CEDAR LAKE | The Plan Commission sized up the situation and decided the town needs to keep lot /structure size standards on the books, but the percentages need to change.

Earlier this year, Town Council members reacted to numerous variance requests from developers who were finding the ordinance setback standards and lot/structure size standards at odds. The urged the Plan Commission to fix it.

The council said then that the lot/structure standards should be eliminated.

Last week., however, the commissioners, except Plan Commission President Tim Kubiak, favored increasing the lot/structure requirement from the current 25 percent o 50 percent; that is, the total of all structures on the lot may not exceed 50 percent of the lot's square footage.

Kubiak and his fellow commissioners agreed that a lot/structure standard must be in place, but Kubiak said he favors raising it to 40 percent.

"It reinforces the smaller lot size if you make it 50 percent," he said.

But Doug Wynkoop, Cedar Lake building administrator,said that the additional 10 percent will allow residents room for a shed or deck.

Sandra Joseph, town engineer, said that the ordinances covering the standards and setback will be getting a facelift soon.

"This all gets redone anyway with the new master plan," she said.

The plan commissioners will vote on the issue when they meet in regular session Feb. 21.