Zoning boards approve, deny different tourism attractions

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The Brown County Area Plan Commission approved a rezone request for the Rawhide Ranch property on State 135 South at their Oct. 26 meeting.

The property had been zoned residential (R1), but the petitioner requested it be changed to general business (GB).

The new owners, ADF Construction Indiana, presented their plans for Harmony Tree Resort, an eco-friendly visitor destination offering 200 lodging opportunities on the 56 acre site.

There is one vacant lot, one commercially developed lot and two adjacent lots with single-family homes.

Rawhide Ranch was developed under three special exceptions to allow various business use. Two additional lots that ADF acquired contain single family residences.

Some of the envisioned business uses require ADF to be under GB or accommodation business (AB) zoning, as current special exceptions would not authorize the potential winery and restaurants envisioned on the property.

The proposed site will include rooms made from shipping containers, A-frame cabins, primitive camping amenities, an on-site winery, two restaurants, a cafe, spa, horseback riding, botanical gardens and wedding event center.

Copies of commercial use driveway permits were provided to and approved by the state in 2001.

Soil analyses have been conducted for the structures the current owners wish to build and results have been submitted to the state.

The meeting room had 16 people in the audience, including three local residents. Five individuals spoke in favor of the business itself, one was opposed to the rezoning.

Since the request was approved, the owners will now go before Brown County Commissioners. The commissioners will meet on Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.

The next night the Brown County Board of Zoning Appeals denied a special exception to allow a 185 spot luxury RV campground.

The Salmon Room at the Brown County Office Building was full on Oct. 27 with around 40 residents.

Over an hour 23 residents spoke against the proposed project with most of them living on or owning property near the proposed park area in a field off of Old State Road 46 near the intersection of Clay Lick Road.

The petitioner, Stephen Alexander, was requesting a special exception for a private recreational development on 20 acres of his 71.76 acre parcel.

The property is located within town limits and is zoned business (B3), which is a service and warehouse business use designation. Under that zoning all general business uses are allowed along with a commercial parking structure, car sales room, drive-in restaurants, storage warehouse, filling station and tourist home, according to the town’s zoning ordinance.

The property is also in the floodway. Alexander has owned the field where the proposed park was going to go for 30 years.

Proposed “new buildings” at Alexander’s Old 46 property are on the agenda for project review at the Nashville Technical Review Committee this Thursday, Nov. 4. The meeting is at 1 p.m. in the Nashville Town Hall, 200 Commercial Street.

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