Planning & Zoning

August 10, 2011

WELLS COUNTY AREA PLAN COMMISSION
The Wells County Area Plan Commission (APC) serves all of Wells County except the Wells County part of Markle (which is served by the Huntington County Plan Commission). The Wells County APC serves the entire town of Zanesville (including both the Wells and Allen County portions).
The office is located in the Wells Carnegie Government Annex, 223 West Washington St., Bluffton 46714, phone 824-6407.
Michael Lautzenheiser Jr. is the area plan director/GIS coordinator. Amanda Studebaker is the administrative assistant.

Members of the Wells County Area Plan Commission include:
Jerome Markley, president, phone 694-6491 (appointed by the three school boards of Wells County for a term through Dec. 31, 2015).
Mike Morrissey, vice president, home phone 824-4067 (appointed by Bluffton City Council for a 4-year term through Dec. 31, 2015).
Harry Baumgartner Jr., home phone 565-3507 (appointed by Vera Cruz Town Council for a 4-year term through Dec. 31, 2015).
Angie Dial, home phone 622-6159 (appointed by the Ossian Town Council for a term through Dec. 31, 2013).
Jarrod Hahn, work phone 824-6414 (serves by virtue of his office as county surveyor).
William Horan, work phone 824-6412 (on APC by virtue of his office as County Extension Agricultural Agent).
Richard Kolkman, home phone 543-2317 (appointed by Uniondale Town Council for a 4-year term through Dec. 31, 2013).
Finley Lane, home phone 694-6535 (appointed by the  Poneto Town Council for a 4-year term through Dec. 31, 2015).
Keith Masterson 417-6222 (appointed by the Wells County Board of Commissioners for a term through Dec. 31, 2015).
Tim Rohr, home phone 622-7708 (appointed by the Wells County Board of Commissioners through Dec. 31, 2015).
John Schuhmacher, 260-638-4918 (appointed by the Zanesville Town Council for a 4-year term through Dec. 31, 2013).
Andy Antrim, office phone 824-4049, is the APC attorney.

Meetings of the Wells County Area Plan Commission regularly are on the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Wells Carnegie Government Annex Building. Those attending APC meetings are asked to use the entrance on either the east or west side of the building.
The APC reviews and approves Development Plans, WECS, Major Subdivisions, CAFOs, PUDs and recommends on Rezonings. The APC will also hear any appeals of Plat Committee decisions.
Note that this information is subject to change as the ordinance relating to planning and zoning within Wells County is currently undergoing a review and revision process. Please check with the APC office to ensure procedures outlined below are still in effect.

PROCEDURE TO AMEND ZONE MAPS
Petitions are to be filed in the Wells APC office by 4:30 p.m. by the posted deadline each month prior to the scheduled meeting for sign to be posted for notice to interested parties and the legal notice to be published in the appropriate local newspapers, in accordance with state law.
The following information is needed for notice to be published:
A. A completed filing form.
B. A legal description of the property to be rezoned. It SHALL come from an existing recorded deed (photostat copy of deed) or a survey prepared by a licensed land surveyor. (Purchase contracts will not be acceptable unless recorded in the office of the Wells County Recorder.)
C. A fee of $100 payable to the Wells County Plan Commission.
D. A fee of $10 payable for public advertisement sign.
E. A fee of $95 payable to the Bluffton News-Banner covers both The News-Banner and Ossian Journal for publication of the legal notices. (For properties in the Allen County part of Zanesville, legal notice will be published in Bluffton News-Banner and Fort Wayne Newspapers. Fort Wayne Newspapers will be paid in advance. Ad must be taken to the Fort Wayne Newspapers office.
All petitions shall be signed by the property owners who own at least 50 percent of the land involved.
All persons, except attorneys, shall submit to the APC a signed authorization as provided by the APC, to represent the owner or owners of the property on which the rezoning is filed.
The Wells County APC, at its discretion, may refuse to schedule a hearing if, in the opinion of the director, there is insufficient time to prepare notices, there are too many petitions for the meeting, or inadequate information has been presented to the APC to render a fair and impartial hearing.

WELLS  BOARD OF ZONING APPEALSMembers of the Wells County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) are Rose Ann Barrick, Harry Baumgartner Jr.,  Keith Masterson, Jerry Petzel and James Schwarzkopf.
Rose Ann Barrick, vice president. (appointed by the Town of Ossian for a term through Dec. 31, 2013).
Harry Baumgartner Jr. (appointed by the Area Plan Commission on an annual basis, for a term through Dec. 31, 2013).
Keith Masterson. (appointed by the Wells County Commissioners, for a term through Dec. 31, 2015).
Jerry Petzel, president (appointed by mayor of Bluffton for a term through Dec. 31, 2013).
James Schwarzkopf. (appointed by the Wells County Board of Commissioners for a term through Dec. 31, 2015).
Meetings of the Wells County BZA are the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

PROCEDURE FOR PETITIONS TO BZA
Petitions are to be filed in the Wells County Area Plan  Commission office by 4:30 p.m. by the posted deadline each month prior to the day of the scheduled meeting for legal notices to be published in the appropriate local newspapers, in accordance with state law.
The same information pertains to BZA filings as to APC filings.

WELLS COUNTY GIS DEPARTMENTThe Wells County Geographic Information System (GIS) serves all of Wells County and is located at the Carnegie Government Annex, 223 W. Washington St., Bluffton.
GIS is a computerized database management system for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis and display of spatial data. In other words, it is a digital database of the collective governmental offices. You can search from  your home or office via the Internet and obtain information about Wells County.

The Web site is: www.wellscountygis.org

Also see http://www.wellscounty.org/gis for news and information relating to the office.

Wells County GIS has been online since November 2003. Feedback can be made to: GIS@wellscounty.org
It is hoped that the self-service site is beneficial to the general public. We have made it free to the public to utilize the vast information as citizens desire.
Our hopes are for this Web site to be the initial visit by the public and then to fine-tune with individual offices as needed. By utilizing this technology, the office counter and telephone traffic are reduced, allowing existing employees to perform more jobs in a timely manner.
From the standpoint of the county government and serving the interests of the taxpayers, our long-term goal is to maintain the existing employment levels and still increase the productivity of county government.