An 80-acre tract can be cut into eight or 10 plots. Residences and farming don't necessarily mix well. Wide, slow-moving equipment has to contend with more cars and a line of mailboxes along the road, Reitz said. New rural residents sometimes complain about livestock odors and the noisy equipment farmers run early in the morning to late at night during spring and fall. Scattered residential development is becoming common in Perry and Eel River townships in northwest Allen County and is spreading in southern DeKalb and Noble counties, Lamm said.
Development follows two paths into rural areas.
One is along utility lines, where major subdivisions are likely to be built. If land is adjacent to or near water and sewer lines, it's more likely to become the next housing hot spot. But major commuting routes into the Fort Wayne area also are sprouting new houses. That's the result of sell-offs. Landowners are now limited to no more than two sell-offs a year, Reitz said.