The combined hearing process is probably one of the most underutilized planning tools in the State of Indiana. This session will explore how it works in real life with examples from the St. Joseph County Area Plan Commission, one of the early adopters. Shortly after its passage in 2011, both St. Joseph County and South Bend adopted ordinance putting the combined hearing in place. Since that time, dozens of projects have utilized the efficiencies to get through the entitlement process.

This session will discuss how the process was adopted, how developers reacted to the combined hearing process, lessons learned by staff, and how to implement the same tools in other communities. Passing the enabling ordinance is just the first step. Putting it in to practice is the real test.

Angela M. Smith, City of South Bend Zoning Administrator
Kimberly K. (K.K.) Gerhart-Fritz, The Planning Workshop, Inc