City Development & Standards

All new development or redevelopment projects should go through the Wells County Area Plan Commission (APC). Contact information can be found on the Wells County Area Plan Commission website.

Bluffton Design Standards Design Image

During the review of the development petition, project plans are routed to the City of Bluffton for approval. Projects within the City of Bluffton and/or affecting City infrastructure should follow the Bluffton City Standards (PDF). These standards have been established because they have proven to be the most beneficial way to incorporate new development and infrastructure into our community.

Requested Variances

Requests for variances of these standards must be submitted to City Engineering and the APC using the Variance Request Form (PDF). A requested variance of the Bluffton Standards shall be filed by the landowner and/or developer at the time that the applicable petition or plans are submitted to the APC.

New Projects Plan Review Meetings

To avoid potential approval delays, the City of Bluffton and the APC encourage having a New Projects Plan Review Meeting during the Pre-Development phase to discuss the proposed petition or plan before the start of plan development. These meetings occur as needed on the second Wednesday of the month in the first floor conference room at City Hall and are scheduled by APC when plans are submitted for review.

Utility Connections and System Development Charges

After new development plans are approved by the City, utility connection requests can be submitted. New development connection requests for water and sewer are done in person through our Customer Utility Office located at City Hall, 128 E Market Street. For all new developments, a System Development Charge for both water and sewer connections will be assessed. These charges are based on the water domestic service meter size that is requested for the development.

Water System Development Charge

Meter Size

EDU

In Town

Out of Town

5/8 inches

1

$1,462.48

$1,680.39

3/4 inches

1.5

$2,193.72

$2,520.59

1 inch

2.5

$3,656.20

$4,200.98

1 1/2 inches

5

$7,312.40

$8,401.95

2 inches

8

$11,699.84

$13,443.12

3 inches

15

$21,937.20

$25,205.85

4 inches

25

$36,562.00

$42,009.75

6 inches

50

$73,124.00

$84,019.50

Sewer System Development Charge*

(*Based on the Domestic Water Meter Size)

Meter SizeEDU

In Town

Out of Town

5/8 inches

1

$1,155.47

$1,327.64

3/4 inches

1.4

$1,617.66

$1,858.70

1 inch

2.5

$2,888.68

$3,319.10

1 1/2 inches

5.8

$6,701.26

$7,700.31

2 inches

10

$11,554.70

$13,276.40

3 inches

23

$26,575.81

$30,535.72

4 inches

40

$46,218.80

$53,105.60

6 inches

91

$105,147.77

$120,815.24


For additional information, please contact the City Engineer or Utilities Director.