county2The current Bartholomew County Comprehensive Plan includes the three basic components:  the Goals and Polices Element (adopted in 1999), the Land Use Plan Element (adopted in 2003), and the Thoroughfare Plan (adopted in 1994). It also includes the Northern Gateway Plan Element, a detailed policy statement for the area around the US 31 / I-65 interchange.  The Bartholomew County Comprehensive Plan is adopted by the Board of County Commissioners.

All highlighted links are PDF documents.

The Bartholomew County Comprehensive Plan includes the following 4 elements:
Goals and Policies Element
Land Use Plan Element
Thoroughfare Plan Element
Northern Gateway Plan Element

About Comprehensive Plans
The Comprehensive Plan is a long-term statement of a community’s vision for its future.  The plan provides goals, policies, and other guidance for future land use and development.  The Planning Department is the comprehensive plan record keeper and advocate for both the City of Columbus and Bartholomew County.  While the Planning Department serves as the staff for both City and County, each jurisdiction has its own separate comprehensive plan.  These plans were developed separately over time and involved extensive research and public input.  The plans were adopted by the Columbus City Council and Bartholomew County Board of Commissioners, respectively.  The comprehensive plan is a separate document from the zoning and subdivision control ordinances.  The comprehensive plan is a policy guide that is intended to influence (but not mandate) community land use and development decisions.  The zoning and subdivision control ordinances are also adopted separately by both the city and the county.  These documents are laws regulating new development and are based, in part, on the guidance of the comprehensive plan.