County underwent the of the shoreline for free public access; establish a process of streamlining zoning codes, subdivision minimum setback of at least 200 feet for any new regulations and development standards into one structures not associated with public access; and document called a Unified Development Ordinance establish a continuous pedestrian/bike trail. The (UDO). This process helped county officials Regional Development Authority (RDA), a quasi- address their growth concerns. It provided the state agency created in 2006 to implement the opportunity to review existing codes and Marquette Plan as one of its four primary missions, standards and modify them to be consistent with administers funds to projects proposed under the smart growth principles and objectives. plan. Specifically, the county was interested in how the UDO could promote traditional neighborhood Phase II of the Marquette Plan focuses on the development (TND)—a planning approach at the lakeshore from the Port of Indiana to the Michigan- neighborhood level that aims to reduce traffic and Indiana state line including Porter and LaPorte eliminate sprawl by placing homes, businesses, counties. Phase II sets forth a vision that identifies schools, parks and other important services within and protects land (“greenways”) and possible water easy walking distance. Accordingly, the County trails (“blueways”) in the region and addresses the developed the UDO which articulates the goals planning and redevelopment related needs of smaller and objectives of TND and includes design communities. guidance to support TND implementation. The table below summarizes the smart growth Streamlining Codes and Regulations elements that are contained in planning Indiana is a home rule state in which authority is documents and UDO of Porter County and the given to local units of governments (e.g., counties, related factors that led to their implementation. cities, towns and villages) to make land use decisions through the creation and enforcement of codes and regulations. Porter County implements its comprehensive land use plan through its codes and regulations which apply to all land within the county Coastal Community Smart Growth Case Study – Porter County, Ind. 2 Table 1: Coastal & Waterfront Smart Growth Element and Related Drivers in Porter County, Indiana Will Growth Plan Initiative Regulation Smart Implementation Comp Local (Marquette) Waterfront Plan Public Local State Regs/Program Federal Program 1. Mixed land uses X X X X 2. Compact building design X X 3. Range of housing opportunities X X X X 4. Walkable waterfronts & pubic access X X X 5. Distinctive, disaster‐resilient communities X 6. Preserve open space X X 7. Directed development & revitalization X X 8. Variety of transportation choices X 9. Consistent polices & coordinated permitting X 10. Stakeholder collaboration in decisions X X X The process of adopting these smart growth project partners included Porter County Planning elements varied from federal and university Department and Northwestern Indiana Regional support to county priorities to local interests. The Planning Commission (NIRPC). importance of partnerships for pooling technical and financial resources cannot be overstated. This SMART GROWTH ELEMENTS was particularly the case in adopting TND concept into county codes, regulations and In addition to the TND concepts adopted into the standards. UDO described above, the County’s comprehensive plan and the regional waterfront Partnerships (Marquette) plan contain a variety of other smart The county, in partnership with the Illinois- growth elements. Indiana Sea Grant Program, was awarded financial and technical assistance through the Smart Wildlife Corridors and Flood Protection Growth Implementation Assistance for Coastal The County made the creation of wildlife Communities program -a joint initiative with U.S. corridors and the moderate floods protection a Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and priority which was the underlying driver for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric development of the watershed ordinance in the Administration (NOAA). The purpose of this form of a Watershed Overlay District. This district federal program was to help communities develop was established to maintain water quality, in ways that meet environmental and other moderate floods, and provide a variety of other community goals. protections for the County’s water resources. No construction is permitted in a floodplain and any Planning with POWER (Protecting Our Water development adjacent to a floodplain requires a and Environmental Resources), a project at permit. The watershed ordinance requires adjacent Purdue University that is funded and coordinated developments to manage storm water runoff. This by the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program ordinance is in part designed to create disaster- and Purdue University Extension, was also an resilient communities. The watershed ordinance important partner. Planning with POWER was adopted by the county in 2007 along with the provided substantial assistance to Porter County TND guidelines. to obtain the federal grant to support the Porter County Smart Growth Implementation Assistance for Coastal Communities Project. At local level, Coastal Community Smart Growth Case Study – Porter County, Ind. 3 Open Space Protection An example of the public access policy in action is Driven