JEFFERSONVILLE — If the city council passes a new policy, Jeffersonville residents can expect to see a gradual loss of farmland to make room for more homes in anticipation of a housing crunch in the near future.
The Jeffersonville City Council is considering changes to the city's future land use map that would transition about 1,000 acres of agricultural land to residential use. The future land use map is a guide for city boards who make decisions on rezoning properties. It's just one of the handful of guides that board members must consult by state statute.
Some farmland is recommended to be preserved as undeveloped land, either because it's in a floodplain or belongs to generational legacy farm owners.
Another proposed future land use map change is the creation of the mixed residential designation, which leaves the door open for development of both single family homes and multi-family homes.
During a meeting Monday, the council decided to study the changes more before voting to approve them at the request of City Councilman Scott Hawkins.
Hawkins took issue with recommendations to convert an area in his district north of Intestate 265 to mixed residential use, which he said may encourage zoning changes for new multi-family developments.
"It makes [developers'] argument stronger to get it ... when the people up there don't want it," Hawkins said.
He said the entirety of that residential area is made of single family homes, "and there aren't many places that can say that's the case." He believes it's best if it stays that way for consistency's sake.
His opposition to that portion of the overall proposed future land map use changes would have been enough for him to vote against them altogether — something he doesn't want to do as he agrees with the rest of the vision.
Specifically, he would like to see land in his district be used for more parks.
Much of the agricultural land preserved as open space in the map is in a floodplain, specifically in the northeast corner of the city near Silver Creek.
Keeping the land designated as vacant is meant to discourage new homes from being built in an area prone to flooding and during a time of rising flood insurance rates.
Those areas could be transformed into recreational park space in the future, such as a large-scale natural setting park or a trail system.
"If we're going to start putting money in parks, that's where it should go," Hawkins said.
The proposed land use amendments don't mean properties would transition uses immediately, if passed. Any farm owner who wants to keep his or her land as agricultural can do so indefinitely, as the future land map only applies to property owners who seek zoning changes.
Jeffersonville Planning and Zoning Director Nathan Pruitt said changes under this new vision will take decades — but he argues it's necessary if the city is to keep up with its future housing demands.
"We see the trend coming because of just the sheer [building] permitting that is happening and us knowing what is and isn't complete in subdivisions," Pruitt said. "Now is the time to look forward in the future and say let's get ready for that growth and make sure we have the future land use map that is guiding the community for the next five years, because we're changing quickly."
Usually, cities and towns only need to update their future land use maps every five years, he added. Jeffersonville just updated its map two years ago — an indicator of its massive growth.
The planning and zoning department has determined Jeffersonville needs 4,700 new housing units in the next decade or so to accommodate a rapidly growing job market.
"The jobs are coming," Pruitt said. "To think that [job growth at] River Ridge [Commerce Center] is going to stop all of a sudden is false."
Pruitt estimates an extra 1,000 acres of residentially designated land could hold about 2,875 single family homes — and that doesn't include multi-family units, like apartments, condominiums or duplexes. That would get them about 60 percent of the way to its housing demand.
Jeffersonville lacks housing diversity, specifically "very very nicely finished condo-style amenity apartments," Pruitt said.
" ... we know there are opportunities for multi-family. We have developers that are interested in building it," he said.
Areas that could flip from agricultural to mixed residential include the Holman Lane corridor and near Ind. 60 East also known as Airport Road.
The council will likely vote on first and second readings at the next meeting on the land use changes. Because the changes are in the form of an ordinance, the council will then need to approve it on a final reading at another future meeting.