Ferdinand weighs costs, payment plans for Wahl lots development

Ferdinand is weighing who will pay to turn the Wahl lots from paper parcels into actual homes, with roads, curbs, gutters and stormwater work still needed before the platted land can function as buildable residential property.

At the Ferdinand Plan Commission’s latest meeting, members revisited the long-running question of how to develop the lots without shifting an unsustainable burden onto current taxpayers or nearby property owners. A document drafted by Ken Sicard proposed payment plan language for road improvements, and commissioners also discussed cost-sharing arrangements that could spread the expense over time.

The sticking point is infrastructure. The streets tied to the Wahl lots were dedicated long ago, but many remain unpaved or unopened. Town officials noted that many platted streets are not in Ferdinand’s inventory, which can make them ineligible for Community Crossing Matching Grant funding unless the town or the owners pay the full cost. Commissioners also discussed whether low-traffic streets should face relaxed standards and whether the town should create an internal priority system for improvements.

That matters for more than one subdivision. Until the roads are settled, the Wahl lots remain largely theoretical, which limits new housing supply and leaves drainage, access and traffic patterns unresolved in that part of town. If Ferdinand moves ahead with payment plans or shared-cost arrangements, the work could unlock future homes while also setting the terms for who pays for neighborhood infrastructure.

The zoning review running alongside the Wahl lots discussion is aimed at the same problem from another angle. Dubois Strong has partnered with IncCodes to review and modernize zoning ordinances for Ferdinand, Jasper and Huntingburg, with the goal of reducing barriers to infill and missing-middle housing. The firm has already completed an initial review and sent questions and feedback back to town officials, and the overhaul is expected to cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The rewrite is meant to follow Ferdinand’s comprehensive plan, which was adopted in 2025 after public input sessions in November 2024 and March 2025. Ferdinand’s current zoning code traces back to a 2008 comprehensive plan, which replaced even older 1997 and 1987 measures. Colten Pipenger of Dubois Strong said housing availability and development predictability are essential to workforce growth and economic competitiveness, while Ken Sicard said the zoning work will help carry out a recommendation from the town’s comprehensive plan while preserving Ferdinand’s character. Once the ordinance is updated, the town plans to share it with realtors and developers.