Sec. 504. (a) After the comprehensive plan is approved for a jurisdiction, each governmental entity within the territorial jurisdiction where the plan is in effect shall give consideration to the general policy and pattern of development set out in the comprehensive plan in the:

(1) authorization, acceptance, or construction of water mains, sewers, connections, facilities, or utilities;

(2) authorization, construction, alteration, or abandonment of public ways, public places, public lands, public structures, or public utilities; and

(3) adoption, amendment, or repeal of zoning ordinances, including zone maps and PUD district ordinances (as defined in section 1503 of this chapter), subdivision control ordinances, historic preservation ordinances, and other land use ordinances.

(b) A comprehensive plan or master plan adopted or approved under any prior law is validated and continues in effect as the comprehensive plan for the plan commission in existence on September 1, 1986, or any successor plan commission until the plan becomes a part of or is amended or superseded by the comprehensive plan of the latter plan commission. In addition, a thoroughfare plan adopted or approved under any prior law is validated and continues in effect as a part of the comprehensive plan on and after September 1, 1986, until the thoroughfare plan is amended or superseded by changes in the comprehensive plan approved under this chapter.

(c) AREA. To effect the consolidation of the various plans and ordinances in force in the county and in the participating municipality into one (1) comprehensive plan, the area plan commission shall approve the comprehensive plans of the participating municipalities as its first comprehensive plan. The commission shall also recommend under applicable law to the participating legislative bodies, without amendment, the adoption of the zoning, subdivision control, thoroughfare, and other ordinances relating to the jurisdiction of the participating legislative body. If lands within the jurisdiction of the commission are not regulated by zoning ordinances, the commission shall classify those lands as residential or agricultural, until they can conduct such land use studies as are necessary for reclassification and zoning. Because the unification of the planning and zoning function is of an emergency character, the commission and the participating legislative bodies shall initially adopt these preliminary plans and ordinances by simple resolution, to continue in effect until finally adopted in conformity with the area planning law.

[Pre-Local Government Recodification Citations: 18-7-3-12; 18-7-4-504; 18-7-4-45; 18-7-4-94 part; 18-7-5-45.]

As added by Acts 1981, P.L.309, SEC.23. Amended by P.L.335-1985, SEC.6; P.L.220-1986, SEC.10; P.L.320-1995, SEC.5.