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Noble County Plan Commission Department

Our office enforces the zoning ordinance in unincorporated parts of Noble County and the Town of Cromwell.
The incorporated towns of Kendallville, Albion, Ligonier, Rome City, and Avilla maintain their own ordinances and are outside of our jurisdiction.

Unified Development Ordinance


The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is the zoning ordinance for unincorporated areas of Noble County. Download your own searchable copy here.

Board of Zoning Appeals


The BZA is considered an administrative board that is quasi-judicial in nature. A quasi-judicial entity operates more like a court than a legislative body and uses many standards and procedures like the courts. BZA decisions are required by state law to be guided by specific criteria, and made based upon the facts, not opinions. The primary role of the Board of Zoning Appeals is to rule on the application of the existing zoning laws as opposed to passing new laws, and therefore it is considered an administrative body. Citizen Planners Guide, page 18.

They also manage appeals to decisions made by the Planning Director (also known as the Zoning Administrator) via Administrative Appeals and oversee Trash, Junk, and Debris complaints filed at the Planning Commission Office or on this website.

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Plan Commission


The Planning Commission institutes and maintains the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance), which is our zoning ordinance in Noble County.

(Learn more about the UDO here)

The nine-member board holds appointed members (County Commissioner, County Council member, the appointed ag agent, and the County Surveyor) and citizen members.

Common tasks handled by the Planning Commission are Subdivisions, Vacations of platted land (but not platted public ways, like roads or public drives), rezonings (the Plan Commission provides a recommendation to the Commissioners who make the final determination), amendments to the zoning ordinance (known as the UDO or Unified Development Ordinance) and the zoning maps.

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