Published: October 10, 2008 11:03 am      

Rauch planning housing development in Floyd County

Rauch Industries — a division of Rauch Inc. — has the ball rolling toward a development that would bring 17 to 20 houses for disabled people in Floyd County.

Members of the Rauch Board of Directors and their design representative, Jason Copperwaite of Corydon-based Paul Primavera and Associates, were given a willingness to serve letter from the New Albany Sewer Board Thursday.

It means that if the Floyd County Plan Commission approves a land use proposal for the housing development, Rauch could soon build houses along County Line Road near Wolf Lake subdivision.

The letter shows the board’s commitment to provide sewer services to the development.

The land designated for the project was donated by Sam Shine — owner of Samtec, Inc. Rauch board member Steve Pry said feedback from residents who live near the proposed development will be key before plans are finalized, if the land use receives approval.

“We’ve really just been doing brainstorming,” he said. “In the next four to six weeks, we hope to put it all together with the input of the people.”

Pry added they would not approach possibly-impacted residents until after finishing architectural drawings.

A potential start date has not been mentioned with details still being ironed- out.

“There’s a lot of work to do between now and then,” said Steve Hines, member of the Rauch board.

Pry said the development would serve the entire community and would also feature some offices for Rauch staff. The organization would be the feature agency for placing disabled people in the homes, but he said it’s still not decided.

Other organizations that work with disabled people might also be able to suggest candidates for the homes.

“It’s too early to say exactly. Certainly Rauch will have a primary role in it,” Pry said.

Rauch, Inc. was founded in 1953 by parents who wanted a quality educational experience for children with disabilities, according to the organization’s Web site.

Services began in a church basement and it eventually became the first educational group in Southern Indiana to be funded by Crusade for Children.

Rauch serves nearly 650 children, adults and families in the Louisville-metro area with five of its seven locations in New Albany.

Rauch industries provides subcontract business through a labor force consisting of people with and without disabilities.

The impact of the development would likely be 7,000 gallons a day, enough that the city would likely need to construct a lift station to handle the extra flow, according to Environmental Management Corp. Program Manager Brian Dixon.