Those involved in the local planning effort got together last week to discuss their various roles and smooth out any ruffled feathers remaining from a recent sign controversy.
From all indications, the meeting accomplished its goal.
We all want the city to thrive, but we don’t want development that is helter skelter. This is not the wild west.
The local review process is in place to help the community achieve a vision. The planning department doesn’t simply set arbitrary rules aimed at making things difficult for local businesses.
What too often happens is that property owners come up with a project and then go to the planning department seeking approval of a finished plan. What they should do is go to the planning department with a concept and find out what the rules will allow.
The planning department is there to help. Staff members understand the regulations, and they have no problem helping residents and businesses to navigate them.
People involved in the planning process are not there to create obstacles. They are in place to help Logansport become the community its residents want it to be. Planning department staff members are trained professionals, and they deserve to be respected.
The members of the planning commission, downtown development review board and board of zoning appeals are volunteers who give of their time to help in making Logansport a better place to live.
They don’t do these jobs to be the taste police or to make life harder for local businesses. They do them because they care about Logansport.
Some applicants might argue that they should be able to do whatever they want. They’re writing the checks, and they own the property they’re proposing to develop.
The fact is, though, that we’re all part of a larger community. We’ve chosen Logansport as our home, and we all have a vision for what we want it to become.
The rules are in place to protect that vision.
Some have suggested that Logansport should learn from the example of Nashville or Carmel or Zionsville or some other community, but skeptics respond that Logansport is none of those communities. It’s Logansport, and what it is now is what it always will be.
That’s a short-sighted point of view.
No vision will become reality overnight, but with persistence and imagination, this community can become what its residents want it to be.
All we need to do is establish the ground rules. And then follow them.
The issue
A recent sign controversy has resulted in confusion about the role of planning and zoning regulations in the community’s development.
Our view
Local planners are trained professionals working to help our community achieve its vision.
Editorials
Planning regulations play important role
- Editorials
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Postal service listens to small towns
The U.S. Postal Service plans to keep smaller post offices open by scaling back the hours at those and other offices. The postal service deserves credit for listening to the concerns of its customers.
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A history lesson on two wheels
The Cass County Historical Society staged its second annual bike tour last weekend. The event raises money for a great cause while offering participants to get some exercise and learn a bit of local history.
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Stormwater fees about to go up
The Logansport Stormwater Management Board is considering a 51-percent increase in its monthly rate. The board is about to launch into a huge project, and residents would do well to tune into the process.
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A day to say thanks to moms
Today is Mother’s Day, an observance that dates back more than a century. Mothers everywhere deserve our gratitude for the love they showed and the lessons they taught.
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Six-to-Six program offers promise
A new program called Six-to-Six aims to work with middle school students facing suspension from school. Catching issues when kids are still in middle school should cut down on the number of teenagers who go on to drop out of school or wind up in jail.
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Council can’t have it both ways
The Logansport City Council is considering an ordinance eliminating the requirement that police officers and firefighters provide receipts in order to collect their annual uniform allowance. If the council wants to ensure the money is well spent, it should reject this ordinance.
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That weight problem hasn’t gone away
A report issued this week predicts that more than 40 percent of us will be obese by 2030. The way to tackle this problem is for every one of us to take ownership of it and take steps to address it.
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Today’s the day to cast ballots
Both political parties have important contests on today’s primary election ballot, and residents have a civic duty to take part in the process.
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Everyone should be on same page
The Logansport-Cass County Economic Development Foundation expressed concern last week as the city discussed plans to allocate more money toward an international marketing effort. Spending money on marketing Logansport and Cass County is a good idea, but it’s important that our leaders coordinate their economic development efforts.
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.Refusing to give up on students
The number of suspensions is dropping at Logansport High School. Keeping kids in school means a higher graduation rate and a better educated work force.
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