Sec. 923. (a) This section allows the establishment of an alternate procedure under which there can be a more expedient disposition of certain matters that otherwise would be heard by a board of zoning appeals. When authorized by ordinance or by rules of the plan commission, a hearing officer has the power of a board of zoning appeals to approve or deny, through the alternate procedure allowed by this section:

(1) a variance from the development standards of the zoning ordinance in accordance with section 918.5 of this chapter; or

(2) a special exception, special use, contingent use, or conditional use from the terms of the zoning ordinance in accordance with section 918.2 of this chapter; or

(3) a variance of use from the terms of the zoning ordinance in accordance with section 918.4 of this chapter. However, the authority of a hearing officer under this subdivision may be exercised only if:

(A) the area planning law is not applicable; and

(B) the variance of use would allow all of the following:

(i) The expansion of a use currently existing on the tract.

(ii) A use that is consistent with the comprehensive plan.

(b) All requirements for variances, exceptions, and uses imposed by the 900 series of this chapter apply to the alternate procedure, except to the extent that a provision of section 924 of this chapter imposes a different requirement.

(c) The alternate procedure does not apply in any excluded city as described in IC 36-3-1-7. Sections 919(f) and 922 of this chapter do not apply to the alternate procedure.

(d) The hearing officer (who may be a board member, a staff member, or any other person) shall be appointed by the plan commission. More than one (1) hearing officer may be appointed. A hearing officer may be removed from the officer's responsibilities at any time by the plan commission.

(e) The plan commission may adopt other rules or recommend ordinances for the alternate procedure not inconsistent with the 900 series of this chapter. These rules or ordinances may specify the period during which the staff may indicate whether the staff objects to the proposed variance, exception, or use. These rules or ordinances may also provide for public notice and due notice to interested parties in accordance with section 920(b), 920(c), and 920(d) of this chapter, but the rules or ordinances may, because of the nature of the petitions heard under the alternate procedure, provide for a less inclusive definition of "interested person" and provide for a quicker and less burdensome method of giving notice to interested persons than rules applicable to petitions not filed under the alternate procedure.

(f) METRO. For purposes of subsection (d), the director of the department of metropolitan development shall nominate, and the plan commission shall appoint, all hearing officers. Such a hearing officer may be removed from the officer's responsibilities at any time by either the director or the plan commission.

(g) METRO. The plan commission may, if requested by a historic preservation commission created under IC 36-7-11.1-3, appoint:

(1) a member of the historic preservation commission;

(2) a member of the historic preservation staff; or

(3) a person who is an employee of the department of metropolitan development;

as a hearing officer to act in a historic area or historic zoning district created under IC 36-7-11.1-6. The hearing officer may be removed from the hearing officer's responsibilities at any time by either the historic preservation commission or the plan commission.

As added by Acts 1982, P.L.212, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.357-1983, SEC.20; P.L.320-1995, SEC.15; P.L.321-1995, SEC.5; P.L.126-2011, SEC.31.