(Sunman, IN) – The Town of Sunman has released a draft comprehensive plan.
The 152-page proposal was developed over a 10-month period with the assistance of HWC Engineering and outlines several opportunities such as strengthening downtown, capitalizing on sewer expansions, new programming, and State Road 101/Meridian Street enhancements.
It also puts forth several key goals and strategies.
Some of the key findings of the draft plan include:
- Sunman has a large amount of annexed land along major roadways currently being used for agricultural purposes.
- Commercial buildings in the downtown core are being converted to residential units, even along State Road 101 / Meridian Street.
- Sunman has the ability to capture growth north along State Road 101 towards Penntown through a planned sewer extension.
- The downtown core should remain the center of infill and development efforts targeting commercial and residential land uses.
- The community has properties they would like to annex but lack a concrete plan for completion.
In addition, Sunman has a variety of land uses not typically seen in rural communities of its size, ranging from large industrial sites to numerous retail and commercial options, and an assortment of single and multi-family residential offerings.
Sunman’s land use pattern has been influenced by shifting transportation corridors over the years, first growing around the railroad and shifting as state roads and interstates expanded
the network in and around the community.
The shift in transportation corridors has led to industrial growth at the far ends of town limits and a commercial hub that serves both Ripley and Dearborn County residents.
Future land uses in town could include new single-family residential housing, multi-family residential, general commercial development, downtown mixed-use development, and industrial development.
While the Sunman Town Council has a hand in land use decisions within the community, decisions are also overseen by the Ripley County Area Plan Commission (APC).
The APC handles zoning and development-related requests for all incorporated and unincorporated communities within Ripley County with the exception of the City of Batesville.
Property owners present land use-related requests to the APC then make a recommendation to Sunman Town Council for the approval of changes in zoning or development plans.
The town received a $50,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) last May to use for the development of a comprehensive plan to identify opportunities that would address the community’s needs.
Once it is reviewed by OCRA and adopted by Town Council and the Ripley County APC, the document will be used to guide future growth and development in Sunman.
The draft comprehensive plan be found here.
Town leaders are asking residents to review the draft plan and leave any comments or suggested changes by emailing [email protected].
